Surrey Riders Two Day World War 1 Battlefield visit to Ypres in Belgium
Saturday 27th October 2012 meeting at 7.45am at Clacket Lane Services (Kentbound carriageway). Moving off at 8.15am to get to the Eurotunnel for a 9.50am crossing (currently £27). Then onto Ypres and surrounding area to visit places like
Passendale Musuem Tyne Cot Cemetery Hill 62 Hooge Crater
Onto the Hotel in Ypres (Novotel Ieper currently £64 for a twin room) and then walking to the Menin Gate for the last post at 8pm.
About 180-200 miles in all for the day.
On the 28th October after breakfast, we're onto Vimy Ridge in France, a Canadian Memorial and battlefield.
Then back to Calais for the 6.50pm Eurotunnel (currently about £27) and home.
Duncan on his Honda Fireblade (non member) Max with his wife on their BMW GS1200 (non member) Jim on his Honda VFR800 (non member) Dave on his VFR800 (non member) Dan on his Suzuki GSX650F (non member) Me with my 7 yr old son on my Honda VFR800
Possibly coming:
Brathu on his Triumph Tiger 800 Phil on his Yamaha Fazer 1000 (non member) Roughie on her Honda CBF1000 Roughies brother on his ?????
hi folks,
please feel free to ignore me,
but, i`ve visited a few ww2/ww1 sites over the years,
and the ONLY one ive ever been to and felt annoyed at the treatment/profitering set up was hill 62 near ypres!!
the rest are great, but just diddn1t want you folk to have the same bad ex as me.
Old Teri, I know what you mean about Hill 62 but there are good photos available to view of the area there.
Minnie, such a shame as we'll be travelling past Bethune on the way home. Have you got your bigger bike yet?
Draft itinery for the trip is
27/10/2012 0745 Meet at Clacket Lane Services 0800 Leave Clacket Lane Services 0900 Arrive at Euro Tunnel Folkstone 0950 Train journey to Calais 1125 Arrive at Calais (French time) (about 60 miles Ypres) 1400 Arrive at Hellfire Corner 1500 Arrive at Sanctuary Wood Museum, Zillebeke 1700 Tyne Cot Cemetry at Zonnebeke 1830 Arrive at Novotel Hotel 2000 Last Post at the Menin Gate (remember Duncan's Great Uncle)
28/10/2012 0830 Leave Novotel Hotel (about 70 miles to Delville Wood) 1100 Arrive Delville Wood Cemetry, France (remember my Great Great Uncle) 1200 Leave Delville Wood Cemetry 1300 Arrive at Vimy Ridge Memorial 1530 Leave Vimy Ridge (about 70 miles to Calais) 1800 Arrive at Euro Tunnel Calais 1850 Train journey to Folkstone 1825 Arrive at Folkstone (English tim
I'm afraid the costs have gone up. The tunnel is still £52 return but the hotel has gone from £62 to £89.......So if you hadn't booked it's not as cheap as before.
Rossoandy21 of course you can be added. You will need to book your Eurotunnel on the internet (9.50 crossing on the 27th with the return at 1850 on 28th). And you need to book your hotel at the Novotel Ieper (or somewhere else in Ypres town centre).
Grr it broke AGAIN!
http://www.bikermatch.co.uk/sites/bm/events/event_details.asp?event_id=3738
If this link breaks please notify the webmaster (Matt) via the notify mods button, thanks.
Would Love To Do This Trip, Unfortunatley Im working Over That Particular Weekend, Ill Keep My Eye Open On The Events Calender For A Similar Trip In The Future, Have A Great Trip To All That Are Going
<wordtidy>Wow! What an end to the year for social bike runs. We started off meeting at Clacket Lane Services of the M25 at 7.15am on 27th, moving off at 7.35am. There was Max and Christine on their red BMW R1200GS, Duncan on his black/white Honda Fireblade, Dan on his black Suzuki GSX650F, Jim on his Honda grey VFR800, Dave on his Honda black VFR800, Phil on his burgundy Yamaha Fazer 1000, and me with my 7 year old son on our black Honda VFR800. A quick jaunt down the M25, M26 and M20 where we stopped at Ashford to ‘collect’ out last two bikes, Andy and Sarah on their orange Moto Guzzi California, and Ian on his silver Honda CBF1000. After a brief coffee, we got down to the Channel Tunnel……which was very busy. So much so that, although we were early for our train, we were still put on the half hour later train at 10.20am. After a 30 minute or so journey, we arrived in Calais. Andy and Sarah had got a slightly earlier train and we were due to meet them at a petrol station. This was easier said than done but within about 20 minutes we were all one large group again. Trying to keep off the main roads, we headed towards Dunkerque and then south east towards Belgium. We had quite severe side winds to deal with on route, and also came across snow on the road. But the further south we went, this weather stabilised to just moist rain. Sat Navs are fantastic things but if they are set to avoid main roads that’s exactly what they do. At one point we were along a dirt track with a sign stating unsuitable for vehicles. However, after resetting the Sat Nav, we stopped at a Café to shelter and have a meal. We carried on our journey in lovely sunshine and arrived at Sanctuary Wood Hill 62 Museum. There were original trenches with items on display covering all aspects of the Great War in Ypres (Ieper)………and there was somewhere else to have a relaxing coffee. Onto Tyne Cot cemetery, which is one of four memorials to those who are missing in Belgian Flanders. The time was creeping on so back to our hotel. Again, the Sat Nav caused problems finding the Novotel hotel, partially due to a road closure. At one point we had to get off our motorcycles and walk them through an archway…oops…it was the Menin Gate. Luckily, there was no-one about. Then onto the hotel. Enough time for a quick freshen up and then out to the Menin Gate for the last post. There was a large gathering completely filling the Gate, and the service consisted of the last post, a choir singing, and a reading of the Exhortation:
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.”
Then onto Ypres town centre for a meal.
The next morning, after a good breakfast and a look around the town, we set off for Vimy Ridge in France. This was a fantastic run, in brilliant sunshine, and we made brilliant time. We did get stopped by the Gendarmes, but as my son was getting off the bike they just said, “Bonn”, and then ushered us on. Too much paperwork?? We arrived at Vimy at around midday. The setting was lovely, and we had a great guided tour by the Canadians of the trenches and tunnels but…..there was no coffee. So, at about 3.15pm we started back towards Calais, stopping at a little service station on route. Andy and Sarah led, with Dan riding as ‘tail end charlie’. Unfortunatley, Max and Christine started to experience problems with their BMW, which kept cutting out (giving the impression of dirty fuel). Because we were on a motorway, Dan with my son and I stopped on the roadside to assist Max. The others, obviously realising that tail end Charlie was missing had stopped further up the road. Christine jumped on as pillion with Dan, and Max ‘limped’ the BMW to where the others were waiting, pushing it the last 100 metres. Within about 25 minutes, in a group effort, the BMW was repaired (problem with the side stand switch rectified with a knife and electrical tape). Andy and Sarah continued leading, with Max directly behind them and the rest of us following on just in case it happened again. We made brilliant time to the tunnel but again, I think the trains were having problems and we missed our due train. However, we were put on the 7.20pm train. Saying our goodbyes on the train, as soon as the doors opened we all made our way straight home……..”Dad, I need the toilet!!” Well almost straight home. We covered around about 350 miles in all.
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