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Menin gate


michele

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Hi Michelle, we parked in the road that runs paralel to the menin gate, just outside the campsite and stopped on the road overnight.

five miniut walk from the van, very sad, can't belive all the name's of people who lost their lives.

it's only ten minuets walk into the town from there as well.

pete

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Hi Michelle, no we had no problems, we ended up there when we asked another british motorhomer if they new of a camp site/aire.

although it was late in the afternoon and they were supposed to be moving on, they took us to where the campsite was (this appeared to be closed) and decided to stop with us for the night, took a while to get to it as it was rush hour, it was in october, i probbably overestimated the time it took to walk there.

pete

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We stayed at a campsite in Ypres at the Jeugstadion ( a sports compex).

I remember that we had to go round to the back of the complex, thru an industrial estate to get to the entrance.

There is also a museum of the first world war in Ypres.

I always find these places sad because in most cases the young men had no option, they were simply 'born at the wrong time'.

 

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michele - 2007-10-09 10:57 AM

 

Anyone been what did you think of it was it sad .

where did you park camp

thank you.

 

 

Hi Michele

We visited Ypres and the Menin Gate, very moving,the buglers march out under the gate play the last post and march away,all of which I recorded on my nikon camera,unfortunately with the camera held on its side ,now I have to turn the computer on its side to view.(anybody know to to fix this.)We also stayed the night.If you drive down the hill towards the Menin Gate from out of town take the last turning left immediately by the Gate and drive along the side of the Moat.Opposite the metal cutout of children giving flowers to a soldier there are pull ins on the side of the road. Very quiet road, all legal .While you are there visit the Poppy field museum in the large building in town.Well worth a visit. Happy camping

 

Mick H.

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We also stayed at the campsite Jeugdstadion. It's only a small site, and has a good toiletblock. It only cost us 10.50 Euros for 2 of us including electric and showers. Personally we'd rather do that than stay at the roadside. The walk to the Menin Gate from the site is only about 10 minutes, and the town itself is lovely too.

 

The ceremony is at 8pm every night, and we found it very moving. We stayed 2 nights at the beginning of last month and went to the ceremony both nights. The second night, 6 September, was the anniversary of the liberation of Ypres, and the ceremony lasted nearly half an hour.

 

Ina.

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We went this "summer" (!) - on the wettest day we've ever spent outside the UK! We stayed at the site the others have mentioned, and walked in to the Gate.

The site was fine, and reasonably priced, but I've no idea how much of the year it's open for.

The 10-minute walk to the Gate left us drenched, but there was room under the Gate for everyone to stand in the dry while we watched & heard the buglers at 8pm, and observed the silence. Very moving experience, surrounded by all those names engraved inside the archway.

I never did work out why it's the Fire Brigade buglers who sound the Last Post - or why the Fire Brigade HAVE so many buglers (3 of them every evening, so they must have at least twice that many!)

 

Tony

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We stayed in Ypres in June, it's a beautiful city Michele - we stayed at the campsite mentioned earlier 10.50 euros inc electric, but you can stay overnight on the road that runs alongside the 'moat' just down from the Menin Gate - it was a moving ceremony.

here are some pics as requested

 

carol

menin1.jpg.e70eb5557386ef0b861fb43ee7e2847c.jpg

menin2.jpg.9ce971267d65922973c0434b5feb5250.jpg

menin3.jpg.307c08958a67c4a709765ced8a129f0d.jpg

menin4.jpg.403a3c1f36a46155f0cedccae3389935.jpg

menin5.jpg.1acd3de75814229a7542a01238e9c461.jpg

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Britain alone lost over 650,000 dead Michele and Germany 1.6 million. Add on all the countries involved, plus casualties both military and civilian and you still have difficulty coming to terms with the scale of what can only be described as sheer carnage.
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michele - 2007-10-09 5:52 PM

 

So all them sheets of concrete have people who fought in the wars names on them . People who lost their lives. Very sad indeen how many names does anyone know?.

 

I don't know how many names, I think approx 30.000, but not sure. However, they are ONLY the names of those whose bodies were never found, ie those who have no known graves.

 

It makes you very sad to think how many young men lost their lives needlessly, and it begs the question; have we learnt from it?

 

Ina.

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Hymer584 - 2007-10-09 6:24 PM

 

michele - 2007-10-09 5:52 PM

 

So all them sheets of concrete have people who fought in the wars names on them . People who lost their lives. Very sad indeen how many names does anyone know?.

 

I don't know how many names, I think approx 30.000, but not sure. However, they are ONLY the names of those whose bodies were never found, ie those who have no known graves.

 

It makes you very sad to think how many young men lost their lives needlessly, and it begs the question; have we learnt from it?

 

Ina.

Don,t think we will ever learn Ina but at least we now have access to information that would make it almost impossible to have this happen again. Look at the pressure and outrage directed at our political leaders over the relativlely small losses we now suffer in Iraq or Afghanistan for example, something that was not available to the populace during WW1 etc.
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michele - 2007-10-09 4:32 PM

 

Thanks Howie I knew that really just needed a BIG KICK up the backside.

 

Anyone got a photo please would be really interested to see .

Also Mick H sorry I cannothelp but others may know ..

Can anyone help Mick with his video please ;-)

 

couple more piccies,the one is the gate( obvious) the other is alongside the road where you can overnight.

2114010914_granddayout062copy.jpg.43013effe144edfba55adca91f31f2e1.jpg

850096434_granddayout048copy.jpg.b1a98b563a015a9b4a5ed7f2d0a4e046.jpg

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Mick H. - 2007-10-09 6:57 PM

 

michele - 2007-10-09 4:32 PM

 

Thanks Howie I knew that really just needed a BIG KICK up the backside.

 

Anyone got a photo please would be really interested to see .

Also Mick H sorry I cannothelp but others may know ..

Can anyone help Mick with his video please ;-)

 

couple more piccies,the one is the gate( obvious) the other is alongside the road where you can overnight.

 

Mick Help I can only see one what am I missing help please.

lovely photo more please..

Sorry I must be impatient :D

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We were there in May and I was looking for my uncle's name as he had no known grave both him and my dad went to war together but luckily for me my dad was one of the lucky ones to return home having survived the battle of the Somme he was an under age soldier joining up in 1916 when he was only 16 years old.

As I could not trace my uncle's name, when I got home I trawled the internet and found his name is on the Tyne Cott Memorial where there are thousands more soldiers names listed just along the road from the Menim Gate so next year when we go to France again I will visit Belgium to look it up.

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There is also an Aire at Gelvuld which is on the road to Menen from Ypres. Co-ordinates available if required.

 

Nice Aire 4 euro a night with electric hookup not sure of amperage but you will need a euro plug connector.

 

Water, waste and chem plus hard standing.

 

The campsite at Ypres is ok but all on grass which may be a problem in November, also the hook up amperage is only 4-5 amps. Also it is difficult to fill the vehicle water tank as the taps are not really accesible and are oval in shape, you also need to keep the tap pressed for water flow.

 

Pete

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Hymer584 - 2007-10-09 2:23 PM

 

We also stayed at the campsite Jeugdstadion. It's only a small site, and has a good toiletblock. It only cost us 10.50 Euros for 2 of us including electric and showers. Personally we'd rather do that than stay at the roadside. The walk to the Menin Gate from the site is only about 10 minutes, and the town itself is lovely too.

 

The ceremony is at 8pm every night, and we found it very moving. We stayed 2 nights at the beginning of last month and went to the ceremony both nights. The second night, 6 September, was the anniversary of the liberation of Ypres, and the ceremony lasted nearly half an hour.

 

Ina.

hi all just one word of caution about this site we stayed there a couple of years ago & had 2 push bikes stolen realised afterwards that there were a bunch of what looked like gypsies parked up there the police certinally thought it was them that were responsible. still site very well located for mennin gate & town centre :-( *-)
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