Every evening at 8pm, dating back to the late 1920s, the Last Post has been played at the Menin Gate memorial, commemorating those Commonwealth soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Ypres Salient conflict.
We arrived just after 7.15pm, and the crowd was forming. At 7.30pm the road was closed to traffic and barricades were erected. A relatively large crowd had gathered by 8pm, as three volunteer buglers from the Last Post Association strode out to play the Last Post. It was particularly moving in this time and place, especially so close to Anzac Day.
Following the playing of the bugles, wreaths were laid. The crowd who had come along to watch and pay their respects, looked on in complete silence. It’s comforting to know that the courageous young men whose lives were cut short in the battles around Ypres will never be forgotten.
On The Road With Garry 