Friday 24th April 2026
- Travel day and free time in Ypres town centre
Collection details and travel out
Tour coach collects at 9am from Hampton White House Community Centre and then at 9.30am outside Richmond train station to collect all people for the trip. Travel through Eurotunnel and then at about 3.30pm we arrive at the Flanders Lodge hotel, located about 1.5 miles outside of Ypres.
Free Time
With the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure, you have the choice to relax in the hotel or step out into Ypres for dinner and 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), 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.
Saturday 25th April 2026
- Morning rehearsal and afternoon concert
- Visit to Ypres Cemetaries (Essex Farm)
- Tour dinner
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 a light lunch between 12 to 12.30pm, we will depart to St Martin's Cathedral in Ypres.
St Martin's Cathedral
We play our first concert of the tour in the Cathedral from 1.30pm until 3.15pm.
Free Time and Historical visits
A trip to Essex Farm Medical Dugouts (where John McRae wrote Flanders Field) or to the Ypres War museum, to understand what happened at the three battles for Ypres (1915, 1916, 1917), the reason why the Salient was so important to the Allies, living conditions and numerous artifacts. Alternatively wander around the streets enjoying some local shopping and also drinking some beer whileenjoying Belgian Neuhaus, Leonidas chocolates (the hot chocolate drink is made from real chocolate and is a must-have item).
Tour Dinner
An evening group dinner is to be organised either in town or at the hotel.
Sunday 26th April 2026
- Guided tour of CWGC Tyne Cot cemetary
- Concert in Dentergem and Menin Gate Last Post event
Tyne Cot Cemetary
Today we rise early and you 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. 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. We return to the hotel to collect our instruments and having a packed lunch we depart at 12.00 for Dentergem.
Dentergem joint concert
Setting up with their band, we deliver a joint concert (2pm to 4pm) after which we depart back to Ypres to prepare for the Menin Gate Event.
Menin Gate - Last Post
Having enjoyed a light meal in the city we prepare for the Menin Gate Last Post ceremony, taking our place as directed at the Eastern side of the Gate, and as time is limited and we will play 'Nimrod' and 'The Banks of Green Willow'. The Menin Gate records 59,846 soldiers who have no known grave in the Flanders area. 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.