The CAF
 Thiepval Project 
Fundraising now complete

VISITOR CENTRE

STOP  PRESS
19th October 2009

Events

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Thiepval Visitor Centre
Opening hours
 

      0900 - 1700   1st November to 28th February
1000 - 1800   1st March to 31st October.

The Centre is open every day 
(except for the Christmas - New Year closure)

The 2009 - 2010 closure will be from
MONDAY 21st December 2009 to SUNDAY 10th  January 2010
both days inclusive

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Events

A meeting of the Franco-British Advisory Committee was held on
Friday 16th October 2009  (see below)

1030:  Service of Remembrance
with the Hampshire Police Band

The Somme Branch of the Royal British Legion are meeting at the Poppy restaurant in La Boiselle at 1930 on Tuesday 10th. Supper tickets €20

The Hampshire Police Band will be in attendance. 

    
                     There are always exhibitions at the                                  Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne 
Historial de la Grande Guerre
 

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The Centre

The  English-speaking members of staff, Vincent, Dawn, Cathy and Emilie are there to welcome you.   They are also assisted by other 'Historial' staff.       Tel: 00333 2274 6047

The Centre manager is Vincent Laude   thiepval@historial.org

The Historial de la Grande Guerre (museum) of Péronne who manage the Centre on behalf of the Conseil Général de la Somme is a first class international museum and well worth a visit  by anyone interested in the Great War.   www.historial.org

Guillaume de Fonclare is Director of the Historial de la Grande Guerre.  He is working to improve and coordinate the facilities for visitors throughout the Somme battlefields and has been instrumental in promoting a new air service from Manchester.

Completion of the work of the Charity

On 1^st June 2006 the Thiepval Project handed over the last vestiges of their responsibility in respect of the new Visitor Centre to the Conseil Général de la Somme.

The Charity again took the opportunity of expressing their sincere appreciation for all that our French friends have done and will now continue to do in the creation and maintenance of a Visitor Centre at Thiepval.  

The British interest in the Centre has now devolved  upon a joint Franco-British Advisory Committee

LE CENTRE  D’ACCUEIL  ET  D’INTERPRÉTATION  DE  THIEPVAL
THE THIEPVAL VISITOR CENTRE

Membres du comité consultatif franco-britannique
 Members of the Franco-British advisory committee

New Thiepval church clock with the hours now rung on  by a device donated by the Thiepval Project 

On 30th March 2008 as a retirement gift to her village, after many years as Mayor of Thiepval, Madame Geneviève Potié MBE donated a clock which has been placed in the empty space left for one when the new church was rebuilt in 1930.  To accompany this clock the Thiepval Project has arranged for the church bell to sound the hours.  It is also rung for five minutes at noon each day and should also ring for five minutes at 0730 on each 1st July.  This is one of the final uses of Project funds which are now virtually extinguished and it is hoped that the sounding of the bell will be associated with all the men who suffered and died in this area during the battles of the Somme.

The Thiepval Project once again wishes to thank Madame Potié for making the land available for the visitor centre and hopes that she will grace many more 1st July ceremonies with her presence and under a beautiful hat.

The new Mayor is Monsieur Max Potié.
 

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

In June 2006 the Conseil Général de la Somme awarded a contract to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to maintain the grounds around the Visitor Centre.  This news was welcomed by all concerned with the Thiepval Project. 

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For those travelling to the Somme or planning visits to the Great War battlefields the following  websites may be of use:-

Historial de la Grande Guerre          www.somme-battlefields.com         Somme-Tourism

http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/news/

www.somme-remembrance.com        RBL Somme Branch       www.somme-1916.com  

   The Commonwealth War Graves Commission   

 The Royal British Legion       The Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park      Delville Wood 

  Bony USA cemetery, Somme         Cemeteries in Picardy                     The Digger history site

HOW TO GET TO THE VISITOR CENTRE

Calais to Thiepval


 

Approximate mileage from the Channel Tunnel

0    From TUNNEL take A16 →  Calais / Lille / Reims / PARIS  until exit 18             

6    At / from CALAIS take A26 →  St Omer / Arras / Reims / PARIS           

25  Toll booth - payage    Take ticket      (Near St Omer)                     

72  Go on past exit 17 (Arras) then branch on to A1→ Arras-Est / PARIS   

86  Leave A1 at exit 14 BAPAUME Toll € 9.60 . Take the By-pass → AMIENS  Albert

87  Follow → AMIENS  Albert  After the 4th roundabout you will be on the D 929
                                                                                                              
88 LE SARS   Carry straight on through village                                         

98 POZIÈRES,  turn right → Thiepval.  (It is signposted )                        

100 THIEPVAL, turn left for the Monument and Visitor Centre   (follow the signposts)

Speed limits:  KM / MPH
autoroutes:130 / 80 if fine, 110 / 68 in rain, or if so marked.
On open road 90 / 55.  (not 60 as in UK)
In towns and villages 50 / 30.   (Beware - the town / village name sign counts as an automatic 50 / 30 limit sign.) 
Also 70 / 43  in certain marked places such as near cross roads on the D929
 

It is often easier to pay the autoroute toll by credit card (CB).   Put the ticket, then your card into the machine, or if the queue is not too long, just give the ticket and your card to the attendant. (Visa or Master Card).  They return your card instantaneously.

CALAIS to THIEPVAL should take you no more than 1h 30mins

Entrance to the Visitor Centre is free.