Category: News Archive

My eight day coach trip to the WW1 battlefields on The Western Front in May this year is sold out.

A seven day trip, ‘Somme reflections’, is in the planning stage for early September 2016 visiting the Somme battlefield, but it depends on demand and my work commitments.

I have decided that my final coach trip will be in September 2018. Entitled ‘Battlefields & Poppyfields’, the plan is to visit the major British & Commonwealth WW1 memorials in France and Belgium plus some pilgrimage visits to specific cemeteries / memorials.

Register your interest for 2016 and 2018 by e-mailing me on info@stevewilliamstalks.co.uk.

There are just three places left on my eight day coach trip to The Western Front at the end of May (one double / twin room and one single room).

Do get in touch if you are interested; the closing date is the start of February.

You can follow me on Facebook and on Twitter @stevew_chorley.

I have launched a new group focussing on Chorley’s involvement in the First World War, called ‘Chorley in The Great War’.

Thirty five people, including several in period uniform, attended the inaugural meeting held at the Coach House on the Astley Hall complex in Chorley on Sunday, 5th January.

Membership has already reached a respectable twenty seven and members will have access to a programme of talks, workshops and visits on social and military history topics from the period 1914 to 1919 – all with a Chorley connection.

The next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, 2nd March when I am presenting an illustrated talk entitled ‘First World War Battlefields – then & now”.

The talk will feature many of the battlefields where men and women from the town and local villages fought; the meeting will be open to non–members.

Membership of the group is just £10 per year and details can be found on www.chorleyinthegreatwar.org.uk, on our Facebook page or by calling 0845 474 1418.

There are now only 3 places left on my Western Front Battlefield Trip next May.

The closing date for booking is the 15th January 2014 – there is one single and one twin/double room available.

You can download more information and a booking form here for what promises to be a memorable and moving trip to the battlefields of Northern France and Belgium.

I am making my debut on the conference scene, delivering a paper about the Chorley Pals entitled “Two years in the making…”.

The conference is over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th November at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and is entitled ‘Finding identities; Lancashire and the First World War’.

A new brochure with a list of talks for 2014 is now available as a download.

I have removed the talk “The road to the Menin Gate” and added a new talk “Oh! What a lovely War?”.

It is especially for 2014 (which sees the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War) and looks at the causes, the battles, tactics, technology and the personalities of “the war to end all wars”.

Visit my Talks page here.

There are just 7 places left on my battlefield trip to The Western Front next May.

If you are interested in coming on the trip, please get in touch or visit the Battlefield Trips page to download the booking form now.

I am presenting an illustrated talk about railways in the First World War.

Entitled “Rails to the Front”, it is part of Lancashire Libraries ‘Changing Tracks’ railway theme for 2013.

It is at Chorley Central Library on Monday, 4th November starting at 6.00 pm.

Entrance is free, but tickets must be obtained from Chorley Library in advance, either in person or by telephoning 0845 053 0005 or e-mail chorley.library@lancashire.gov.uk.

There are just 15 places left on my battlefield trip to The Western Front next May.

If you are interested in coming on the trip, please get in touch or visit the Battlefield Trips page to download the booking form now.