Hello, we are Vic and Diane and we will be your hosts at Les Alouettes, a B&B on the Somme and our recently built self-catering cottage, Fairbanks.
We both have a deep love of the battlefields and spent many years visiting them before deciding to make our home here on the Somme.
Before embarking on our French careers we had very different jobs. I was a journalist and Diane was an accountant. Nothing against these professions but after a number of years we decided we needed a change! And we certainly did that……..
For many years too in the UK we were involved with the Western Front Association – eventually running the East Midlands branch. Our greatest privilege during this time was knowing veterans of the Great War and we spent much time in their company – recording their memories and even bringing them over to their former battlefields. We have even had a few of them stay with us at Les Alouettes!
Diane’s accounting skills are still in use by keeping our books in order and writing has continued for me with freelance contributions ranging from a newspaper article on the Christmas Truce, features in the WFA magazine Stand To!, the publication of a book on the life of the poet Will Streets who died during the Battle of the Somme called A Dream within the Dark and I co-wrote a book called Famous with renown Great War author, Richard Van Emden. More recently I co-wrote a book called Trapped Behind Enemy Lines. This book tells a true story about a young Scot who got trapped when the village was overrun by the German army in 1914. He emerges from hiding as Mademoiselle Louise, leading an amazing double life for almost two years, ending in betrayal. Sentenced to death by the Germans only an impassionate plea from his adopted mother saves his life.
As well as our accommodation we also run WW1 personlised battlefield tours. Our area is vast ranging from our local Somme battefields, to Arras and Vimy Ridge, the Ypres Salient in Flanders, Verdun and the Argonne, and to Slovenia to see where the Battle of Caporetto took place in 1917. We specialise in making the tour as personalised as possible by undertaking any research regarding an ancestor and then trying where possible to follow in their footsteps. Get in touch for prices and tour details etc. on our e-mail address [email protected]
Prices in the bed & breakfast, Les Alouettes, start from 80 euros per room per night based on two persons sharing. The tariff in our self-catering cottage, Fairbanks start from £240 for a three night stay based on two persons.
For more information please visit our website on www.lesalouettes.net or e-mail us on [email protected]
Our main aim is to make your stay or guided pilgrimage tour as memorable as possible.
