Anniversary of the D-Day Landings

FRANCE is always an exciting destination and June 5 and 6, 2019 will mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the launch of the crucial Battle of Normandy, which paved the way for Europe's liberation and the end of WWII. 

The anniversary will also include military parades, fireworks, giant picnics, concerts, airdrops, and of course, a great international ceremony attended by the Allied heads of state on June 6.

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Blooming marvellous

SINCE 1953, Canada’s most colourful festival celebrates the tulip, Ottawa’s official flower and an international symbol friendship and peace, through art and culture. Paying tribute to veterans, and the WWII liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian troops, our millions of tulips set the stage for a celebration of authentic art, cultural, historic, culinary and family tulip experiences at various official venues. 

Uniquely Canadian and One of the largest events of its kind in the world the festival takes place May 11-21 with attractions throughout the city at Lansdowne Park, Dow’s Lake, Garden Promenade and the Byward Market. Bloomex will be providing tulips and other flowers for events leading up to and during the festival. As an added value, Bloomex will be adding a free festival pass to every Ottawa Capital Region order from May 1-20.

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Solomon Islands records biggest ever August visitor numbers

THE 75th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal has been attributed as the key factor in the Solomon Islands recording its biggest ever August visitor intake since arrival records began. A total of 2589 visitors arrived in August, the figure representing a 34.98 per cent increase over the net increase over the 1916 recorded in August 2016 with marked increases seen from Australia, the US, New Zealand and particularly Japan. 

#SolomonIslands Visitors Bureau CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto said the 75th anniversary had undoubtedly played a major role in the result.

“Given the huge amount of effort which went into promoting the event on a world-wide basis, we were confident of an increase in our international visitors so the result is very pleasing indeed,” Mr Tuamoto said. “Our amazing WWII history, our well-preserved battlefields and our war museums continue to prove a major attraction and especially, the huge amount of sunken ships and aircraft which have made us such a mecca for the international dive market.

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Tirpitz – A Hidden Bunker Museum

IN Blåvand, on the coast of South-West Jutland, the Germans started building the Tirpitz Bunker as a part of the Atlantic Wall in 1944 but never finished it. 

In 2017, the Danish architect group, Bjarke Ingels Group, will complete work on an impressive new hidden away, state-of-the-art, glass and grass roofed museum, Tirpitz, in the coastal dunes that will run alongside the WWII bunker. 

Helping to bring the former historic building to life, the museum will comprise four separate exhibition spaces featuring the Atlantic Wall, life on the Danish West Coast, the World’s largest collection of amber and a visiting exhibitions area.

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Picture Credit: Pintrest

WW2 tunnels in Dover’s white cliffs open to the public

A NETWORK of forgotten WW2 tunnels inside the #WhiteCliffsofDover has been opened to the public by the #National Trust. 

The Fan Bay Deep Shelter was carved out of chalk in just 100 days in 1940 on Winston Churchill's orders as part of Dover's connected offensive and defensive gun batteries, aimed attacking German shipping in the English Channel.

At 75ft below the Kent coastline, the 3,500 sq feet of interconnecting tunnels, which are reinforced with iron girders and metal sheeting, accommodated 200 men.

The shelter – which was inspected by Churchill in 1941 – was decommissioned in the 1950s and filled in with rubble and soil during the 1970s.

The National Trust say the well-preserved tunnels are a time capsule, giving insights into war-time life, with graffiti-covered walls, discarded ammunition, and even a football pools coupon found in them. 

Tons of rubble and soil were removed by hand from the tunnels in an 18-month project involving more than 50 National Trust volunteers, archaeologists, mine consultants, engineers, and a geologist.

Jon Barker, visitor experience manager at the White Cliffs, said: ‘This re-discovered piece of the country's Second World War heritage is a truly remarkable find. There has been no public access to the tunnels for more than 40 years, and so they remain much as they were when they were abandoned.

‘We've carried out extensive conservation work to preserve both the natural decay and authentic atmosphere of the space."

The shelter was carved out of the chalk by Royal Engineers from the 172nd Tunnelling Company, and had a hospital, secure store and five large chambers providing bomb-proof accommodation.

Tickets are not available at the tunnel entrance. Book a space at the visitor reception centre before walking the 1.5 miles to the tunnel entrance and the 125 steps down into the network.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/87920827@N06/8044663115">Dover Cliffs</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license), National Trust

V-E Day celebration

VISITORS to the Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey, Essex, will be taken back to the 1940s to join the Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) celebrations in a May Bank holiday weekend event (May 2-4). 

The weekend of re-enactments, remembrance and celebration will include military vehicles and air displays, including – weather permitting – Spitfire and Mustang flights.

www.royalgunpowdermills.com

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Picture Credit: Courtesy royalgunpowdermills.com

Channel Isles celebrate heritage

THE first Channel Islands Heritage Festival - now on and running through to May 11 - depicts the history of the five islands – Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Herm.

The festival – set up to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Channel Islands' liberation from occupying German forces during WWII – feature special openings of historic sites such as the tunnels at Guernsey's Castle Cornet, history-themed cycle tours, a shark egg hunt on Alderney's shores, and open days at forts and bunkers.

www.visitchannelislands.com     

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Picture Credit: "Castle Cornet Guernsey 7" by Man vyi (Own work (own photo)) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Tanks for the day out …

DORSET’S Tank Museum has almost 300 vehicles from 26 countries. 

The exhibition – in six halls – tell the story of armoured warfare from World War One to the present day, and gives first-hand accounts of the men who fought in tanks. 

The collection includes Tiger 131, the only working example of a German Tiger I tank, a British WW1 Mark I, the world's oldest surviving combat tank, and a modern Challenger 2.

For information about events at the museum in 2015, go to www.tankmuseum.org.


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Picture Credit: tankmuseum.org

Islands unite for Liberation anniversary festival

JERSEY AND GUERNSEY come together next year to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands in May 1945.

During World War II, the Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to fall into German hands. Each island still displays many visible signs of Germany's five-year military occupation in the form of fortifications and bunkers across the coastline, as well as underground tunnels and hospitals.

During the festival (April 3-May 11), coastal castles will be brought to life, doors will be unlocked on wartime bunkers and historic towers, and the islands will hang the flags out for Liberation Day.

Celebrations will reach a crescendo on May 9 with a day-long carnival. Commemorative events will also take place on the islands of Alderney, Sark, and Herm.

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D-Day: the parties go on

THE Queen and President Obama have been and gone, but hop across the Channel and until the end of the summer you can immerse yourself in D-Day and 40's fever with liberation balls, parades, open-air film screenings, firework displays, exhibitions, and concerts.

The Battle of Normandy raged for 100 days and to mark the 70th anniversary, the special events calendar will last the full 100 days. Many of the region's towns and villages will be holding events to commemorate the date of their liberation

Event highlights:

• The Lights of Freedom - Bayeux, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays until August 23, (except 1st, 2rd and 5th July). From nightfall until 12.30am, a sound and light show extravaganza will see the city's magnificent 12th century cathedral light up in a rainbow of colours. 

• 51st Highland Division Tour of Normandy – Various locations, August 16-24. In memory of the Scottish regiments which liberated several Normandy towns and villages in the summer of 1944, the French 51st Highland Division Memorial Pipe Band will tour the region. There will be exhibitions about the Scottish Regiment, haggis tasting, live pipe band music, parades, commemorative ceremonies, film screenings, and BB’s.

• Overlord Jazz Concert and Cocktail party –Touques, August 22. As part of the 'Jazz and Cocktail Fridays Festival,' the Overlord Octet, an ensemble of six musicians, will give a D-Day70 special concert. The group offer an original spin on Glenn Miller's music.

www.normandy-tourism.org

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The quirky and unusual '2do'

Pencil's on show...........

WANT to know where to find the planet’s largest colouring pencil? 

It’s one of the exhibits at the Cumberland Pencil Museum, Keswick, Cumbria. 

You’ll also find a World War II secret pencil collection, and the world’s first pencil among other graphite goodies. See more at - www.pencilmuseum.co.uk  

It's Fantastic.........

THE Fan Museum in Greenwich has 4,000 fans dating from the 11^th century to the present day. 

There are tours with the curators who give detailed insight into the art of fan making. 

From treasured antiques and printed silk fans to fan-shaped soaps, the museum collects a vast amount of fan-shaped trinkets. Try - www.thefanmuseum.org.uk 

Designs for your dog.........

IF you need inspiration for your pet pooch’s first collar, head to Kent for a visit to the Dog Collar Museum in Leeds Castle, where you can see dog collar designs from the past five centuries. 

Dogs have always had an important presence in Leeds Castle – from hounds for hunting, gundogs and huge mastiffs to guard the gates, and lap dogs for the apartments of widowed queens. www.leeds-castle.com 

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Wartime Kent

This year sees three momentous anniversaries: 100 years since the outbreak of World War One, 75 since the outbreak of World War Two, and 70 since D-Day. 

Kent has a wealth of connections to these significant periods in British and European history, including the house that hid code breakers, the coast where bouncing bombs were tested, the tunnels from which Operation Dynamo was masterminded, and the airfields from which Spitfires and Hurricanes flew.

A programme of events and activities in Kent marking these anniversaries includes:

Ramsgate Blitz Walks – A guided walk around the heaviest bombed seaside town in the UK. Various dates through to December.

Open air classical concert, Leeds Castle – The concert features The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Military Wives Choir, a military band, field guns, and air displays. July 12. www.heritage-events.co.uk

The War & Peace Revival, Folkestone Racecourse – The Greatest military show on earth is at Folkestone Racecourse for the second year. Highlights include the Vintage Village, an RAF camp, the Women's Voluntary Service providing tea to bombed-out householders, and even cows at the Land Army display! July 16-20. www.warandpeacerevival.co.uk

Valour, Loss & Sacrifice: Chatham, the Royal Navy, and the War at Sea, 1914-1918, Historic Dockyard Chatham – Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of the WW1, this exhibition portrays the significant role played by Chatham Dockyard, its workers and the Chatham Port Division of the Royal Navy, shown through the eyes of those who served.  Four years of sacrifice and loss will be depicted using objects and artefacts drawn mainly from The Historic Dockyard's own collection. July 26-November 30. www.thedockyard.co.uk

www.visitkent.co.uk/frontlinekent

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Living history

A MUST for history-heads could be the Chalke Valley History Festival in Wiltshire (June 23-29). 

In the chalk hills of Wessex, there will a WW1 trench – plus real gun fire – Spifires, a living history encampment, sword fights, and  daily talks by celebs including Kate Adie and Jeremy Paxman.

cvhf.org.uk

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Kent at war

2014 sees three momentous anniversaries: 100 years since the outbreak of World War One, 75 since the outbreak of World War Two, and 70 since D-Day. Kent has a wealth of connections to these significant periods in British and European history, including the house that hid code breakers, the coast where bouncing bombs were tested, the tunnels from which Operation Dynamo was masterminded, and the airfields from which Spitfires and Hurricanes flew.

A programme of events and activities in Kent marking these anniversaries includes:

Ramsgate Blitz Walks – A guided walk around the heaviest bombed seaside town in the UK. Various dates through to December.

WWII Weekend, Dover Castle – Witness an explosive battle and soak up the atmosphere as the castle returns to the 1940's. Walk through military encampments and get up close to a full size replica Spitfire. Step inside Mr Smith's bombed-out shop and discover the austerity of the war years. Get tips on the latest period fashion. Witness the firepower display. With a live band playing music from the 40's and plenty of hands-on activities for children. May 24-26. www.english-heritage.org.uk/dovercastle

Plant a REAL Poppy Day, Kent-wide – A unique campaign has been started to plant real poppies to coincide with the centenary of the start of WW1. Bright red Flanders poppies, also known as corn poppies, will be planted by thousands of people across the nation during spring 2014, for flowering late July/early August. The 2014 Real Poppy Campaign is the brainchild of The Greenhithe (Kent) Royal British Legion. Seeds are available direct from the Royal British Legion or from B&Q and many garden centres nationwide. Plant a REAL poppy day is Sunday, June 1. http://realpoppy.co.uk

Ramsgate Tunnels Explorer – Ramsgate's Tunnels Explorer takes visitors on a journey into a network of tunnels which became a town below the town. As World War II approached, the borough council embarked on plans to construct more than two miles of bomb-proof deep shelter tunnels to protect the town’s civilian population. Learn about life underground from recordings of those who took refuge from the bombardment of a front line town. June 1. www.ramsgatetunnels.org

Open air classical concert, Leeds Castle – The concert features The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Military Wives Choir, a military band, field guns, and air displays. July 12. www.heritage-events.co.uk

The War & Peace Revival, Folkestone Racecourse – The Greatest military show on earth is at Folkestone Racecourse for the second year. Highlights include the Vintage Village, an RAF camp, the Women's Voluntary Service providing tea to bombed-out householders, and even cows at the Land Army display! July 16-20. www.warandpeacerevival.co.uk

Valour, Loss & Sacrifice: Chatham, the Royal Navy, and the War at Sea, 1914-1918, Historic Dockyard Chatham – Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of the WW1, this exhibition portrays the significant role played by Chatham Dockyard, its workers and the Chatham Port Division of the Royal Navy, shown through the eyes of those who served.  Four years of sacrifice and loss will be depicted using objects and artefacts drawn mainly from The Historic Dockyard's own collection. July 26-November 30. www.thedockyard.co.uk

 

www.visitkent.co.uk/frontlinekent

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Allies honoured

WAR veterans and visitors will gather on the beach and in the gardens at Trebah in Cornwall May 31 to celebrate and remember the 7,500 American servicemen of the 29th Infantry Division who embarked on landing-craft bound for the Normandy Beaches and the D-Day landings.

The day will be rich in history, featuring military vehicles, aircraft, music and song, and Red Arrows display.

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Back to the 40s!

VISITORS to the Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey will be taken back to the 1940s if they take part in VE Day celebrations on May 3-5.

The historic site, which played a key role in the Second World War, will be transformed with a series of both military and civilian experiences including street parties, air-raid shelters, jive dancing, songs of the period, battle demonstrations, and – weather permitting – flyovers by Hurricanes and Spitfires.

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