On the Road Again!

Photo courtesy of the Canadian Veterans website I have had confirmation that the commemoration will take place on April 9th as usual. This year it is 105 years since the Canadian troops assaulted the ridge and captured it. So unless Covid restrictions come into play the trip is on. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/vim y More about the battle can be found on a variety of sources but Wikipedia seeks to have it covered. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vimy_Ridge

Photo taken from Canadian Veterans website After a few years where the commemoration has been cancelled for covid-19  and resulting rules and regulations have barred us from going I am hoping that 2022 sees some form of normality. In an earlier post I suggested I might invite friends and fellow riders from Old SOCS and the Meldrews along on the run. I posted on the Meldrews FB page to see if there are any takers. A day trip to France? What could be better than a lunch somewhere (not McDonalds by the Lens football ground! Again!) and then down to take part in the ceremony?   I also thought my brother Neill, might like to come, but as it happens, Arsenal are at home that Saturday and as we are are Gold Season Ticket holders I expect he will go there instead. I need to put my ticket on the ticket exchange system. This year April 9th is a Saturday.  I have emailed the Canadian Government Veterans agency to see if they know if the commemorations in France wil...

Hopefully the global pandemic will be on its last uppers come the start of 2022. So many of us will be vaccinated it will be those that didn't want it that will be falling ill and leaving those uber-vacced to be free from it, and able to travel. The memorial at Vimy in Northern France occurs every year on the 9th April. It commemorates the opening of the Battle of Arras and the involvement of Canadian troops given the unenviable task of taking Vimy Ridge from the German occupiers. I have been a few times but not since 2018.  I missed 2019 due to a holiday in Florida and in 2020 and 2021 it was cancelled as Covid began and continued to decimate the globe. It's a pretty straightforward trip from here. Across on the Shuttle and then a motorway blast to Lens and the back roads into the site. From Calais Eurotunnel it's about 85 miles. Eurotunnel to Vimy Memorial Will I open the day trip up to the Meldrews or even the Old SOCS?  Maybe nearer the time.  I might see if my broth...