Europe « The Hope and the Glory

24Jul/090

Euro Weekender: Ninebar in Tilburg

I've left this post title in the same format as the first two purely for consistency, as it actually has no pictures from the gig. After Tournai, we decided to head to the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. This is the memorial to those Commonwealth soldiers who fell in the First World War, and have never been found. When it was erected there were over 72,000 names engraved on the pillars, but when someone's remains are identified they're given a full military burial and their name is removed from the memorial at Thiepval. There are also 300 English and French graves near the base of the main memorial, serving as a symbol of co-operation between the two countries. As with the previous two posts, there are 360 degree panoramas at Today Is Free - 1, 2, 3.

Tagged as: Europe, Somme, Thiepval Continue reading

24Jul/090

Euro Weekender: Ninebar in Tournai

Following on from Friday's gig in Paris, set off across France (avoiding toll roads) towards Belgium. There's three different varieties of liqueurs going around the van, each of them a different colour. Piss-taking is being done, poor impressions of mutual acquaintances back home, people are generally relaxing and enjoying the weather. Then we spot a square of trees in the middle of a field, and flashes of white between the trunks. 'Walk On The Wild Side' has come on on the mix CD, kind of melancholy sound appropriate to the appearance of a Somme cemetery. Drive on a bit further, we come to a stop at La Chapelette British and Indian Cemetery and the mood is fully brought down to earth.