On Friday 21st May Year 9 Students visited the World War One Monuments and Ypres in Belguim.

The History Department Belgium Trip

The Belgium trip was my favourite trip I have ever been on (besides getting up at 3 ‘o’ clock in the morning). Upon getting to the school that morning I was ecstatic. I wanted to get on the coach and head out to Belgium as soon as possible. When the busses arrived I was tired and still excited at the prospect of heading to Belgium.
            Once on the bus we set off many of us trying in vain to get to sleep because as soon as we set of the sun rose and dashed our chances of trying to sleep. When we got to the Euro-tunnel many of us had never been through the tunnel before and that included me. I was amazed at the way I felt as we descended into the English channel. Upon emerging many of us noticed the weather had improved dramatically and it was bright and warm with not a cloud in the sky.
            When we arrived in Belgium we were bombarded with mind blowing facts about the surrounding area. I listened with great interest and amazement. As we were driving through the towns surrounding Ypres we were amazed to see that almost everything we saw in the towns was linked to their troubled past. I noticed many shell shaped objects which included everything from actual shells to shell shaped post boxes! Other things included bushes which had been shaped like actual shell explosions! There were also large stones which symbolised how far the Germans got before they were stopped. But, my favourite thing in the town was a giant blue and red tap that seemed to be held in mid air by the water pouring out of it. Upon later inspection I could see a large pipe in the middle of the fountain of water.
Upon arriving at the trenches we could feel the history surrounding the trenches. You could clearly see holes in sheet metal which the soldiers would have shot through. In my opinion the tunnels which stretched for hundreds of metres in pitch black darkness. It was the scariest place I had ever been because for a temporary moment you would feel as though you have lost you sense of sight but when you see the light it is invigorating to know you walked the way soldiers walked over 90 years ago.
            Next on our trip was an allied graveyard (Tynecot) where there was a monument of a giant stone cross. The cross itself looked completely white as were all the headstones. The thing that amazed me was the stunning amount of nameless graves. There were at least 2 on every 10 metre row of graves. I saw graves where is said the name of the people inside and graves with nothing but “a soldier is buried here”. Many of our group were able to find people who might be related to them. I myself found 3 separate people but I couldn’t be sure which one was the one I had been sent to find.
            After we left the Allied cemetery we passed several others and then we arrived at the German graveyard(Langemark) to find the atmosphere had completely changed from one of glory to one of sad remorse. Whereas in Tynecot the headstones were all a pearly white colour, in the Langemark,  the stones where made a black granite and the whole place was shaded by trees. This in turn gave the whole place an eerie sort of feel.
            Finally we got into the town of Ypres and visited the museum. The museum itself was amazing and really good fun. As we walked around we looked at what people we had been given upon our entry via an interactive card system.  All along the museum were touch screen computers that had all sorts of useful information on them. We walked through all the exhibits, all of them enticing and fascinating. Once we left the museum we went around for a little shopping. I myself enjoyed a waffle from the local ice cream store and later I ended my trip with a delicious chocolate and bubblegum ice-cream and waited eagerly for the coach so I could go home and tell my family the stories of my trip to Belgium!