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.
There’s something chilling about realising that the entire area of the Somme is still rife with undiscovered bodies, and the detritus of the war. Farmers can still plough a field and unearth remains. Walking the rows of the cemetery, and seeing numerous headstones where the date of death is the same. Large numbers recording they were 18 or 19 when they died, and then you think about those who lied about their age to enlist. Inscriptions that have obvious personal meaning – “That Others Might Be Free – Well Done Frank”. It all gets to you in a way that I can’t get across in words. If you have the chance to visit some of the Somme cemeteries, please do take it.
La Chapelette
Shortly afterwards, we stopped at Chapelle Memorial du Souvenir Francais de Rancourt, one of the French cemeteries. The same as above holds true.
Chapelle de Rancourt
Sombre drive to Tournai is broken up by somehow being the one vehicle not stopped at a French police roadblock, despite being an English van with no stickers, and a bunch of drunks with band gear in. Incidentally, a large chips and two medium chips in Belgium adds up to a 12″ square package 3″ deep. Insane.
Tournai:
Band room:
Bun Dem Out:
TRC:
Sacom:
Ninebar: