Country Life Magazine
Travel Supplement
Secretary writes:
Those of you that read Country Life may have noticed a
reference to the Guild and some its members in the 18th December Travel
supplement. This follows a conversation that I had with the journalist earlier
in the year.
Useful Web Sites
Bruce Littley writes:
Members may be interested in the following websites which I
have identified. They contain material relevant to what we do:
Poperinghe
Secretary writes:
I have received a .pdf from the tourist people at Poperinghe
describing some of the work they have been doing in advance of the Centenary. I
attach this (rather large) file with the update. If you can't receive 3mb files
let me know and I'll see if I can make it smaller or put it on the website.
Messines Model excavation
at Cannock Chase
Secretary writes:
I have received the following from Richard Pursehouse
describing the work that has been undertaken on the Messines model at Cannock
Chase. I also attach an article they have sent.
I thought I would update you on the excavation since it was
brought to a halt in early October. The majority the model was uncovered within
the time constraints, although nearly all of the "viewing platform" around
three sides remained untouched, as did around half of the drainage system (on
four sides). This was presumably because the excavation ran out of time,
although how a "deadline" can be placed on such a project before a
spade is put into the ground is a question for the archaeologists involved.
However, this does not detract from the incredible
effort involved in uncovering an area the size of half a football pitch,
and the amount of the model found to have survived. Unseasonably kind weather
and the tremendous effort of the volunteers ensured the excavation concluded
successfully - in spite of the Council Comms Dept unilaterally agreeing to the
recovering being delayed into November so that the BBC could film on the model;
Comms "forgot" to ask those involved, having simply agreed to the BBC
request.
The involvement of volunteers was crucial to the excavation.
So too has the input from the archivist at the National Army Museum in New
Zealand - Dolores Ho (see www.dolorescrossproject.org)
and The Chase Project during the excavation kept the village of Messines fully
updated on how things were going.
The Chase Project (Lee Dent and myself plus others) have
been liaising with the NZ High Commission military attaches over the last six
years (Lt Cols John Boswell and Nick Gillard) and after a meeting in London in
February 2013 with the present incumbent, had invited Lt Colonel Mike Beale of
the NZDF up to the excavation and he placed a wreath on the model on behalf of
the people of New Zealand (see link below)
The excavation has been on BBC with "live"
interviews on West Midlands News and the BBC Inside Out programme
And BBC Country File (fast forward to around 6 minutes)
The Chase Project also ensured that international coverage in
New Zealand (eg Otago Daily News) happened, as well as Belgian online
newspapers
Local newspapers and Blogs
The New Zealand WFA has already published our article on the
excavation (a version of one we wrote for the British WFA magazine) and there
is another seven page article to be published in the winter quarterly magazine (see
attached).
We were also asked for a narrative and photographs for the
second update in Military History magazine (see attached), and a second Britain
at War photo diary update (with brief narrative) which will be published in the
New Year. I can send a copy of our original Britain at War on the rediscovery
if you are interested?
The Chase Project are currently putting the finishing
touches to an article on the four terrain models constructed for Messines prior
to the battle (Cannock having been constructed in early 1918).
BBC News
·
Tributes paid to Battle of Britain pilot Norman
Brown - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-25477395
·
D-Day gun boats' 'race against time' for 70th
anniversary - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25483778
·
York Army Museum gets £1m lottery grant - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-25485884
·
Royal pardon for codebreaker Alan Turing - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25495315
·
Northampton woman, 90, robbed of WW1 medals at
knifepoint - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-25518395
·
World War Two uneaten Christmas cake story
revealed - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-25495087
Posts
