'I have known Andy for many years and while I have been aware of his passion for the battlefields and historical sites of the first World War, I didn’t realise how extensive his knowledge was until I joined for a trip in May 2023.

Our visit was based around the story of a friend’s lost grandfather, and Andy created a fabulous trail. 

The trip was designed for us to see the journey our friends grandfather would have taken, from arriving in France right through to locating the battlefield where he lost his life. 

Andy managed to create a detailed, informative and (most impressively) a personal account of the grandfather’s experiences.

I have always had some basic knowledge of the 1914-1918 conflict, but Andy conveyed the information in a manner that added to the facts that I already knew. 

Andy bought to life the various events, battlefields, and cemeteries we visited and turned them from a landmark into places where human stories came to life. The context of each step in the war was linked together, and the human impact, horrors and acts of bravery were intertwined in such away that you could not help but feel honoured to be there.

In our tour we even had the honour of laying a wreath as the Menin Gate for our friend’s grandfather and his colleagues who gave their lives – a very special memory from a very special trip.

Completing this tour even inspired me to search for my own lost relative, and with Andy’s help, I was able to finally locate his regiment and, more importantly, visit his grave at Wancourt just a few months later.

In all, the trip I found to be engaging, full of facts and information, emotional but also fun with an excellent choice of restaurants and accommodation throughout.'

Tom 

05/2023