On Sunday November 4th I was privileged to travel with two of our Year 7 students – Anya and Luke to Belgium and France as part of the government sponsored First World War Centenary Battlefields Tour Programme. This four day visit is one of the most memorable trips I have been involved in at Bushey Meads. Both students were great ambassadors for the school as we joined up with teachers and students from schools all over England in a full and exciting programme. It was a really fitting way to remember the centenary of the end of the First World War.

There were so many highlights from visiting CWGC cemeteries with their rows of immaculately kept graves testament to those who made the ultimate sacrifice to watching a moving performance of “Journey’s End” (a play set in the trenches) in Ypres itself. However, witnessing  a very special Last Post ceremony at the Menim Gate was perhaps the most moving event as the bodies of two recently recovered Australian soldiers were brought to the ceremony with full military honours prior to their burial at Tyne Cot cemetery. It is both sad and amazing to know that over 100 years later the bodies of soldiers are still being found buried in the soil of Belgium

Anya and Luke will be writing about the trip soon…so watch this space!