| Ian
I went to the Somme with a friend on a Goldwing. We rode near to the cemetaries / battle fields and parked up about 15 - 20 minutes walk away. This gave us time to get '' in tune '' with the feeling of the place before we got there. We would spend time together at the site and then split up to have some time on our own.
We saw organised tours arrive, look around and leave while we stayed on for perhaps another hour after, soaking up the atmosphere.
On your own would be o.k. but I think it would be better to have someone to talk to while you were there. I'm sure we went in April after the ploughing, and then you can see the lines in the fields where the trenches were, and will come across bullets and shells that the farmers have ploughed up.
I have a book by George Ashurst called the Lancashire Fusileer and it was quite an emotional moment when we found, and stood in the sunken lane where he went ''over the top'' on the first day of the attack.
I hope you go - you will never forget the experience if you do.
Phil  | 
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