Racing towards the Exhibition Opening ...

I arrived at the Peace Village here in Mesen at 8.30am, ready to finish the last of my framing and go over the accompanying texts.

Ice was blowing through the air at speed and it felt like I imagined the Artic tundra might feel... very cold and very white.

Finished by lunchtime, it's all about waiting for the technicians to finish with spotlighting and setting up so that I can hang my prints ready for tomorrow night's opening reception.

Suddenly the exhibition is so very close. I'll leave you with a photograph of New Zealand's previous Prime Minister, Helen Clark, arriving on Flanders Fields one foggy morning, accompanied by her husband and NZ's Ambassador to Belgium.
Tot straks from the Peace Village in Mesen.

The Spectators

Sometimes, amidst the seriousness of the commemorations and ceremonies, there are the spectators who come to quietly peer over the fence ...

90 Years on ...

And still families come from as far away as New Zealand to honour the soldiers who died on Flanders Fields 90 years ago ...

Here, Samuel Frickleton's New Zealand descendents carry the wreath in his honour.

The Mesen memorial to the New Zealand Victoria Cross winner, Samuel Frickleton, was inaugurated on the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Mesen. Frickleton’s actions played an important part in the success of the Battle, and saw him capture two German machine gun posts.

Meet the Press, Flanders Fields

As a New Zealander, I find the people of the Westhoek remarkable in the way that they care for the memory of the young commonwealth soldiers who died on the battlefields of Flanders Fields.

But there are also the experiences that these guardians of the past have given me over the last 5 years. I have met historians, guides, prime ministers, curators, actors, a director, Governor Generals, some remarkable military men and woman and truly lovely everyday Belgians too.

And then there are the days where I have looked up from my work in the press area and discovered I'm alongside the 'big boys' ...

I don't think we realise how many people there are behind the scenes. I hope to introduce you to some of these people in our exhibition.

Tot straks.

Sandy Evrard, Burgemeester Mesen

Sandy Evrard is mayor of Belgium's smallest city and the most popular mayor in Flanders, according to polls taken in November 2009. Not only that, the service offered by his personnel came in at number two in Flanders.

I returned to the Westhoek yesterday, just out of my three-month stint as documentary photographer in Berlin.

It's good to be back.

This image was taken using a Canon EOS 5D Mk II, with a Canon EF 70-200mm 1:4L lens.

Freddy Declerck

You meet some of the best people out on Flanders Fields and Freddy Declerck is surely one of them.

There's a long list of Westhoek people on that 'some of the nicest Belgians I know' list but over the years, I've taken so many photographs of Freddy, guiding people from all over the world across WW1 battlefields that it seemed like an idea to pop at least one photograph of him up here on the blog.

The Royal Band of the Belgian Airforce, Flanders Fields

Wandering with Veterans from Other Wars

I have been visiting Flanders Fields for five years and during that time, I've had the extraordinary privilege of following people on their personal journeys into the past.

This photograph captures a New Zealand veteran from another generation, wandering among the tombstones of the fallen World War One soldiers.

Remembering the Past, Flanders Fields

My way of working is all about documentary. I capture what I see, accepting the limits of the moment ... often-times a commemorative moment, where respect is demanded of the photographer.

Sometimes it's about emotions you see on the faces of those remembering that long distant past that can still seem so real on these old World War One battlefields.

The flag-bearers fascinate me and I hope to pursue my study of them in the weeks leading up to the exhibition.

The Peace Village, Mesen

The exhibition will be held in the Peace Village in the town of Mesen. It is also possible to book accommodation here. For more information, you can contact them at info@peacevillage.be

The Peace Village, an international rural hostel, is situated in a unique rural surrounding, marked by WW1. It's an excellent accommodation for youth- and school groups, organisations, families, individual tourists, etc.

This is the place to be if you like an active holiday, to learn more about WW1, for a reunion with your organisation or family, or just to relax and enjoy the countryside.

Accommodation: The facility includes 32 four bedded rooms of which 8 are wheelchair accessible. Each room is furnished with its own toilet and bathroom facilities. There is a maximum capacity of approximately 128 beds.

There is a bar for a drink in the evening.

Het landelijke verblijfscentrum Peace Village te Mesen, is gelegen in een uniek landelijke omgeving, getekend door het oorlogsverleden. Het is een uitstekende uitvalsbasis voor jeugd- en schoolgroepen, verenigingen, families, individuele toeristen, enz.

Kom naar hier voor een actieve fiets- of wandelvakantie, om meer te leren over WOI, voor een familie- of andere bijeenkomst, of gewoon om even uit te rusten en te ontspannen.

Accomodatie: Er zijn 32 vierpersoonskamers waarvan 8 kamers optimaal toegankelijk voor minder validen en rolstoelgebruikers. Een badkamer en apart toilet zijn op elke kamer aanwezig. Er is een maximumcapaciteit van 128 bedden.

's Avonds kan er in de bar een glaasje worden gedronken.