This year Susi and myself joined another Holts Tour, with Richard Holmes again acting as guide; this time it was four days in the Ypres Salient.

The trip started on Tuesday 10th July with the usual coach trip from Victoria to Dover, followed by the ferry trip and a coach run then to Ypres.  There was a stop en-route in Dixmuide to see some ‘restored’ Belgian trenches known as the ‘Trench of Death’, a little melodramatic. The main aim was to get to the Hotel Ariane in time for a quick clean up and then off to the service under the Menin Gate. It was a little more crowded than previous visits, but we realised that during our stay there would also be the 90th Anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Passchendael, which would inevitably bring in larger crowds.  It would also include our Queen, but more of that later.

We were amused by the roadsign in Ypres showing that there would be parking restrictions for the visit of the Queen.