It was finally here - the big trip, the one we’d been waiting since last year - The Hampshire & IOW Cadet Force Band’s fourth annual trip to Europe. This year, the trip was to primarily take place in Holland with the usual last day in Belgium.

We all arrived at Worthy Down for 10pm to meet the coach and also our guests from different counties. The counties that kindly obliged to come and give us a hand were cadets from Berkshire and Cleveland ACF. When the coach arrived we commenced packing our kit on to it, including all our luggage, instruments, stand banners - the lot - so all the stuff we would need to make the best possible week for us and others.

Soon we were on our way; with coach packed with the most it could hold, we started the long journey to Holland. We travelled via ferry from Dover to Calais and then across France, through Belgium, into Holland and across to the military barracks in Haaskamp, near Arnhem. We made good time along the way, even with Corporal Booy’s constant pleas for toilet stops!

After the many hours of travelling, we arrived and took over the accommodation to find we had time for a well earned rest until lunch. Afterwards we began a long band rehearsal to see how good the band sounded and which pieces best suited our ensemble. Although being stopped frequently by the rain, we all held out until Dinner where afterwards we had free time to look around the local town.

After a comfortable nights sleep, we were briefed after breakfast of what was happening on this day (Friday) and started straight away to check our uniforms and musical equipment. Soon after lunch we packed the coach with all the kit required for our day and headed for Arnhem to play concert band in a little town square. The band was well received by the members of the public who were sitting around various cafés who helped us in raising money for a local charity. After we finished, all the kit was packed away and sorted ready to be packed onto the coach and then we were given free time to buy our dinner, do some all important shopping and check out the sights. Early Evening, most of the cadets headed back to the barracks and the remaining cadets and adults set up the Dixie band and played in the square, again being very well received and making even more money for Hero’s charity.

Saturday morning, we set of early for the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek and played full concert band for the people that had been visiting the museum or just wondering around the beautiful surrounding gardens. We had free entry to the museum and had a good look around, soaking up the story from World War 2 of what happened in that area. Later in the afternoon the Dixie Band played in the same area and we did the same in the evening as we had in the morning. During the day we were again given time to buy lunch, dinner and do that all important shopping, along with looking at the local sights and getting those pictures!

Sunday was the busiest working day as we were in uniform all day! After lunch at the barracks, we performed a remembrance service for a number of regular British soldiers in the area at a war cemetery a little while from Haaskamp. After the service, we had a chance to look around and our guides had given us some people to find in the cemetery who had won a Victoria Cross for bravery. After the cemetery we jumped back on the bus and started to head towards Arnhem, going via the Royal Hampshire Memorial so that the Corps of Drums that are still badged Royal Hampshire Regiiment could pay their respects. We then continued to Arnhem to parade and march across the Arnhem Bridge (The famous “Bridge Too Far”), this has got to be a part of the trip that gave the greatest honour. We stood in silence as last post was played, and then marched across the bridge. We then travelled back near, to a local restaurant/bar that had a garden. We then set up for full band and entertained the locals with a full concert and drum display. And later the Dixie band set up and continued to play into the evening, with only the rain to stop them!

Monday was our scheduled day of rest which, at this point in the trip, was greatly appreciated! For the morning, we were given a battlefield tour by Major Trown which included many different areas around the area of the Battle of Arnhem.After lunch we travelled to the city of Nijmagen to have some excellent free time for shopping, food and sight seeing around the town.

Tuesday morning was a rush for everyone, but luckily everyone was refreshed from the relaxing day they had before. We packed all our luggage and kit on to the coach and after stocking up on food we bought after eating lunch, we headed back across Holland to Belgium for the evening parade we do every year, the Menin Gate. This is a huge monument which houses names of over 35,000 soldiers who died in the First World War, but their bodies were never found. The police blocked off the road and we marched through the town and into the Menin Gate where we helped perform the remembrance parade. Drum Major S Ghysel and Cpl S Booy also layed a wreath to show our sign of respect. After finishing the ceremony and marching back through the town and to the coach, we got changed and braced ourselves for the long trip back, overnight, to Calais.

After the refreshingly cold trip back to Dover on the ferry, we arrived back at Worthy Down in the early hours of the morning. Once everything was back in the correct places, we all bid farewell to each other and headed back home for some very important and well deserved sleep.

with thanks to Sgt P Bushnell, Sgt J Hyland,Cpl E Flemming and Cdt L Wheeler
Photos supplied from various members of the Band and Corps of Drums and
Mrs Geldart