Possible Marple Remembers 2023 Tour of the Somme Battlefields!

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Possible "Marple Remembers" 2023 Tour of the Somme Battlefields!

In the Spring of 2002 two of the authors of the book "REMEMBERED - Marple Men who fell in the Great War" led a small contingent of mostly local people to see the old Somme battlefields and to visit the graves or memorials of some of the Marple men who fell there. It was such a success that in the following year they led virtually the same group of people to Ypres, in Belgium, where yet more Marple men lost their lives during the Great War.

You can read extensive journals of the 2002 Tour of the Somme and 2003 Tour of The Ypres Salient written by the late Ian Rice here: https://www.marple-uk.com/ianrice/index.htm

Almost exactly 20 years later, retired Firefighter Andy Cook is hoping to repeat the Somme pilgrimage if enough people are interested.

Andy says: "Over a 4 day period I plan to take a coach to the Somme battlefields of 1916. The numbers will be limited to 40 people and will include 3* Hotel with B&B plus lunches (Baguette) provided. We will tour sites relevant to the Marple Men who fell and learn their stories and that of the wider conflict. If you have a relative lost on the Somme we may even be able to make it more personal if circumstances permit".

This post is seeking "expressions of interest" only at this stage to determine if a 2023 tour would be viable.

To express your interest you can reply here (if you are an existing forum member) or email your name and contact details to somme2023@marple-uk.com