Arrival

OK - it's day three already and I'm only just doing the first entry. Our internet connection definitely isn't any better and I'm blogging this from MacDonalds in Bayeux whilst having a coffee.

Everyone arrived safely and have settled in well. We spent the first evening at the Museum at Tilly sur Seulles - a beautiful medieval chapel, restored in the last few years to provide a beautiful setting for a village museum which records the very personal stories of the destruction and rebuilding of a Normandy village.

Yesterday we started the day at the Cinema Circulaire at Arromanches les Bains. Rather than trying to tell the story of D Day, the cinema shows a film 'in the round' that attempts to record, without words, the sights and sounds of Normandy then and now. Impressive, no matter how often you see it.

We moved on to the German gun battery at Longues sur mer, and ended the day with visits to both the American Military Cemetery at Colleville and then Pointe du Hoc, where the US Rangers fought so hard.

Today we visited Ste Mere Eglise and Utah Beach.

Normandy is really buzzing at the moment. Thousands of ex-military vehicles, with their owners (often in WW2 uniforms) are on every street and in every car park. President Obama is expected in the area on the 6th June, and preparations are well under way. We won't be affected by that particularly - we will spend D Day at Pegasus Bridge and the area of Benouville.

Day 1 & 2

Everyone arrived safely yesterday afternoon. We headed home and sorted out tents and sleeping areas. The weather is a bit changeable - sudden squalls followed by warm sunshine. It rained most of the night so we all felt a bit down as we assembled for our first days sightseeing. But everyone had kept dry and had slept well, so we soon cheered up.

The day started with a trip to the German gun battery at Longues sur Mer. We took a picture, which shows all the Cadets sitting on the barrel of one of the guns - unusually Longues Batterie has retained it's gun barrels and much of it survived heavy shelling on D Day. Unfortunately, this dial-up connection we're using is not co-operating and pictures may have to wait until a better time!

After lunch at Arromanches, we went and watched a film on the events of D Day at the Cinema Circulaire, and then visited the memorial to the Winnipeg Rifles at Gray-sur-Mer, where we plan to lay a wreath later in the week.

After a bit of shopping, we came home for a curry supper - again, pictures will have to wait until the telephone line fairy smiles on us.

Preparations

Well, we (OC tour and his wife) are here. Despite the many reports of port blockades, Ouistreham seems unaffected and the only sign of any industrial action by fishermen was the small, peaceful group gathered at the port to check refrigerated lorries for fish.

Normandy has been very wet, but we have still managed to get the grass cut. If we (and you) are lucky, the weather will hold long enough to get the tents up this afternoon.

If you are thinking of buying a new pair of trainers for the tour - don't. Buy waterproof shoes instead. (Goretex walking boots are great - look like trainers but keep the wet out of your feet).

We are off to do some food shopping today - see you all tomorrow afternoon.

One week to go...

We're looking forward to seeing most of you at the briefing tomorrow morning and even more to seeing everyone on the dockside at Ouistreham next Friday afternoon.

Final reminders. Be at the assembly point at 05.30 (yes, in the morning) for 06.00 departure. Don't be late! Make sure you have your Passport, European Health Card, uniform and clothing for seven days. OC tour and his boss will be leaving on Monday - the grass will need cutting and we'll be taking most of the supplies and tentage with us.

Even if it rains, we are going to have a great time next week - there's lots to see in Normandy and if you don't know much of the history of WWII and the D-Day landings, you will be amazed by some of the stories you will hear. Many of the soldiers involved weren't much older than you - the youngest British soldier buried in Normandy was just 16 years old - look up his story on: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/3698847.stm

If you want to get in the mood this week, watch some films. The Longest Day is getting rather old, but is one of the few films that tells the story of Pegasus Bridge and the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry as well as giving a good overview of the scale of the D-Day landings. Band of Brothers concentrates more on the Battle of Normandy in the weeks after D-Day, but Saving Private Ryan will give you a sense of the awful losses the Americans experienced on Omaha Beach.

We're going to have a great time - barbeques, swimming, sightseeing and representing the Battalion at Pegasus Bridge on the 63rd Anniversary of D-Day!