Almost essential I do these things

I have some good friends down south who ride bikes. They also like military history, especially one called John who is a Guild of Battlefield guides member and an oracle of military history.

We have over the last few years established a pattern of a European motorcycle trip to follow a particular period of war history - this takes place May time and then a local museums meet up over a long weekend in late September. John organises both brilliantly

So for my record we were in Fareham staying at the Red Lion for a long weekend visiting said places of interest for the weekend of the 27-29th September

Why the title  - obvious as one of the significant observations is the staggering loss of life matched with unimaginable bravery of soldiers and civilians during the conflicts we revisit. My life is just so easy and therefore I have to honour the sacrifice by doing things these brave people could not do whilst thinking of them and silently thanking them for my peace and prosperity.

These words from Major Dick Winters who was the cement in Easy Company still makes me feel incredibly humble.

“Before I dozed off, I did not forget to get on my knees and thank God for helping me to live through this day and to ask His help on D+1. I would live this war one day at a time, and I promised myself that if I survived, I would find a small farm somewhere in the Pennsylvania countryside and spend the remainder of my life in quiet and peace.”
― Dick Winters, Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters

Our base ....

Our bikes ...

The boy band...

It was choppy in Solent waters 

The submarine museum is well worth a visit  - done it twice now and still in awe of the living conditions of the crew and the engine room noise and smell must have been intense 

So many boats just bobbing around waiting for their owners to take them out !

Fort Nelson, one of a ring of forts around Portsmouth built to defend this essential port, used many times - the last being for the defence of Portsmouth in the second world war. Four million bricks used and it was built 60 years after our cottage !!

The contractor who build it was responsible for much of the railways infrastructure of the time also 

Grey hair no hair and dayglo.... good men.