A Leaders Journal Friday 10th November 2006 We met at the District Campsite. The coach was yet to arrive, not knowing which Company has been booked to take us. The mind contemplated the coach we may have, will it be luxurious or a bit of a bone shaker. Then our coach pulled into the outer car park. All doubts were dispelled; it was indeed a luxurious coach. We loaded the luggage, and then had to do a bit of unloading, as some passports had been stowed in the luggage. We finally departed and set off for Vigo and then the M20 to Folkstone. Making good time on the journey down the M20 we arrived at the Channel Tunnel and then boarded our shuttle. Having arrived in France we headed for Normandy. We stopped at a service station for Lunch. The rest of the afternoon was taken up motoring along the Autoroute's of northern France, stopping frequently at the tolls. The time was occupied by The Longest Day on the DVD Player. By late afternoon we crossed the River Seine, we then stopped at Honfleur for a break. Most of us stretched our legs and took a stroll into the Town. Then we set off for Caen and onwards to Bernieres-s-Mer. Unfortunately we hit the outskirts of Caen at rush hour and to compound things we have finally found out that they do have road works in France. For some of us it was just like any other week day evening, sitting in traffic! Finally we left Caen and arrived at Bernieres-s-Mer slightly behind schedule. Locating our hostel we unloaded the coach and went straight to Dinner. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing and un packing. Saturday 11th November 2007 We rose reasonable early for Breakfast. Then we took stroll to the beach. To gain an awareness of how things might have been for the invading troops on D-day we took off our shoes and socks and waded out into the cold channel and turn round to appreciate Juno beach. We headed ashore and regrouped in front of a house overlooking the beach which was there on D-day. As we walked along the sea front we meet a local who tells us he was there on D-day and quiet clearly still didn't think much of the Germans. We returned to our hostel and changed into our Uniform ready for the church service and remembrance parade. We formed up and then marched through the Hostel gates and across the road to the church. After a few minutes concerns grew that no one else appeared to be coming to the church for the service. Had we got the right time? Had we got the right church? Or was the service at the memorial we found on the sea front? One of our leaders who couldn't speak French and the owner of the Hostel who spoke not a lot of English, drove to the sea front to check. They returned with no news and then with the help of our main interpreter a local told us that the Vicar was ill and so the church service had been cancelled. To fill in the time we paraded through the town to the War Memorial on the beach which we had found earlier. We performed our own act of rememberance. Our coach driver later told us that he had seen us and that other locals had stopped to watch us. We returned to the hostel and changed out of our uniforms to while away the rest of the time until the remembrance parade. We regrouped back in our uniform and marched back to the church. This time the locals were also starting to gather. A contingent of army cadets was also present, when the parade started we were the largest group present. Our leader joined the mayor and other dignitaries at the centre of the parade. During the parade two of our number laid our wreath, which we had brought with us. After the parade we went to the Mairie along with the local residents and partook of the hospitality provided. We presented the Mayor with one of our scarves decorated with our badges. In return she presented our representatives with a badge of the Town's emblem, one for each of us. Before we left we posed for pictures with the army cadets and the mayor. After lunch we returned to our coach and headed west along the coast. Our first stop was at a viewing position over looking Arromanches and the remains of a Mulberry Harbour, which was built off Gold Beach. Next we moved on to the remains of a German coastal battery at Longue sue Mer. Here some of the party met a D-day veteran who could have kept them enthralled with his memories for hours. Eventually we left and continued west to our ultimate destination for the afternoon. The Americans had landed at Utah and Omaha. At Omaha they took heavy loses breaking out from the beach. On the top of the cliff overlooking Omaha beach they have built their war Cemetery. Having started watching 'Saving Private Ryan' on the Coaches DVD, seeing the rows of white cross on the screen as the characters visit a grave didn't prepare you for seeing them in reality. We made our way to the edge of the cliff top, the plan had been to go down to the Beach so that we could endeavour to get some idea of what had faced them. As we didn't have the time we turned and climbed the slope towards the cemetery. As we approached we could see a few regimented rows of white crosses. As we progressed to the top of the slope the enormity of the number of individual graves became apparent. We spent a while looking and reading some of the inscriptions.  What struck this author most was the proportion of those looked at, that said 'known only to god'. Then we moved to a garden around whose walls had been engraved the names of all those who had been killed but not identified. The party all moved by the experience some more visibly than others returned to our coach and headed back to the Hostel. After dinner we once again boarded the coach and set off to visit a Scout Group in Caen. I'm not sure if our hosts where aware how many of us there would be,  but we must of have out numbered them by about four to one, and then only half a dozen or so where French Scouts or Guides. After introductions from our French hosts in brilliant English, it came the turn of our Leader to make our introductions. Having seen the linguistic skills of our hosts and come to realise the lack of skills of our Leader the demand from our party went up for a reply in French. Perhaps wisely our urgings were ignored. After presentations and drinks everyone started to mingle a combination of English, French and phrases read from phrase books led to a convivial evening before time came for us to say goodbye and return to our Hostel. Sunday 12th November 2007 Rising early the hostel was a hive of activity as the Explorers busied themselves stripping beds and sweeping out the dormitories. After breakfast we took our luggage to the coach and collected the packed lunches that the Hostel had provided. Having said our goodbyes and expressed our thanks for a pleasant stay we headed east and ultimately for home. Our first destination was Sword beach. We boarded the coach just as the first rain of the weekend arrived. We now headed inland in the same general direction that the landing troops would have done. Our destination was one of the places this author was most looking forward to from the whole trip. Pegasus Bridge was taken by Allied Troops landing by glider in the first hour of 6th June. They then carried out their orders to 'hold until relieved' this relief was the troops coming from the beaches. Arriving with plenty of time before we were booked in for a tour of the Museum. We all disembarked from the coach and crossed the current bridge in the same direction as the Allied forces had. Our destination now as then was the Cafe on the other side of the canal which Pegasus Bridge spans. Your author knew that the Patron of the Cafe was still Madame Gondree. She was a child during the war when her parents ran the Cafe. Our coach driver had said that as we were going on a Sunday there was a chance we would meet her. Crossing the bridge at the rear of our party, I entered the Cafe into a room the size of the Lounge in the wardens house at the District Campsite. The scene that confronted the author saw the majority of our party in this room looking at the souvenirs and paying for their purchases. There were other people having a cup of coffee. When I paid for my own purchases I found myself being served by Madame Gondree herself. Madame Gondree then agreed to speak to all of us, we then had all forty plus of our party including our coach driver, who had joined us, crammed into this little room. Everybody was quiet and for how long I cannot say Madame Gondree held the entire party spell bound recounting her memories of life here on D-day. If there had been no traffic crossing the bridge and Madame Gondree hadn't been speaking you could have heard the proverbial pin drop. Leaving the cafe we crossed the bridge once more and visited the landing sites of three gliders. How they landed within a minute of each other and so close to the bridge is quite amazing. Entering the museum we had a presentation on D-day and were shown some of the major exhibits. These included a replica Horsa gilder, parts of the original gliders and the original bridge. With time marching on we departed Pegasus bridge and headed to our final stop before the journey home, the British Cemetery at Ranville. We all decided to lay our poppies on the grave of a fallen serviceman with our own surname. Some could only find a name which was similar. Others found someone with more of a link than just the same name. After another emotional visit on this trip we returned to our coach and headed for home. On route we stopped at a service station and ate the lunches we had been provided. Finally we reached the Channel Tunnel and crossed back to Folkstone. Being ahead of our schedule hurried arrangements where made to have the District Campsite opened and parents notified of our early arrival. We arrived safely after a thoroughly enjoyable, thought provoking and memorable trip. Our thanks must go to our Leaders, the hostel staff and our coach driver for helping to make it so. top