Success!!

[Woodchurchzoo]

My family and I went to St Mere Eglise on Saturday.

We arrived there just after 10 and found it fairly easy to park.

Saw lots of effects from the war and people dressed for the part, explaining how things were and we were allowed to get in the bunkers and the children loved every minute.

There were lots of army vehicles.

It was a bus ride to the fields where we saw hundreds and hundreds of parachutists come out of the old aeroplanes. Thousands of people were there and we would not have missed it.

There were also France's 'red arrows' giving an excellent display. Plenty of army vehicles and helicoptors.

Apparently there was a jump in the evening as well by the English. Unfortunately we had already arranged a barbecue.

It was a fantastic day and I am sorry that so many people thought they could not get there. We did video a lot of things for friends of ours that arrived yesterday for the celebrations.

We also thought that you would not be able to get close enough to see, but felt it was worth taking the chance and we are glad that we did.

[Ckeywood]

We set out with the children at 6 in the morning and headed towards Arromanches. Just the other side of Cerisy La Foret we were stopped by Gendarmes and told the whole area was a no go area unless we had passes. He suggested we try Isigny. When we arrived at the roundabout just outside Isigny a Gendarme was talking to another motorist so an American soldier came over and asked what we wanted and we explained we wanted the children to experience the days events. He allowed us through to show our identification and get passes. Our friends behind us caught the Gendarme who basically told them Interdit! We went ahead and received our passes and contacted our friends on the mobile who came back round and spoke to the soldier and were directed our way. We were escorted in coaches to the American Cemetary and witnessed the ceremony...21 gun salute, laying of wreaths and speaches by Jaques Chirac and George Bush and the fly past by military aircraft. They then kept everyone including WW2 vets waiting in the mid-day sun while the two presidents took an unscheduled lunch break....for three hours. This was the only sore point of the day. It was a very moving experience and brought me to tears. We spent the rest of the day on Utah beach.