Monday 28 April 2008

Le Quesnoy, France

Le Quesnoy, France, twinned with Cambridge, New Zealand.



Our weekend was rather mixed to say the least. There was loads of sunshine, new friends, laughs and many sombre moments.

We picnic-ed over to Lille on the Eurostar. I am a huge fan of the Eurostar, especially as the terminal is now two tube stops from my office and three from our house. I had neglected my civic duty to bake Anzac Biscuits but shared a bucket of M&S Flapjacks, which are the next best thing.

It was a lovely warm evening so we ate our we're-almost-in-Belgium moules et frites (et biere bien sur!) sur la terrasse while getting to know our travelling buddies.

Saturday morning fortified by croissant, pain au chocolat et cafe we picked up the hire vans and wedged ourselves in for the journey.

Our first stop was Beaudignies. In the town hall a kiwi gentleman by the name of Herb explained the history and significance of the kiwi involvement at Le Quesnoy. He explained the divisional structure in the army, and the respect the Kiwis had from everyone else.

We then drove to a local war cemetery, and then had a very moving ceremony at Vertigneul. This is a private chapel with a few war graves to the rear. In the sun there were bagpipes and prayers and a song sun by Lulu. Lulu is a local from Le Quesnoy, who was not even a teenager when WWII was taking place but clearly he had a lot of memories. He sung us a song with his accordion, and I swear there was not a dry eye amongst us.

The Green Fields of France

(Listen here)

Well how do you do, Private William McBride
Do you mind if I sit here down by your grave side?
A rest for awhile in the warm summer sun,
I've been walking all day and I'm nearly done.
And I see by your gravestone that you were only 19
when you joined the glorious fallen in 1916.
Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
Or, William McBride, was it slow and obscene?

CHORUS:
Did they beat the drum slowly?
did they sound the pipes lowly?
Did the rifles fire o'er ye as they lowered you down?
Did the bugle sing 'The Last Post' in chorus?
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'?

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind?
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined
And though you died back in 1916
To that loyal heart are you always 19.
Or are you just a stranger without even a name
Forever enclosed behind some glass-pane
In an old photograph torn and tattered and stained
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?

Well, the sun it shines down on these green fields of France,
The warm wind blows gently and the red poppies dance.
The trenches are vanished now under the plough
No gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard it is still No Man's Land
And the countless white crosses in mute witness stand.
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man
And a whole generation that was butchered and downed.

And I can't help but wonder now Willie McBride
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause?
Did you really believe them that this war would end war?
The suffering, the sorrow, some the glory, the shame -
The killing and dying - it was all done in vain.
For Willie McBride, it's all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again.

Did they beat the drum slowly?
did they sound the pipe lowly?
Did the rifles fire o'er ye as they lowered you down?
Did the bugle sing 'The Last Post' in chorus?
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'?


Lulu singing.

Lunch was an informal affair back in the town hall, cheese, baguettes, ham, pate, apples et vin, followed by a walk in the sun. We retraced the path that the Kiwis travelled on November 4 1918. This took us through farmland to the place where the Kiwis found a shorter part of the medieval wall, and after some casualties in the morning they were able to climb up with ladders and pistols in the afternoon.


Approaching the walls of Le Quesnoy.

At the Monument on the Ramparts we were told about the casualties, given examples of gallantry awards and had readings about the war and the NZ flag. We were reminded about some of the facts; It was seven days before the armistice and some men who died had also fought at Gallipoli ; there were Brigades that were released from service the following day. 117 Kiwi men died that day.

The rest afternoon and evening was somewhat more light hearted with beers in the sun followed by a fabulous dinner put on by the locals (with the ladies bringing a tart each mmmm plate culture). We and the locals entertained eachother with various local songs, a haka and a bagpipe dual. The hardy amongst us also went to the local pub, the Cambridge, and sung folk song karaoke with the local death metal band (you could not make it up).


I need to work out how to rotate this, but here's a sample of the tarts for now...


Paul leading a few songs.

Sunday morning it was back to the formal affairs. Wreath laying in the town square before following the brass band back to the Monument on the Ramparts. We perched ourselves on the ramparts and viewed the ceremony from above. There was more wreath laying, national anthems, bagpipes (The Flowers o' the Forest), and just when the ceremony seemed to be over from behind us on the ramparts came the sound of a haka performed by some students from Nelson Boys'.


Young Kiwis sitting above the memorial, at the 1918 entry point after the service.

Again tempering the formal with the fun/eating the locals once again put on an amazing lunch, with more singing, and another haka, before sadly leaving for Lille and home.

It was an Anzac weekend unlike any other. It was amazing to see how this town was still so deeply grateful for what the Kiwis had done 90 years ago. And while I had a fantastic weekend - hard not to in France surrounded by cheese - there will be one thing that I will remember; at the time the war started NZ's population was only 1.1 million, nearly 10% of the population served and half of them died. Such a great sacrifice; and certainly not forgotten.

Friday 25 April 2008

Anzac Day

From speaking with other Kiwis here, and seeing the comments on Facebook, I find it quite moving that so many young(ish) people are remembering our troops after all these years. I guess we've all got someone in our family, albeit a bit further back now, who fought, if not died.

Although many Kiwis visit Gallipoli for Anzac Day, we're off to France. An old school friend of Paul's who I know independently through law links in Auckland (and my friend Leona is independently related to...) has very kindly organised for a small troop of 38 Kiwis to go the north of France to a small town called Le Quesnoy, which was liberated by the Kiwis in 1918, by hand.

As I should be packing my bag, (determined to get my sleeping bag, towel, camera and everything else I need into a very small suitcase), I'll leave you with some pre-reading.

History:

This site has an excellent 7-page write-up of NZ's involvement with Le Quesnoy:
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/le-quesnoy/new-zealand-and-le-quesnoy


Another write-up:
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww1/france/le_quesnoy.htm


And the official write-up on the Paris NZ Embassy web site:
http://www.nzembassy.com/info.cfm?CFID=2077584&CFTOKEN=95197641&c=6&l=37&s=bu&p=359

Sunday 6 April 2008

More snow (6 April)

In this crazy world look what we woke up to on a spring morning in April. We had a good three or so inches on the deck this morning. Unbelievable!



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Offa's Dyke Path (30 March)

Continuing our walking weekend in Wales on the Sunday we walked part of Offa's Dyke. This path, steep on the western (Welsh) side and less so on the eastern (English) side was built in the 8th century by King Offa - presumably to keep the then Welsh out of England. It is not on the modern frontier between the two countries but does sit only a few miles from it.

It was so much warmer and sunnier than Saturday's walk although as it was mostly through the forest the mud was certainly a new thing to contend with.

We climbed firstly up a hill through a farm - and proved just how long we'd been living in a city for as sheep were now something worthy of taking photos of.

Then it was along the dyke itself along a ridge before coming to a beautiful viewpoint over Tintern Abbey.

Then it was a long scramble down the hill before, that's right, rewarding our hard efforts with another pub lunch.

Now if only someone can get some pubs along the tracks in the Waitakeres, we may just come home...


The flooded Wye River


Paul doing his Japanese tourist impression.


View of Tintern Abbey


Amy (having already washed her feet) was pleased that the pub was used to the mud.

Castell Coch (29 March) Wales

Shortly after returning from Egypt we agreed with Mel to a weekend camping in Wales. Although after Mel's efforts camping in the snow at Easter and Amy having a cold the camping was abandoned in favour of a more sedate weekend of staying at Mel's flat in Cardiff and walking in the nearby countryside.

Saturday's walk, in what the BBC would describe as "wintery showers" (whereas I would call it driving frozen rain) was as Castell Coch, just outside of Cardiff.

In spite of the gales and the rain it was very nice to be out in the countryside and enjoying the farms and the forest. We also quite enjoyed the pub that we discovered two thirds into the walk where we sheltered from the worst of the weather.


Amy and Paul in style at the castle.



Mel, Paul and Dino on the ridge.


Mel with the map assuring us that the pub is just around the corner.


A well deserved ale - Mel, Dino and Paul
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