Battle of the Somme

Yesterday marked the 95th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. One of the bloodiest military operations ever recorded, the Battle of the Somme lasted from 1 July 1916 to 18 November 1916. More than 1 million soldiers were killed. It has become synonymous with slaughter.

On the first day alone, more than 19,000 British soldiers were killed, more than 35,000 were wounded, more than 2000 were missing in action and 585 were taken prisoner. It was, to say the least, not a good day for the British. Things did not improve significantly over the entire course of the campaign. By the end, the British had gained a mere 2 miles of territory and lost 420,000 men to do so.

The Somme and the trauma it instilled in the men who fought there led to some of the most graphic of the war poems, written by poets like Sassoon and Owen. A couple of the ones I find more memorable, and most moving, are:

ANTHEM FOR DOOMED YOUTH by Wilfred Owen

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
---Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,---
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.


DULCE ET DECORUM EST by Wilfred Owen

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!---An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,---
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.



Contemporary society may have considered Owen mad; with the light of hindsight, his looks like the only sensible reaction to the insanity he witnessed. His poetry vividly evokes the horror of war. It's a shame we seem to have largely forgotten it, as we've moved to more high-tech types of warfare that allow us to distance ourselves from exploding limbs in far-flung countries. We should remember, if only so we never have to live through a battle like the Somme again.

Things to do in Paris: Le Manoir de Paris

Le Manoir de Paris is a new attraction that opened to the public on 6 May. I was lucky enough to get to attend the launch event, and so I feel I ought to spread the word about it (even though, you know, my blog with a readership of 2 in a good week was probably not what they were envisaging their briefing being used for - I went as a guest, in case you're wondering.)

That said, Google brings up odd results sometimes, so maybe people looking for something to do on a rainy day in Paris might find this. I struggled somewhat to work out who Le Manoir's target audience is - and from conversation over drinks at the end, it seems I wasn't alone - but I would recommend it to those with older children, those who visit Paris often and who are looking for something a bit different, Goths and people who like dark rooms where bleeding people jump out at you.

From the promotional blurb, Le Manoir de Paris is "a true living museum. It invites visitors to experience Parisian scenes and legends in winding their way through its labyrinth". It "transposes the concept of the haunted house that we find in the United States and adapts it to French culture and sensibility." The concept was created by Adil Houti, a Belgian by birth, who has lived in the US and now lives in France. I've never seen a US haunted house, but for Brits, I suspect this is similar to the London Dungeon (which is, I have to say, one of those things I've never been to either, but at least have seen - and the guys in costumes at London Bridge look similar to these guys, if less gory - and less interactive.)

The "living museum" brings to life 13 legends from Parisian history - some of which are world famous, like Quasimodo, others are less well-known to foreigners. (Well, I didn't know them all, anyway...) It has to be said that this doesn't detract particularly from the experience, though I suppose that recognising the stories might give you a slight edge on dealing with the creepiness as you go through the various rooms and meet the various tragic - and terrifying - characters. To understand the stories the characters tell you, you will need good French. Some of the costumes inhibit clear speaking, and although my French is quite good, there were several stories I missed entirely, mostly because I spent the whole thing in a mild state of panic, waiting for the next thing to leap out at me and scream.

(Text continues after the photos - these photos are mine, from before the show began; do excuse the poor quality - proper photos follow at the end...)

Thinking about it once it was over, I enjoyed it. The expressions on the faces of those who followed us through the maze suggested that I wasn't the only one who found the whole thing terrifying, but that's the point, after all. (And it added amusement, as we watched them come out into a room of people drinking champagne and eating canapes, and try to work out if this was another act that was going to suddenly attack them.) The costuming and lighting was excellent (though I would suggest that perhaps they could have given us a bit more light without ruining the performances - sometimes it was really, really hard to see where you're going...) and the actors were superb. I hope they enjoy their work - they looked like they were doing, but I suppose we were in the nature of the opening night; it might be interesting to go back after they've done their act a few thousand times and seen how much they still enjoy it!

Those with weak hearts, pregnant women and those with epilepsy are advised not to go to this exhibition - there is a lot of use of strobe lighting, which wasn't advertised clearly beforehand, so if you're sensitive to it, give this one a miss. Also, if you're claustrophobic, you will also probably want to give this one a miss - there's one "room" that made me struggle a bit, and I *like* small dark spaces.

The press blurb says that the Manoir is open to children aged 10 and over – I think that's maybe a little young. Some ten year olds will probably be all over it, but there was a little girl who went in ahead of us who came out 5 minutes later in tears.

Factual information you'll need if you're thinking of visiting:

Address: Le Manoir de Paris
18 rue de Paradis
75010 Paris

Metro: Poissonnière, Bonne Nouvelle, Gare de l’Est, Gare du Nord, Strasbourg Saint Denis, Château d’Eau
Bus: Lines 30, 31, 32, 38, 39, 47, 48

Opening hours: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and French public holidays, from 15:00 to 20:00.

Cost: 20 Euros (Concessions: 18 Euros)

www.lemanoirdeparis.com
www.facebook.com/lemanoirdeparis

Official photos (copyright Le Manoir de Paris):