"Thank you very much for such a great tour. You have shown us many places we would not have found ourselves; we have seen moving and memorable monuments to the countries that gave up their young men in horrific circumstances. Thanks to people like you they will be remembered and honoured, important for the past but also for future generations to reflect on. Thank you also for the warmth and hospitality of your lovely home, all the best."
Lorri, Perth, Australia
"Many thanks for a wonderful tour. We are so glad to have seen at last where our relatives both fought and died and to have witnessed, albeit at nearly 100 years distance, the terrible things that man has done to man in northern France. Thank you for both the nuts and the apples and for your generous hospitality. Hope to see you again soon."
Colin & Celia, Leamington Spa
"Thank you for a great trip around the battlefields. Your knowledge was wonderful and we can really appreciate now what those poor soldiers went through. You have a lovely home here and enjoyed our stay very much – we will recommend this trip to anyone."
Mandy & Richard, Australia
"Thank you for a fascinating and fabulous four days exploring the ‘western front’. Your knowledge and enthusiasm has brought to life for me the experience and horror of being a front line soldier in WW1, but the opportunity to come here and honour and respect their sacrifice is one that I will never forget. Combined with the amazing warmth and generosity of your hospitality this has been a wonderful experience for me and ice-cream will never taste the same again for me now!! "
Helen, Guildford
"Thank you for your hospitality and wonderful cooking! We really enjoyed our tours of the battlefields and finding the bullet and shrapnel, as well as all the useful and fascinating snippets of information, really brought the experience home to us. Many thanks"
Roger, Don and Dominic, Croydon
"This has been an amazing experience for all of us. Do not underestimate how unique and special you and your tour are/is! It has been perfect, exactly what we wanted but so much more as well. Your knowledge, experience, personality, time keeping and organisation skills have meant we have got more than we ever could have imagined. We have loved every minute and are so grateful to you. My Dad’s 70th birthday present will not be lived up to in any way! We plan to continue to learn and build on what we have learnt from you – but the personal touch you have given will stay with us always – every bomb, bullet and shrapnel too! “We will remember them”. Love & thanks
Jean, Ray, Julie and Ian "The Taffy’s!", Swansea
"Thank you so much for a wonderful 4 days. You are a pleasure to be around and very friendly. Your home is gorgeous; you have done an exceptional job. Thank you for making us feel at home, hope to return one day to find the final family grave. 2/3 was fantastic. Thank you, cheers"
Leonie, Australia
"This has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Leonie & I really appreciate you taking the extra trouble to find the graves of her relatives. You having the depth of knowledge that you do really put a lot of what I have been reading about all my life in perspective.Thanks mate."
Dean, Western Australia
"Thanks for a great tour of the 1914-1918 war! Would never be able to remember all the places we been! Very good"
Jason, Faversham
"A wonderful experience, seeing so many WWI memorials. Treasures we could not have easily found by ourselves. We appreciated your love of history, enjoyment of people and evidence of considerable research. You looked after us so well."
Marilyn and Reg, Sacramento, USA
"Thank you for a great time, which we really enjoyed. You were a fantastic guide and the hospitality was wonderful."
Dennis, Western Australia
"There are so many memories of our trip, which I am sure will remain with us for the rest of our lives. You were a fantastic host and we were grateful for the amount you were able to show us during our few days with you."
Nic, Dudley
"This is probably the most memorable trip I have ever been on, and Mike, you made it all so real through your explanations, enthusiasm and vast knowledge."
Wilma, Hawick, Scotland
"Your demonstrated expertise in this field, coupled with your kindness and friendship has made this one of the highlights of my life."
Wayne, Nova Scotia, Canada
"You have brought this part of the world alive to me. Thank you for bringing me closer to my heritage; to what it means to be an Australian."
Darren, New South Wales, Australia
"Superb days, fantastic evenings. Thanks, Mike, for being a brilliant guide."
Sherie and John, Shropshire
"It is wonderful that you welcome visitors to your house, without restriction. Thank you, sincerely, for your friendship."
Graham & Elaine, Cooma, NSW, Australia
"An extraordinary and memorable four days in a beautiful and poignant part of France. The farmhouse is so lovely."
David and Mohraig, Perth, Australia
"Thank you so much for the enjoyable and comprehensive tour of the French and Belgian battlefields. May we meet again."
Debbie & Greg, Calgary, Canada
"This is the best way to see the battlefields. A wonderful and moving experience."
Matthew & Denise, Folkestone
"Thanks for a memorable experience."
Brian & Kay, Midlands
"Thanks for your excellent guiding. After long days it was wonderful to return to the cosy farmhouse to be spoilt with delicious food and wine."
Maureen & Ken, Oxfordshire
"We have dreamed of this visit for over 7 years. It has now been fulfilled in spades with memorable visits to the Somme and Flanders with too many sites to mention here. The evening at the Menin Gate (on Anzac) will remain in memory forever. However, the star was Mike for his patience in answering everlasting questions, his driving and his cuisine. Thank you Mike for a wonderfully organised tour. Gratefully."
Brian, Wiltshire
"This trip has been all that it could be and more. It has been a real experience visiting all the places I have read about for so many years. Thank you Mike for allowing us to stay in your beautiful farmhouse and thank you Mike for the personal touch which has added spice to our excursions and evenings back at base. I’m sure my wife will thank you for sending me home with so much ‘rusty metal!' Thank you"
Pt. Steve, Bodie Pals, Surrey
"Dear Mike, thank you for taking us around France. My favourite thing was looking for things in the battlefields. See you soon."
Oliver - aged 10, Norfolk
"Dear Mike, Both my father and brother say it so well. Thank you very much for having us to stay and for being so attentive to all our needs and never ending questions! It was a pleasure to see Oliver, my 10 year old son making the connection between the history books and the countryside of Northern France and Flanders. For me, I enjoyed the balance between the sombre and thought provoking tours and the fun and games of the evenings in your stunning house. Thank you for having us and see you again."
Philip, Norfolk
"Thank you so much for all your hospitality over the last few days. The very moving tour of the cemeteries, monuments and battlefield sites made it an extremely memorable weekend."
Mark, Vancouver, BC, Canada
"What a marvellous week! To fulfil a long-held dream to visit the sites of the battles of World War 1 & 2 was very satisfying, if harrowing. At last I have honoured the losses of my family during ghastly WW1. The farmhouse is delightful and hospitality wonderful..... This was THE best way to learn history. Thank you so much for becoming a friend as well as a host."
Hilary, West Vancouver, BC, Canada
"A most wonderful weekend. To allow complete strangers to infiltrate your life is amazing. Thank you for providing a great experience."
Garry, London
"First of all, on behalf of Garry and myself, I would like to say thank you for making this a smashing experience in all ways. To Mike on his vast experiences on the subject I came to learn more about and to Lorraine for making so many marvellous meals. In the end I know 'I’ll succeed to victory if I eat less bread!' Many thanks for a great experience."
Rodney, Halifax
"This has been the very best way to learn about what happened in 1914 -18. Thank you Mike for your clear explanations of the battles, advances and retreats along the Western front, and for giving us time to stand and stare and let it all sink in. It’s all going to be so much more real when we attend the 11/11 commemoration in our village this November. A big thank you Lorraine for the wonderful catering - a big bonus! Best wishes to you both and to all the family for many years in this happy house."
Sue & David, Cambridge
"Very many thanks for wonderful stay in the peaceful French countryside which contrasts so vividly with imagined battlefield sites of 90 years ago. You can’t beat this personal service. Long may you continue to enjoy this life!"
Ben, Leicester
"Mike, many, many thanks for your hospitality and unstinting generosity. We all found the tour was insightful and extremely interesting. We couldn’t have enjoyed ourselves more. We will certainly recommend it to our friends in Australia. P.S. Beware the red wine!!! "
Michele, Barry and Michael, Victoria, Australia
"Just a big thank you for a very interesting few days, not to mention the excellent accommodation and food. The house is something to be envied. Thank you for bringing the battlefields to life for us, and to Joe for his good cooking."
Don & Maddie – Medway
"Great Tour, great house, great host - we will return Somme day"
Richard & Maggie, Cobham, Surrey
"You are the perfect hosts & your house is beautiful. Would love to share another weekend with you. Going home all ‘Sommed’ out!!"
Judi & Sean, Folkestone
"Passed a great stay in this lovely maison! Knowledgeable and genial host. Will return one day. A Bientot"
Steve, Winchester
"There is plenty of competition out there if you're looking for Somme Battlefield tours, but in our view Mike Williamson stands out from the crowd, not just because of his encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject and the terrain, but because of the personal touch he brings to the whole operation. From the warmth of the welcome and the facilities at his lovingly restored farmhouse base, to the personalised nature of the tours he conducts, you will really appreciate the attention to detail at every turn. We have no hesitation in recommending Mike to both the knowledgeable enthusiast, and to those seeking an introduction to the subject and the region."
Rob and Janine, Faversham
"My two visits to Picardy have had a profound effect on me. Mike clearly has a love for the region and has a good knowledge of the war on the Western Front and especially the Somme Battlefields. It was a humbling experience to walk in the footsteps of so many young men who so bravely sacrificed their lives in that terrible war. The accommodation and hospitality was delightful and I will be back again next year."
Paul, Faversham
"Long walks, clear skies, log fires, books and maps to research. The Great War brought to life by your genial host Mike at the helm - a mine of information with local places to visit and historical sites to see. Great home cooked food, local freshly baked bread and an enormous selection of cheeses and wine to tempt you after a hard day in the trenches. Luxury accommodation and a sound sleep guaranteed in the rural peace and tranquility of his beautiful farmhouse. Not to be missed. After your first visit you will be back."
Mark & Dawn, Canterbury
"I'm sure I speak for all of my chums when I say how absolutely wonderful the weekend was and how enormously we enjoyed ourselves (terrific bunch of blokes to a man!). It was obvious that you had put a great deal of work into the organisation and execution of our "Battlefield Trips" and I can assure you it was greatly appreciated by all. Your house in France is absolutely delightful and we were all very envious."
David, Boughton Under Blean