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We were visiting the graves of two of his relatives from Lancaster who were killed within days of each other at Ypres in 1917.
Besides doing nine pieces for the local radio station, we were accompanied on the four day trip by a cameraman from BBC television, reporting for North West Tonight where Graham presents the news programme at the weekend.
Graham also did an exclusive interview for me about his thoughts and feelings during his first visit to the battlefields.
I spent an enjoyable day on the 24th June working for the BBC at their WW1 At Home event on the Promenade in Blackpool.
As well as talking to visitors to the “Meet the expert” stand, I did two spots on stage covering my trip with BBC Radio Lancashire’s Graham Liver to the battlefields in April.
My new talks brochure is now available here: Steve Williams Talks Brochure 2015
Wednesday 6th August will see a walk from the Army Reserves Centre on Devonshire Road in Chorley to Fulwood Barracks in Preston – a total of 10 miles.
On the same date in 1914, the ‘Chorley Terriers’ (D Company, 1st / 4th [Territorial Force] Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) marched from the Drill Hall on Devonshire Road in the town to Fulwood Barracks.
The unit had been recalled from their annual camp in Kirby Lonsdale when war was declared on the 4th August 1914 and they were put on a war footing.
The unit of some 200 men marched along the A6 to Preston, and it was reported in the Chorley Guardian that many of their family members walked with them to the boundary at Whittle-le–Woods.
I am going to replicate the walk as fundraiser for the Chorley Remembers project.
I’ll be joined by members of the Army Reserves unit based in Chorley (64 Medical Squadron, 3 Medical Regiment RAMC), a member of staff from the Museum of Lancashire in Preston who will be dressed in a WW1 ‘Tommy’ uniform, and Stuart Clewlow from the Chorley in The Great War group.
The walk is planned to start at 10.30am and finish around 2.30pm.
I did a similar walk for the Chorley Remembers project in August 2011 and raised £600 doing a 16 mile walk from the Chorley Pals Memorial in Chorley to Accrington, the home of the ‘Accrington Pals’.
To sponsor me, you can download a sponsorship form from here or call 0845 467 1916.
I am going to Belgium on the 28th April, taking BBC presenter Graham Liver to the graves of two of his relatives from Lancaster who were killed near Ypres in 1917.
There should be coverage of the trip on BBC Radio Lancashire on the 29th and 30th April, with two reports on BBC North West Tonight some time in May.
Both Graham and I are scheduled to take part in the Last Post ceremony at Ypres on the 29th, laying a wreath at the Menin Gate memorial.
I will lay a wealth on behalf of the Chorley Remembers project in remembrance of all the men from the town who fell on the Ypres Salient during WW1.
I will also pay respects to a Chorley Pal, Sgt. Ernest Cutler, who is buried at one of the cemeteries near Poperinghe where filming will take place.
Graham presents North West Tonight on Friday evening, and can be heard on BBC Radio Lancashire each weekday morning presenting his breakfast show between 6 – 9 am; tune in to 95.5 FM, 103.9 FM or DAB.
Due to a cancellation, a twin / double room has become available for my eight day trip to the Western Front battlefields in France and Belgium at the end of May; I would consider offering it as a single.
The cost is £649 per person in the twin / double or £799 for the single.
Full details on the trip, including a booking form and terms & conditions can be found here.
However, please make contact first to check that it has not already gone - call 0845 463 8463 or e-mail info@stevewilliamstalks.co.uk.
My brochure listing talks and charges to the end of 2015 is now available as a download.
The village of Newburgh is near Parbold in West Lancashire.
I have asked me to give a talk about the village’s involvement in the First World War and the men named on their war memorial.
I will be presenting an illustrated talk at the Newburgh Parish Council AGM in the local school on Monday, 7th May starting at 7.00 p.m.; admission is free.
I changed the format slightly of my new talk about the First World War, “Oh! What a lovely War?”.
I have decided to illustrate it featuring Lancashire soldiers who fought in the major battles.
The talk will also contain details of the personalties involved such as Field Marshal Haig, as well as some of the technology / equipment used and the results of over four and a half years of “The War to end all wars”.
The talk will debut at the Horwich Heritage meeting on Tuesday, 17th May at The Resource Centre, Beaumont Road (off Longworth Road), Horwich, near Bolton BL6 7BG starting at 7.30 p.m.; there is an admission charge.
Seeing there are no local history talks anymore in my village, I have decided to repeat my popular talk ‘The railway through Brindle and Hoghton’.
It will start at 2.00 p.m. and admission will be just ￡3 (which matches the ‘local’ Historical Society admission prices).
The talk looks at a stretch of the Blackburn to Preston railway line, opened in 1846, as it goes through the villages of Brindle and Hoghton.
There used to be two stations serving the villages but both were closed ‘pre-Beeching’.
However, quite a bit remains and I have many ’now and then’ images in the hour long talk.
