Mike Herring, who organises visits for the King’s Cliffe Old Blokes Club, took his group to see the Saint-Omer area of northern France after meeting the team from its tourist office at the Group Leisure & Travel Show.
Mike spoke to the Saint-Omer Tourist Office at the 2023 GLT Show in Milton Keynes, to find out if the area was suitable for his group of history enthusiasts.
The club, which has a keen interest in military and war history, has made previous trips to the likes of Italy and Malta, but Mike soon discovered that this new idea ticked the boxes after making that initial, face-to-face contact.
He said: “There was a feeling that we wanted somewhere with less travelling but still good food and interesting places to visit. Saint-Omer seemed to meet this exactly.
“In mid-March 2024, my wife and I drove out to Saint-Omer to meet up with Cyrille Delattre who we met at the Show, to check out the hotels and food on offer. The pre-visit was so successful that we outlined a six-day tour to meet our needs as a group.”
After much planning, a group of 27 travelled by coach to explore the region in September, staying at Chateau Tilque just outside Saint-Omer. The tour included plenty of trips themed around the World Wars, which Mike agrees were greatly received by the group.
He told us: “Once we had checked in and had a good night’s rest, we were up and ready to explore La Coupole. This massive underground complex built by the Germans in World War Two was designed to build and launch rockets aimed at London during the conflict.
“The whole place is now a museum of that period with excellent exhibits and memories of that time. It seems incredible that all of this took place within my lifetime.”
Next up was a visit to the “ingenious” Fontinette Boat Lift where the group learned about the history and life of the bargemen and their families in the late 19th century. Also included in the itinerary was plenty of “delicious” local restaurants.
Mike continued: “Day four was our longest day with a trip to the Belgian battlefields of World War One and finishing up at the memorial service at the Menin Gate in Ypres.
“Although I’ve done this several times, it was still as emotional as ever. It’s amazing that this service has taken place every evening since 1926 with the exception of the occupation of the Germans in World War Two.
“Our final day saw a visit to the Operation Dynamo museum in Dunkirk which remembers the escape of the British Expeditionary Force and many French soldiers in 1941.”
The King’s Cliffe Old Blokes Club wouldn’t have considered giving this area a try if Mike hadn’t have attended the Group Leisure & Travel Show.
Cyrille Delattre, who met with Mike and helped organise the trip, said: “This experience was a great and memorable one both professionally and personally. From the first meeting with Mike at the GLT show, to the dinner I shared with the group in Saint-Omer one evening during their stay, it was very fulfilling.
“I very much enjoyed building the programme with Mike. The GLT show was a great opportunity to meet group organisers who we wouldn’t have otherwise met, just like Mike. Active group organisers visiting the Show can find new ideas, relevant information and the right contacts for future trips.”
Mike added: “The big pluses for our group was the relatively short journey time, the good hotel and food with a variety of interesting local attractions.
“All of this came from our meeting with Cyrille Delattre at the Group Leisure & Travel Show and his unstinting efforts to solve every problem that got in our way. I will continue to go back to the Show to find new ideas.”
The Group Leisure & Travel Show takes place every October in Milton Keynes.
For more information, go to grouptravelshow.com
