What is it really like to take a school Battlefield Tour to Ypres and the Somme? I recently joined Repton School on a three-day educational visit to the First World War battlefields in Belgium and northern France. Visiting iconic sites including the Menin Gate, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Thiepval Memorial and Newfoundland Memorial Park, I saw first hand how these experiences bring history to life for students. What surprised me most, however, wasn't the memorials themselves. It was hearing the stories behind the names on the memorials.
Joining Repton School on my first Ypres and Somme Battlefield Tour gave me a completely different perspective on the First World War and why schools continue to visit the battlefields today.
If you'd asked me before the trip what I'd remember most, I probably would have said the Menin Gate or Tyne Cot.
I wouldn't have said birdsong.
Walking around Thiepval Memorial and later through Newfoundland Memorial Park, all I could hear were birds. Today, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for these beautiful places of remembrance, with roses, lavender and wildflowers surrounding the endless rows of white headstones. I even spotted two red squirrels running through the trees at Newfoundland Memorial Park
It was so peaceful that it was difficult to imagine these places were once battlefields.
Over three days I joined Repton School as they travelled through Belgium and northern France, visiting some of the most significant sites of the First World War, including Tyne Cot Cemetery, Vimy Ridge, Newfoundland Memorial Park, Thiepval Memorial, Langemark German Cemetery, Arras Memorial and the Menin Gate.
Our first evening ended at the Menin Gate for the Last Post Ceremony.
On the coach into Ypres, Will, Repton's History teacher, had been telling me about some of the Old Reptonians who had served during the First World War. He showed me their photographs, copies of their old school reports and shared stories about their time at Repton before their lives were changed by the war.
I'd only ever seen photographs of the Last Post before, so standing there while the buglers played felt very different. Hearing those stories beforehand made the ceremony much more personal and, yes, I had tears in my eyes.
Will had put together around six profiles of Old Reptonians. Alongside the photographs were copies of their school reports and details about their time at Repton.
Some of the reports raised a smile because the comments were so wonderfully honest. Teachers clearly weren't afraid to say exactly what they thought over 100 years ago!
At both the Menin Gate and later at Thiepval Memorial, students took turns reading the profiles aloud before searching for their names on the memorials.
I thought it was such a thoughtful way of approaching the trip.
Instead of standing in front of thousands of names carved into stone, they were looking for former Repton pupils whose stories they already knew. Young men who had walked the same corridors, played the same sports and sat in the same classrooms. It brought the names on the memorials to life.
One thing that really surprised me during the tour was seeing just how close the British and German trenches were. Looking across what is now peaceful countryside, it's difficult to believe soldiers were living and fighting only a short distance from each other.
Tyne Cot is unforgettable because of its sheer scale. Row upon row of white headstones stretch across the landscape, surrounded by beautifully kept flowers.
Langemark felt completely different. The darker stones, the mass graves and the atmosphere made it a very different place to reflect. Seeing both cemeteries during the same trip gave another perspective on the war.
We stayed at Poppies 1 Hostel in the centre of Ypres, which was a brilliant base for the trip. It was clean, comfortable and having the hostel to ourselves worked really well. Being able to walk to and from the Menin Gate made attending the Last Post so easy.
Looking back, it's the small things I remember most.
The birdsong at Thiepval.
The flowers that now fill the Commonwealth cemeteries.
The old school reports that made us smile. And seeing Repton students searching for the names of Old Reptonians whose stories they already knew.
More than anything, though, I came away thinking about the lives that were never lived. The futures that were lost and the families that never existed because of the First World War.
It also made me wonder how different the world might look today if that war had never happened.
A huge thank you to Repton School for letting me join the trip, and to teachers, Nat, Will, Chloe, Karen, our fantastic guide Jon and driver Alex for making me feel so welcome.
If you're planning a Ypres and Somme Battlefield Tour for your school, we'd be delighted to help. Get in touch with the team at TCBC School Tours for a tailored itinerary and a no-obligation quote.
