Somme visit preamble

On Sunday I will be travelling to the Somme battlefields to pay my respects in this centenary year. Having already been on two school visits to the region I have already been to many of the memorial "highlights" so am hoping on this trip to experience more of the landscape of the Somme sector as well as to follow the footsteps of local Gloucestershire soldiers who fought and died there.

In order to experience the 'shape' of the landscape I will primarily be cycling around, as well as following routes from Paul Reed's 'Walking the Somme'. I am also fortunate to be on the Somme on Thursday 15th September, the centenary of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, when tanks were first used in battle and the New Zealand forces first fought on the Somme. I hope to be able to attend the New Zealand commemorations on the day.

I hope to be able to blog daily (B&B wifi permitting) about my trip, as well as photographing and filming what I see. Follow me on Twitter and instagram  (both @kt_kit_kat) to keep up with what I'm doing.

My itinerary will loosely follow:
Monday: Heilly Station, Thiepval, a walk from Auchonvillers, and a cycle around the Gommecourt diversionary front
Tuesday: a cycle including Sheffield Memorial Park, Newfoundland Park, Pozieres Memorial, La Boisselle
Wednesday: a walk from Mametz, and visit to Albert Somme Museum
Thursday: Flers-Courcelette commemorations, Longueval, and cemeteries in the south of the Somme sector
Friday: Thiepval museum and daily commemoration service (possibly something else, time permitting)

Do let me know of any off-the-beaten-track things to see or if you will like photos of any war graves/ memorials.

Kathryn