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COXA Battlefield Tour and Gay Pride weekend
Clapham arrived at Arras in the Pas-de-Calais on the same weekend as the 'Arras Pride Festival 2022' for the LGBTQ+ community...
Clapham arrived at Arras in the Pas-de-Calais on the same weekend a 'Arras Pride Festival 2022' for the LGBTQ+ community and although people like the Leathems, McLoughlins, O'Flynns, Nortons and their friends, might have had different agendas for the weekend both groups blended to have a cracking time., Arras organizes it's annual meeting for all members of the LGBT community in France to celebrate diversity. This is the second time we've shared Arras with the Gay Pride Celebrations and the weekend was busy, fun and went off without a hitch [except for a coach break-down].
Forty-one "Pilgrims", the largest group we've ever taken on a Battlefield Tour, shared a weekend focussed on visiting our fallen comrades from WW1, sharing a prayer, and thanking them for making the ultimate sacrifice to give us a better future. In these times of Covid, the Cost of Living crisis and Travel difficulties, visiting their resting places and reflecting on the sacrifices of these ordinary Clapham College Boys, who went to France [most for the first time] and never came home, was indeed uplifting.
In a packed schedule of interest, sometimes upsetting stories, reflective time and fun activities and locations, time just “flew” so quickly and the wonderful weather made it in many ways the “perfect trip”. We visited the new, CWGC operations centre at Arras. Also visits to Leboeufs, Batte & the Guard's Cemetery [paying homage to our fallen Old Boys]. We stopped at the village of Flers scene of the first Tank attack in history.
On Saturday we spent a wonderful afternoon at the Thepvial Memorial. We visited the Ulster Tower and walked to the beautiful Connaught cemetery to honour another Old Boy. Another stop was at the iconic Hawthorn Ridge and the crater famously filmed over 100 years ago when the mine was detonated. We explored ancient towns and villages, had fabulous meals and the “odd drink” in good company. There was Sunday Mass in Cambrai and free time for shopping and exploring. Finally, we visited the Tank Museum at Flesquieres on our way back to the Tunnel. So, onto the next tour in 2023 [“news” soon”]
Scotty