'As we laid a pennant by his headstone, we reflected on how thankful we should be'

Four men from Bolton on a cycle challenge have reflected on "how thankful we should be" for those who laid down their lives in the First World War.
Colin Higham, Kevan Ball and Rob Taylor are in the middle of cycling 634 miles along the Western Front Way this month, with Russell Jones providing support.
The trail follows the historic frontline of the First World War, from the French-Swiss border to the beaches of Belgium.
The quartet reflected during a poignant moment, stood by the grave of Richard Nelson in the middle of rural France, hundreds of miles away from his home on Lee Lane, Horwich.
They said: "We thought this challenge was one of the hardest things we would have ever done, but then we met an English lady in our hostel who was walking from Canterbury to Rome, which put our task into perspective.
The lads at the grave of Richard Nelson (Image: Submitted) "Then we thought no matter how tough either challenge was, they pale in comparison to what those lads faced along this front in the First World War.
"On Monday we all stood together in a graveyard in the middle of rural France next to the remains of a lad who lives in a butcher's shop at 201 Lee Lane, Horwich, a shop we have all walked past hundreds of times.
Read more: Bolton schoolfriends' epic journey to pay tribute to those who died in the Great War
Read more: 'Successful' charity music festival set to return to Bolton
Read more: Free cat welfare clinic to take place at shopping centre
"As we laid a Rivington and Blackrod School pennant by his headstone, we reflected on just how thankful we should be for the lives we now lead."
The grave of Richard Nelson (Image: Submitted) The quartet are also raising money for three charities - the Royal British Legion, Children in Need and St Ann's Hospice. To donate, click here: https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/alan-parkinson
As of Friday, June 16, they have completed 566 miles of the journey and have raised £2,455.
For more information on the Western Front Way, visit the Western Front Association's website: https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/
The quartet, who will all turn 65 this year, met when they were schoolboys at Rivington and Blackrod School, and will visit the graves of 16 of the 24 young men from their old school who died during the war.
Colin Higham was struck by the idea after reading The Path of Peace: Walking the Western Front Way by Anthony Seldon.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Forbes

an hour ago

• Forbes

5 Reasons To Visit St. Barts Right Now

Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa is a sleek seaside escape. Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa At only 11 miles long, the tiny island of St. Barts, in the French West Indies, makes big headlines for attracting celebrities and ultra-luxury jet setters (and their mega yachts). Beyond its outward persona, the island holds a bit back for privacy's sake. It is filled with many wonderful surprises discoverable to the 200,000-plus visitors who come during the busiest time (November to July) and escapade around its hilly terrain in the signature island vehicle, the mini Moke. Getting to St. Barts — also known as Saint Barthélemy (the official French name) and St. Barth (the French nickname) — by boat, private yacht, helicopter or plane is half the fun. With one of the shortest runways in the world that cascades down a hill and into the ocean, landing on the island is an adventure. International flights arrive in St. Martin, Antigua, Anguilla, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe and connect via inter-island flights to St. Barts, skillfully making the landing more than 30 times a day. For the comfort of a fully pressurized cabin, opt for the Tradewinds Aviation flight from San Juan, which lasts around an hour. Once on the ground, you're reminded that the Caribbean island is a French territory. The euro is the standard currency, locals are citizens of France and there are many French fashion brands, boulangeries, patisseries, cafés and brasseries around town. Expect artful service and attention to detail. And if you know where to look around the luxurious escape, you're bound to find a few sublime surprises, too. St. Barts is a small island that makes a big impression. iStock-Sean Pavone Most of the luxury hotel rooms in St. Barts hide in the hillside, but Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa puts you on the crescent-shaped beach of Grand Cul-de-Sac. Some of the sea-inspired accommodations offer direct sand access, and others have pools and Jacuzzis overlooking the ocean. The sprawling resort pool also affords water vistas. Jump right into the calm waters with paddleboarding, kayaking, kitesurfing or snorkeling; explore with a private yacht; or cut through the waves in a jet ski — all of which are available through Le Barthélemy. Then dine alfresco while gazing at the water at Abyss, the hotel's French fine dining restaurant spotlighting local ingredients. Be sure to order the house cuvée, Leclerc Briant Champagne, which spends a year aging submerged in the Atlantic Ocean. For a more laid-back option, enjoy lunch on the beach at Amis St. Barth or come for its decadent brunch, which debuts this season featuring dishes like bacon-bechamel-stuffed croissants and made-to-order crepes. And don't miss a visit to La Spa, the only one in the Caribbean to use La Mer's lavish products that use the power of the sea for transformative facials. An oasis of calm is tucked in Cheval Blanc St-Barth's tropical garden. Cheval Blanc St-Barth The closest thing in St. Barts to being in France without actually being there is Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Cheval Blanc St-Barth in Baie des Flamands. The area became favored by the elite when the Rockefellers purchased land there in the 1960s. Cheval Blanc St-Barth ensures standards remain exceptionally high with its newly renovated Cheval Blanc Spa by Guerlain. Tucked into the resort's secluded tropical garden, the oasis was designed by Parisian modernist architect Isabelle Stanislas and features services specially created for this wellness treasure that engages all the senses. There are five treatment rooms, including Salon Orchidée, an indoor double suite that feels like a heavenly cocoon, with white walls and soothing woods that mimic the sands of St. Barts. The interior reflects the exterior, with nature inspiring all the choices, from the ergonomic lines of the furniture to lighting that mimics the sun. New aesthetic enhancements, including micropeels and Hydrafacial technology, amplify the benefits of these treatments. To appeal to your olfactory sense, Thierry Wasser, the nose of Guerlain, produced the fragrance Tropical Chic for the resort, which joins the collection of the beauty brand's destination-inspired scents. Have a meal on Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth's own stretch of sand. Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth St. Barts has roughly 15 beaches across the island, each with its own character. The Four-Star Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth offers the full toes-in-sand experience with two private, fully serviced beaches within its compound. The resort first opened in 1986 as Hotel Guanahani ('welcome' in the island's native Arawak language), but was reimagined and reopened as a Rosewood property in 2021. Unfolding over 18 acres on a private peninsula between Marechal Beach and Grand Cul-de-Sac lagoon. While the 66 rooms are scattered around the hillside, Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth beckons those who crave proximity to the water with complimentary kayaking, paddle-boarding and snorkeling on its beaches. Beach House St. Barth, the resort's all-day culinary complex, serves a beachfront lunch of refreshing dishes like cucumber and mint gazpacho and sashimi for when the day's top priority is unwinding by the sand. Feel the waterfront elegance over multi-course candlelit dinners as well. The stars gravitate to St. Barts' laid-back landscape. iStock-Nancy Pauwels Every season in St. Barts is marked by new openings, which quickly become the hot tickets in town. One of the latest examples has been all the chatter surrounding Mamo, a transplant from the French Riviera that has attracted legions of A-list celebrities (including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Mick Jagger, Kendall Jenner and Leonardo DiCaprio) to its Soho outpost for decades. It now moves into the heart of St Barts' central district, Gustavia, with food that's authentically Italian and the vibe best described as Côte d'Azur chic. Chef Mamo Pepino, known as the 'Pope of Pasta and Smiles,' flawlessly re-creates Mediterranean magic in the heart of the Caribbean. In this tiny temple of Italian delicacies, white tablecloths, the golden glow of candlelight and the palpable energy of the crowd complement lemon-Parmesan artichoke salad, spaghetti with caviar and a vibrant menu of other favorites. St. Barts loves to show off its beauty. With its pearly beaches and sapphire-hued water jutting up against dramatic volcano-carved landscapes, it makes sense. But the star of the show is the sunset, and one of the best places to watch it is from the upper level of Hotel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf. Only five minutes from the port in Gustavia, the west-facing location perched above the buildings' red rooftops is perfect for any photos. With 21 rooms and suites and a villa, the terraced property with a tropical garden is the only hotel on the island with views like this of Gustavia. Every suite features a private pool to watch those epic sunsets while the 3,230-square-foot Villa Diane also comes with a butler. The French-Caribbean design by Gilles & Boissier makes every environment appear as if it's swathed in the golden glow of a Clarendon filter, with natural shutters and fabrics, light wood and stone. The wellness programs at Spa Diane Barrière also include a memorable vista. Enjoy a yoga session on the beach or a massage on the terrace of your suite. Also, with a fantastic view right on Shell Beach, the hotel's Shellona attracts day partiers to its glamorous beach shack chic scene. The kitchen serves the island fare du jour (a hybrid between Caribbean and Mediterranean), mezze, shellfish, crudo and carpaccio, grilled whole fish and skewers of meat, all accompanied by lots of rosé.

Yahoo

2 hours ago

• Yahoo

Tourists cool off by Paris fountains in France's heatwave

STORY: :: Tourists visiting Paris cool off near fountains as a heatwave sweeps across France :: June 19, 2025 :: Paris, France "Well I'm here actually with my wife, we just got married and so we're on our honeymoon and we couldn't be happier than being here today, it's hot but it's lovely to be hot. Hot and in love and having an ice cream in Paris. No better place to be." "Yes, very hot, I need water, for my head or for me." "We're dressed for the weather. As we say in London, when it's pouring with rain, the only problem is if you're not dressed for it. So today, living with shorts and a top, it's good." Visitors around the French capital's landmarks donned hats and sunglasses as they tried to stay cool amid the early summer heat. France's national weather agency Meteo France issued a heatwave warning for Friday (June 20), particularly affecting the western regions of the country. Authorities urged residents and tourists to stay hydrated and avoid prolonged exposure to the sun during peak hours.

Yahoo

10 hours ago

• Yahoo

Summoning golden Olympic memories, Paris parties like it's 2024

On the rise: French President Emmanuel Macron at the reinstallation of the Olympic cauldron at the Tuileries Garden in Paris, on June 12 (Yoan VALAT) Parisians had such unexpected fun at their Olympics last summer, that they are holding a public anniversary celebration to recapture the party mood, but not everyone is quite as enthusiastic. The Olympic rings will be projected on the Eiffel Tower and there will be a giant Olympic karaoke in front of the town hall on July 26. Advertisement However, preceding that party the glowing caudron balloon, "a symbol of the popular enthusiasm for these Olympic Games," according to France's National Olympic Committee, returns on Saturday. It will float once again above the Tuileries Garden, with President Emmanuel Macron in attendance, to conjure golden memories, even for those who were not there. "There are many Parisians who fled Paris last year and who kicked themselves," said Matthieu Gobbi of Aerophile, the company responsible for the balloon. Yet athletes and grass-roots sports organisations in France lament the lack of a more tangible "legacy". Advertisement For those who were there, and the five billion the International Olympic Committee says watched around the world, the Games provided 15 days of candy-coloured distraction from wars, divisive elections and global inflation. The sport was also spectacular, illuminated by the redemption of gymnast Simone Biles, a likely last Roland Garros triumph for the then 37-year-old Novak Djokovic, and the swimming heroics of French golden boy Leon Marchand. An unusually high proportion of the Olympics was held in the the middle of the city, and that posed a challenge. There were fears of terrorist attacks, that public transport would not cope and the Seine would be too polluted for triathletes and long-distance swimmers to compete. Advertisement Yet Paris pulled it off, enhancing its image, not least in France, as the world's leading tourist destination. "We'll see who can repeat a Games like this," said Macron. - 'Joy, unity, pride' - This summer, Parisians will be able to swim at three venues along the Seine. The Tour de France, rerouted to avoid the capital last year, returns for its traditional finish on the Champs-Elysees at the end of a stage that covers many of the same streets where half a million spectators watched the Olympic road races. That stage will be on July 27, a year and a day after the Paris Games opened with an epic and grandiose ceremony, put on by a cast of 20,000 artists and staff, along the Seine. Advertisement Celine Dion sang from the Eiffel Tower while the athletes sailed down the river in the pouring rain. "This moment is a memory we share. It's not so common these days," Thomas Jolly, artistic director for the opening and closing ceremonies, told AFP. "Having everyone watching the same thing at the same time... surely creates a bond!" The ceremony left a lasting mark, he said, "of joy, unity, pride". The Games themselves even made a profit, a surplus of 76 million euros. That figure does not yet include broader public spending, particularly on infrastructure, and it is here that some in France feel the Olympics has left a slightly bitter taste. Advertisement - 'Legacy' - For Olympic organisers "legacy" -- both tangible and intangible -- helps legitimise hosting an event many countries no longer want. "We're trying to give the Olympics a role they weren't made for," Mickael Attali, a sports historian at Rennes II University, told AFP. "Good memories" and "a good image of France" remain. "Materially, there are still some things left in Seine-Saint-Denis," said Attali, referring to the poorest departement in mainland France where the Olympic Aquatic Centre, opposite the Stade de France, has just opened to the public. Advertisement Macron promised the Olympics would help turn France into a sporting nation. The number of people registered to sports clubs has increased five percent, but thousands of enthusiastic children were turned away last autumn because of a lack of space. After the Games ended, national and local sports budgets were cut. Sports officials say infrastructure projects have been halted and expenditure on equipment cut. Some French athletes were abandoned by commercial sponsors. "All the companies that had set up sponsorship for the Olympics have left," said a specialist in sports marketing. Even some of France's Olympic stars feel the lustre has faded fast. "We should not have said there would be a legacy," said Olympic fencing champion Manon Apithy-Brunet. dec/pb/bsp/pi