Friday 24th April 2026
- Travel day and free time in Ypres town centre
- Visit to Ypres Cemetaries (Essex Farm) - maybe!
Collection details and travel out
Tour coach collects at 08.30am from Hampton White House Community Centre and then at 09.30am outside Richmond train station to collect all people for the trip. Please bring a packed lunch with you, in case our stop (estimated arrival at 11.30am) at the Eurotunnel Terminal is cut short. Travel through Eurotunnel at 12.50am and then at about 3.30pm we arrive at the Flanders Lodge hotel, located about 1.5 miles outside of Ypres.
Free Time and historical visits
With the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure, you have the choice to relax in the hotel, head into town or 20-30 minute walk to the Essex Farm ADS and CCS Shelters and the Essex Farm CWGC cemetery.
Essex Farm Medical Dugouts (where John McRae wrote Flanders Fields in 1915) are a series of concrete shelters against the Ypres canal bank. They were initally wood and metal sheeting dugouts, and then four were rebuilt with concrete in 1916. They include dressing stations, triage staion, Officers quarters. The graffiti on the walls of the furthest shelter was from tsome veterens who visited the site after the war.
If you wish to visit Ypres today, the Hotel will organise taxis to and from the hotel to the centre of the town some taxi telephone numbers are included at the bottom of the page.
Interesting places to visit include The Ramparts casements, where The Wipers Times was first printed in 1916, led by an Officer fom the 24th Division who found an abandoned printing machine, and with the help one of his soldiers (who was a professional printer), they started production of a humourous and satyrical newspaper. It is now a beer brewing unit open on Saturday afternoons.
To the South of the main market square is Lille Gate, during the war a major route out of Ypres, maybe more famous (at the time) than the Menin Gate, as it was sheltered from shelling and was the exit point for soldiers going to Shrapnel Corner, Zillebeke or onto Hill 60 and The Bluff.
To the South of the main market square is Lille Gate, during the war a major route out of Ypres, maybe more famous (at the time) than the Menin Gate, as it was sheltered from shelling and was the exit point for soldiers going to Shrapnel Corner, Zillebeke or onto Hill 60 and The Bluff.
Saturday 25th April 2026
- Morning rehearsal and afternoon concert
- Guided tour of CWGC Tyne Cot cemetary
Today after a leisurely continental breakfast, we start with a musical element of the tour with a morning rehearsal in the hotel. Set-up is from 9.30am with a planned rehearsal time from 10am to 11.30am. Please be prompt.
After the rehearsal we will depart by coach for Ypres for a light lunch in one of the many cafes and restaurants, and then assemble at St Martin's Cathedral.
St Martin's Cathedral is just behind the Cloth Hall and dates back to thirteenth century, although a place of worship is recorded on this site since 1073. In August 1915 a severe tragedy affected the Cathedral as the Germans began shelling the town heavily at around 6am, and lasted for 5 hours. The 6th Btn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) were passing through the City at the time and immediately took shelter in the deep cellars and cloisters of the Cathedral. Unfortunately the shells hit the Western side of the cloisters and during the bombardment buried many men in the rubble. Two Officers and nineteen men were killed in this shelling, all were buried in Ypres Resevoir Cemetery.
St Martin's Cathedral
We play our first concert of the tour in the Cathedral from 1pm until 3.15pm. The programme contains a selection of Cole Porter hits, music from my fair Lady, the Overture Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna, Voices of Spring and much more. Programme can be found here.
Free Time and historical visits
As we are in Ypres enjoy dinner and some sightseeing. Wander through the small narrow streets or enjoy a typical Belgian meal with beer and wine.
If you have time visit the Cloth Hall War museum or the Ypres War Museum (both are close to each other in the same building), or walk the Ramparts and see the salient Pilkem Ridge on the left, St Julian and Passchendaele in the centre, with Hill 60 and Messines Ridge to the right.
Tyne Cot Cemetary VisitAfter the concert, you also have the option to take the coach to Tyne Cot cemetary, the largest cemetary in Flanders, holding 11,965 graves, of which 8,369 are unknown. Coach would leave after the concert and we return from Tyne Cot back to the hotel at approximately 6pm.
The cemetary stands on the site of a German strongpoint with four heavily fortified pillboxes, three of which are inside the cemetary. The land was fought over heavily in the third battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) in 1917.
The cemetary stands on the site of a German strongpoint with four heavily fortified pillboxes, three of which are inside the cemetary. The land was fought over heavily in the third battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) in 1917.
Sunday 26th April 2026
- Concert in Dentergem and Menin Gate Last Post event
A relaxed start to the day we depart promptly at 10.30am for Dentergem. Our hosts will provide a light lunch of ham/cheese sandwiches or hot soup between 11.45 and 12.45am.
Dentergem joint concert
Setting up with their band, we have a rehearsal at 1pm and then deliver a joint concert (2pm to 4pm) after which we depart back to Ypres to prepare for the Menin Gate Event arriving around 5.30pm.
DinnerIt is recommended that at your discretion and choice (you have just under two hours 5.30pm to 7pm), dinner should be taken before the Menin Gate Event.
Menin Gate - Last Post
Having enjoyed some time in the city we assemble at the Menin Gate at 7pm. (Be Prompt!!) to setup and prepare for the Menin Gate Last Post ceremony at 8pm, taking our place as directed at the Eastern side of the Gate, and as time is limited and we will play traditional and serene WW1 remembrance music 'Nimrod' and 'The Banks of Green Willow', together with a hymn.
The Menin Gate records 59,846 soldiers who died up to 15th August 1917 and have no known grave in the Flanders area. (Another 35,000 soldiers are remembered at Tyne Cot for those who died after that date). The ceremony is planned to finish by 9pm after which people can stay in the town or return to the hotel.
Monday 27th April 2026
- Depart the hotel for Bruges
- Return to London by Eurotunnel
Vacate the hotel
Time to check out the hotel, enjoy our last continental breakfast, and depart at about 9am.
Bruges
We arrive in he charming historical city of Bruges at around 10am and have 4 hours to explore the city, travel by boat on a tour around the canals, eat our last Belgiam lunch (the local dish is vol-au-vent and frites, with mayonaise, of course.
Journey back to London
Leaving Bruges at 1pm, we take the coach back through Eurotunnel, stopping in the Terminal before travelling under the sea back to England, and after a short trip around the M25 we arrive back at Richmond Station and then Hampton at approximately 5pm.
Useful Contacts
- Hotels Hotel Hinterland, Beauvoordestraat 9, 8691 Alveringem +32 58316051 New Regina, Grote Markt 45, 8900 Ieper +32 57690090 Oude Abdij Hotel, Noordstraat 3, 8647 LO, +32 58288265
- Gasthof T'Zweerd, Grote Markt 2, 8900 Ieper +3257200475 Taxis
- Taxi Leo, Bargiestraat 23, 8904 Ieper +32 57200413 - Steve Clabau
- Taxi Kurt, +32 57360900 +32 492276428