Visit to Etaples: To Remember

Was up early to catch a coach to Etaples with the Mayoress first thing - an early start isn't (quite!) so bad when the sun is already shining at 6.15am. A quick and easy journey through the Channel Tunnel, with good company, set the scene for the day. Those on the coach were members of The British Legion, Youth Uniformed Organisations and various people involved with the twinning planning and organisation. We had time for a coffee in a café before beginning the ceremonies of the morning - ordering decaf coffee with schoolboy French took a little time!

It was a day in two halves with the morning being focussed on the dignified remembrance of those who gave their lives for our freedom. We were delighted to meet the Mayor of Etaples and the other dignitaries at the Cemetery. These ceremonies are often emotional for me and this was no different. Seeing the row upon row of graves, so wonderfully kept, is a stark reminder of the numbers of service men and women who have lost their lives in war.

The speeches, in both English and French, helped everyone to focus our thoughts on the gratitude so often unspoken. My father fought in the 1914 - 18 war and so laying a wreath on the memorial dedicated to that conflict brought a tear to my eye at a truly poignant moment.

After the solemnity of the solo piper, the laying of the wreaths and the contemplative silences between speeches, it was time to attend the official reception, where the two Mayors exchanged gifts. We were then all entertained to an afternoon of music, food and dancing with an opportunity to get to know our hosts a little better, even with the difficulties of language translation!

Saying goodbye is always a struggle and this occasion was no different. We wrenched ourselves away in time to catch the planned train through the tunnel and arrived back in Folkestone suitably moved by the experience.