Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Non-Wargaming Discussion => Chat & News => Topic started by: Dave on 11 May 2017, 07:58:52 PM

Title: Normandy
Post by: Dave on 11 May 2017, 07:58:52 PM
Hi
I'm off to Normandy for 5 days to visit as many places and museums as possible next Thursday :D  no wife ;D no complaints on being bored to death.

Dave
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: mollinary on 11 May 2017, 08:08:44 PM
Have a great time!

Mollinary
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: barbarian on 11 May 2017, 08:20:24 PM
Have fun !
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Ithoriel on 11 May 2017, 08:28:42 PM
A well deserved break, I'm sure. Enjoy!
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Steve J on 11 May 2017, 08:37:50 PM
Putting aside my feelings of envy, have a great time and look forward to hearing how it went. One day i will hopefully get to do the same...
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: fsn on 11 May 2017, 08:40:53 PM
... so who's casting ... wait ... I don't have any orders waiting ...

Enjoy yourself. You deserve a good break.
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Dave on 11 May 2017, 09:18:44 PM
Thanks all I will, looking forward to a few drinks on the night :P

Landing 5am at Dieppe at Thursday, strangely no museum.

Dave
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: paulr on 11 May 2017, 09:25:26 PM
Enjoy, you lucky bugger
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: pierre the shy on 11 May 2017, 10:17:53 PM
I was very fortunate to get to Normandy for a couple of days in 2015 with Mrs Shy.

There is lots to see and do there. I found Omaha beach and the large US cemetary above the beach quite a moving experience.

My main reason for going though was to find where my fathers LCT came ashore on Nan Red with the first wave. We located the exact spot in the end without too much trouble.

So we (well l did anyway 😀) had a great couple of days.

Have a good trip Dave ☺
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 11 May 2017, 10:33:11 PM
Have fun Dave!
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Womble67 on 11 May 2017, 11:13:10 PM
Enjoy

Take care

Andy

Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: FierceKitty on 11 May 2017, 11:13:52 PM
I understand they do a dish with mussels and cider that one can easily learn to love....
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: DFlynSqrl on 11 May 2017, 11:48:30 PM
Sounds cool.  Enjoy!
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Techno on 12 May 2017, 05:45:50 AM
Have a great time, Dave.

Cheers - Phil
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Leman on 12 May 2017, 06:30:45 AM
Great place to visit Dave. I went with a group in 2012 and had a very enjoyable and interesting visit, particularly Pegasus Bridge and Omaha Beach. Don't forget the Bayeux Tapestry and the great food and drink - especially Calvados.
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: sunjester on 12 May 2017, 06:41:11 AM
Normandy, the best place for wargamers to visit. Great food, fantastic cider and more military museums than you can shake a stick at! :o 8)

We've been twice on the Tring Wargames Club Overseas Battlefield Tours, one time covering the British/Canadian end when we stayed just on Juno beach and the other covering the American end when we stayed just on Utah. There's just too much to see it all in one trip! Have a great time Dave.
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Dr Dave on 12 May 2017, 07:02:51 AM
Might sound a bit odd this - go somewhere special - and get some soil for your bases! The beaches are obvious, but try to go up Hill112. Take a jam jar and bring back some basing material.
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Nosher on 12 May 2017, 09:10:27 AM
Calvados et Moules...... :x

A visit to La Cambe Cimitiere Allemande and the Museum at Dead Mans Corner is an absolute must. Both are within driving distance to do both in the same day behind Omaha and Utah beaches respectively.

For non-military jaunts (although it has 100 years wars connections) Mont St Michel is a wonderful day out.

Very, very jealous ;)
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: T13A on 12 May 2017, 10:06:21 AM
Hi

I'm sure you will have a great time. If you can a visit to the German cemetery at La Cambe is worth while to see the contrast in styles between the German, US and British cemeteries. When I was there last, purely by accident, I came across Michael Wittman's grave.

My son is going to Normandy for 5 days in July with his school and I'm such a good parent that I'm taking him again about 3 weeks later after a week in the Loire (whether he likes it or not)!

Have a great time.

Cheers Paul
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: skywalker on 12 May 2017, 11:26:43 AM
Awesome............not that I'm any way jealous ;D ;D

Have a great trip
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Dave on 14 May 2017, 11:16:53 AM
Cheers All
On the first day is to see the  Bayeux Tapestry and the Pegasus bridge end, I would like to see were the Green Howards came ashore, Merville battery etc etc etc.

Dave
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Dr Dave on 14 May 2017, 01:05:23 PM
Quote from: Dave on 14 May 2017, 11:16:53 AM
Cheers All
On the first day is to see the  Bayeux Tapestry and the Pegasus bridge end, I would like to see were the Green Howards came ashore, Merville battery etc etc etc.

Dave

The concrete bus shelter that Stanley Hollis fired at with his Bren is just off the beach. The Regt bought it some years back and it has some plaques placed on it the mark Hollis's deeds.
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: DanJ on 15 May 2017, 10:01:05 AM
Been to Normandy three or four times, there is a huge amount to see all over the place, from great museums to individual monuments.

Tiger tank at Vimoutiers

(http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa242/danandsan/Tiger1.jpg) (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/danandsan/media/Tiger1.jpg.html)

And Churchill near Caen

(http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa242/danandsan/Churchill1.jpg) (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/danandsan/media/Churchill1.jpg.html)

For some reason the disparity in size was more notable when the vehicles were seen in isolation in the countryside than in the Tank Museum at Bovingdon
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: fred. on 15 May 2017, 11:30:26 AM
Haven't been to Normandy since I was a kid - must be 30-35 years ago. Still remember the Bayeux Tapestry, and the American Cemetery at Omaha.

Really want to go back - how to persuade the rest of the family that this is a good holiday destination...

Might be an easier sell than the Market Garden corridor - come see industrial areas of Holland, hmm...
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Chris Pringle on 15 May 2017, 12:22:42 PM
Pick the right Saturday to go, and you can get a warm welcome in Carentan:
http://guerriersdumarais.blogspot.co.uk/p/le-club.html
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/training-flights.html

Apparently there is also civilization in Valognes, though I haven't been there myself:
http://aigles-et-bannieres.forumactif.org/

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BBB_wargames/info
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: JeffNNN on 15 May 2017, 12:36:17 PM
Quote from: fred. on 15 May 2017, 11:30:26 AM
Haven't been to Normandy since I was a kid - must be 30-35 years ago. Still remember the Bayeux Tapestry, and the American Cemetery at Omaha.

Really want to go back - how to persuade the rest of the family that this is a good holiday destination...

Might be an easier sell than the Market Garden corridor - come see industrial areas of Holland, hmm...
There's a  (or there was) Centre Parks site in Holland not too far away. That's what I did a few years ago.
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: OldenBUA on 15 May 2017, 05:08:40 PM
Probably not a good reason as well: http://figz.nl (http://figz.nl) Wargaming & miniatures event in the Netherlands Sunday 4 June 2017, Arnhem (NL)

Maybe if you like your garden stuff: https://appeltern.nl/en/  (https://appeltern.nl/en/) Appeltern has more than 200 model gardens, situated in the area between the Meuse and Waal rivers in the village of Appeltern. The closest towns are Tiel, Nijmegen and Oss.

Alex

PS For industrial areas in Holland, I suggest Rotterdam. Arnhem is situated in Gelderland.
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Dave on 15 May 2017, 08:14:10 PM
For the first day its

battery du mont canisy
Merville battery
Pegasus bridge museum

I did Arnhem last year, getting the train out and walking in two of the routes taken by the paras - going through the rail viaduct, museums and then on to Nijmegen.

Dave
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 16 May 2017, 06:44:27 AM
Youse obvois paid tooo MUCH
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Subedai on 16 May 2017, 09:04:26 PM
Quote from: Dr Dave on 12 May 2017, 07:02:51 AM
Might sound a bit odd this - go somewhere special - and get some soil for your bases! The beaches are obvious, but try to go up Hill112. Take a jam jar and bring back some basing material.

Continuing on that theme, I have sand from the Sahara -very fine so good for 6mm building and castle walls, small rocks from Parma for any Mediterranean type broken terrain, sand from Bray Dunes for WWII Early War bases and well as some other mementoes from around Europe and beyond.

My friend and his missus go with us to where we have what we call our holiday home from home in a small village not far from Wormhouldt and Bergues in northern France. The whole area is right across the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940 and even earlier, the Battle of Hondschoote 1793, at the end of a campaign when troops from both the fledgling French Republic and an Allied army under the Duke of York trampled the whole region. I have loads of pictures of buildings to copy in 6mm for the WW II period. (Sad, I know).

I can also recommend Cassis, a black current liqueur (apparently made in Normandy), that is great with lemonade.

MickS
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Dave on 24 May 2017, 05:19:44 PM
Just back I've had a hectic 4 and half days, took a photo of the green Howard's memorial, visited plenty of batteries and loads of museums :D back to the ground loads of late nights to catch up. >:(

Dave
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 24 May 2017, 05:30:15 PM
Glad it was a good one!
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: fsn on 24 May 2017, 06:35:46 PM
Will we be seeing an album?  :D
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Westmarcher on 24 May 2017, 07:37:11 PM
I once ordered a book from the library on tanks in Normandy. Instead, I got one on flowers. It was called Panzies in Normandy.  :)
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Dave on 24 May 2017, 08:55:47 PM
Quote from: fsn on 24 May 2017, 06:35:46 PM
Will we be seeing an album?  :D
I need Leon's help to up load the pics ;), not as many as I thought I'd took.  Impressed with pont du hoc, as an engineering I enjoyed the mulberry habour museum and the wrecks museum.

Dave
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Dave on 24 May 2017, 08:56:05 PM
Quote from: Westmarcher on 24 May 2017, 07:37:11 PM
I once ordered a book from the library on tanks in Normandy. Instead, I got one on flowers. It was called Panzies in Normandy.  :)

;D
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Steve J on 24 May 2017, 08:58:19 PM
Glad you had a nice trip, even though it was hectic. Looking forward to the photos as and when time allows.
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: paulr on 25 May 2017, 12:38:47 AM
Good to hear it was a good trip :)
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: fsn on 25 May 2017, 06:33:57 AM
Quote from: Westmarcher on 24 May 2017, 07:37:11 PM
I once ordered a book from the library on tanks in Normandy. Instead, I got one on flowers. It was called Panzies in Normandy.  :)
Could have been worse.
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: DanJ on 25 May 2017, 08:23:56 AM
QuoteI once ordered a book from the library on tanks in Normandy. Instead, I got one on flowers. It was called Panzies in Normandy.

Oooh Errrr Mrs!
Title: Re: Normandy
Post by: Dave on 25 May 2017, 06:16:30 PM
Quote from: fsn on 24 May 2017, 06:35:46 PM
Will we be seeing an album?  :D
I've asked leon to help me up load the pics