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Arryhall · 22nd November 2018, 20:41

Went to Belgium for the Last Post at the Menin Gate for the 11/11 100 years remembrance. Yes, it was a bit ago now, so not news, nor of any interest to anyone here, either come to that! Left on Friday and drove through to Dover and got on a Ferry, then went through to Ypres. Went to Passchendaele and wandered around the Museum and then went and checked into the hotel. Then went out again to look around.

Saturday, we went all over the place, but went to the Gate for the 8pm daily Last Post and silence. There were a couple of thousand people there, which for a small place, was pretty packed. It was moving and disheartening and yet uplifting.

Sunday, the 11th, we didn't go for the 11am service and poppy drop as there were estimated to be between 12-14000 people there, the ceremony being shown on a big screen in the square. It would have been lovely to go to that, BUT we had a ferry to catch later that day and with so many people there, not only would we have been nowhere near the place, parking would have been miles out of town and we'd never have been able to leave due to traffic, so instead we went to the Somme, and to Bayernwald, and Tyne Cot and Flanders Field. Then we headed back to the ferry and came home to Stoke.

It was moving and humbling and though I have been before, the scale of it all still surprises me. The wife has never been nor have my parents, so it was new to them, and Tyne Cot caused my mum to cry when she saw the rows of headstones; so many of which were unknown because the bodies were beyond recognition.

The important thing about this here? We went in the 75. Don't think I dropped below 70 (or maybe 80) on the way there, then through France and Belgium, stayed at a nice 130kph (whatever that actually is in real speed. Could have been a million mph or 25. Felt quickish though). Never missed a beat. All 4 of us were comfy and warm, and relaxed, the downloaded maps on the Navall took us everywhere we wanted to go, everybody had a nice nap whilst driving there and home, except me, of course! And once the journey was over, none of us were tired, stiff or achey as the car was literally all day comfortable. Covered 1100 miles from Friday to Sunday night, and all I did before I went was to fill the tyres with air, check oil and water and place my "Travelling through France" kit in the boot.

As an aside: considering it is LAW to carry a spare bulb set in your car, I have NEVER, anywhere in the world, seen so many cars on the road with one headlight out! So very very very strange!

Anyway. Rover 75. Noisy inside at speeds over 50mph, but other than that, no problem knocking out a thousand miles in a weekend with 4 people in it.

22nd November 2018, 20:41	#1
Arryhall Loves to post Rover 75 Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Biddulph Posts: 486 Thanks: 101 Thanked 145 Times in 90 Posts	Menin Gate Went to Belgium for the Last Post at the Menin Gate for the 11/11 100 years remembrance. Yes, it was a bit ago now, so not news, nor of any interest to anyone here, either come to that! Left on Friday and drove through to Dover and got on a Ferry, then went through to Ypres. Went to Passchendaele and wandered around the Museum and then went and checked into the hotel. Then went out again to look around. Saturday, we went all over the place, but went to the Gate for the 8pm daily Last Post and silence. There were a couple of thousand people there, which for a small place, was pretty packed. It was moving and disheartening and yet uplifting. Sunday, the 11th, we didn't go for the 11am service and poppy drop as there were estimated to be between 12-14000 people there, the ceremony being shown on a big screen in the square. It would have been lovely to go to that, BUT we had a ferry to catch later that day and with so many people there, not only would we have been nowhere near the place, parking would have been miles out of town and we'd never have been able to leave due to traffic, so instead we went to the Somme, and to Bayernwald, and Tyne Cot and Flanders Field. Then we headed back to the ferry and came home to Stoke. It was moving and humbling and though I have been before, the scale of it all still surprises me. The wife has never been nor have my parents, so it was new to them, and Tyne Cot caused my mum to cry when she saw the rows of headstones; so many of which were unknown because the bodies were beyond recognition. The important thing about this here? We went in the 75. Don't think I dropped below 70 (or maybe 80) on the way there, then through France and Belgium, stayed at a nice 130kph (whatever that actually is in real speed. Could have been a million mph or 25. Felt quickish though). Never missed a beat. All 4 of us were comfy and warm, and relaxed, the downloaded maps on the Navall took us everywhere we wanted to go, everybody had a nice nap whilst driving there and home, except me, of course! And once the journey was over, none of us were tired, stiff or achey as the car was literally all day comfortable. Covered 1100 miles from Friday to Sunday night, and all I did before I went was to fill the tyres with air, check oil and water and place my "Travelling through France" kit in the boot. As an aside: considering it is LAW to carry a spare bulb set in your car, I have NEVER, anywhere in the world, seen so many cars on the road with one headlight out! So very very very strange! Anyway. Rover 75. Noisy inside at speeds over 50mph, but other than that, no problem knocking out a thousand miles in a weekend with 4 people in it.