Craig and Phil
reported into Freddie HQ each night on the days activities. Pictures were being sent over to us as they
progressed and we be kept a daily blog on this page of what they were up to until they returned.
(Click on any of the pictures to open full screen)
Well done
lads, were all
proud of you!
Day 7 - 1st June
Our heroes will be transferred from Dover to Blackheath by coach before
embarking on the final push of the Big Battlefield Big Ride, and join up
with around 3,000 other riders as they complete the last 8 miles through
the streets of London to the Cenotaph in Whitehall. There they will hold a
memorial service and be welcomed home by General Sir Richard Dannett
before saying their farewells to their new colleagues and heading back to
Liverpool on Monday morning.
Day 6 - 31st May
Today the boys take on the last leg of the ride in France and head 58
miles for Dunkirk where they will be "evacuated" by beach landing craft
out to sea to then board HMS Bulwark and head for Dover in the afternoon.
Once at Dover, they will again board the landing craft and disembark on
the beach as The Red Devils parachute in around them. A
big night is planned for everyone and Craig will compare a charity auction
at the function.
Day 5 - 30th May
Craig & Phil will set off from Amiens
following the River Seine heading east through
small villages towards Albert. The cemeteries and memorials increase as
they ride on into the heart of the Somme. The
next stop is Thiepval, the main memorial to the lost French and British
soldiers from WW1, including the Kings Regiment
Memorial. Today's destination
is Béthune after around 71
miles.
Day 4 - 29th May
The boys are back in the saddle again and heading 77 miles today to
Amiens, home of a fantastic Cathedral.
From Dieppe they will cycle inland, gradually
climbing away from the coast along country roads, with the possibility of
stopping in a typical village café. The terrain becomes undulating on this
stretch of the ride, so a tough day ahead!
They will visit a small WW1 cemetery at
Grandcourt, where 29 British and Commonwealth soldiers are buried
before spending the night in Amiens.
Day 3 - 28th May Craig and Phil are underway on day 3 of
their journey which will cover 75 miles from their overnight stop in Le
Havre to Dieppe. After cycling through Le
Havre, they will make their
way to St Valery-en-Caux where the 51st Highland Division, part of the
British Expeditionary Force, attempted to evacuate Northern France in June
1940. They will then continue along coastal road
to Dieppe with stops at several memorials relating to both the
D-Day landings and the British
Expeditionary Force evacuations.
The Canadian Memorial at Le Havre and the coastal road
around Dieppe
Day 2 - 27th May
The lads were off to an early start from Caen this morning after arriving
in France at 7am with the first target to reach Pegasus Bridge. At Pegasus
Bridge, they attended a memorial service before heading off north towards
Honfleur and then across the 3 kilometre long Pont de Normandie bridge,
over the River Seine, to finish the first stretch in Le Havre this evening
after a total of 60 miles.
Day 1 - 26th May
The Tandem Two-some made their way to HMS Victory this
afternoon to complete official registration for the tour before taking
part in a huge "send off" which has been arranged. A Royal Marines band and fly pasts by the Red Arrows and Battle of Britain
Memorial Flight highlighted the event. Craig also found a "Page 3 Girl" to
socialise with!
25th May - The pair spent the day mooching around Portsmouth and
settled in the harbour to enjoy a few beers and the activities going on
which include a Spitfire flying display. The weather is warm and sunny,
Craig reports!
24th May - Craig and Phil travel down to Portsmouth by train to meet
up with the bike which has been transported down there by Craig's
Battalion, 2 Lancs.
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