Storming the beaches

THERE'S nothing quite like the testimony of real people to bring history alive - especially for the younger generation. "Boring old black and white" documentaries had always been a turn-off for my children Ian and Ruth, who always vie with me to watch their more colourful soap operas. The Second World War - well that simply belonged in another era.

That is until, standing on one of the D-Day beaches in Normandy, they find themselves listening in awe to a veteran recounting his experiences. With a distant look in his eyes, he sees far beyond the throng of tourists, as he happily regales anyone who is interested.

"It was quite different when we came. We arrived just after the first wave had landed," he says.

"There were columns of smoke everywhere, burning, confusion, and... the casualties.

"There was a machine gun post on that ridge that kept us pinned down. Until someone took it out. And it didn't stop when we came off the beaches. We went all the way to the Rhine."

It could have been just the other day for him. For Ian and Ruth, after being traipsed around the beaches of Operation Overlord, the soldier's animated account shed a new light and colour on what had been done by ordinary people to secure the way of life as they knew it.

Our visit to the beaches of Normandy is made all the more meaningful for the fact that it happens to coincide with D-Day commemorations.

The day begins appropriately at Pegasus Bridge where, but for the bravery of a few airborne troops, things could have been much different on that fateful day.

In the first minutes of the operation, three Horsa gliders carrying soldiers from the British Airborne Division captured two bridges which would help secure the flank of Operation Overlord. Had they failed, the Germans could have quickly rolled up the beaches. An impressive museum, with artefacts, weapons, vehicles and the original bridge, tells their story.

Visiting, in turn, Sword, Juno and Gold beaches, it is impossible to conceive what these windswept dunes must have looked like on the dawn of June 6, 1944. But the distances do impart a real feeling for the sheer scale of the invasion.

Evidence of the battle is everywhere: bunkers, memorials and a plethora of museums. On the day there is an almost unseemly festivity as the re-enactment brigades come out with their authentic uniforms and weapons to play out their fantasy of being soldiers.

Some have Mohican hairstyles and face paint, Lucky Strike cigarettes in their helmets. They drive a formidable fleet of jeeps and other military hardware.

The true cost of the sacrifice of that invasion is brought home with a visit to the Bayeaux Cemetery, where workers daily tend manicured lawns.

Just before history fatigue sets in, and while we are on the subject of seaborne invasions, I announce one last port of call - Bayeaux and its 70m tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Groans all round.

And, indeed, a visit can be exhausting if one tries to take in the whole exhibition. Set on three floors, the display starts with a slide show on swathes of canvas, followed by a full- scale replica explaining the vignettes, a laughable idiot's guide film and then the real thing.

Despite its age and having once being used as a wagon cover during Napoleonic wars, the tapestry has not lost any of its lustre. The odd sexual references in the margins have never seen light of day in school text books, though.

History lesson over, it is back to a well-deserved rest at our self-catering apartment on the Normandy Riviera at an appropriately named Perfect Places site in Deauville.

This is a big step up from camping, with all the creature comforts of home in a relaxing atmosphere. Each apartment sleeps up to five people, with a double bedroom, two single sofa beds and a pull-out bed in the living room, kitchenette with dishwasher, bathroom, balcony. And, to round it off, a telephone and television with satellite channels.

The self-contained complex has a bar, shop, a swimming pool, jacuzzi and paddling pool. There were plenty of other children around for yours to befriend, giving parents some well-earned rest.

Traditionally a playground of the rich and famous, Deauville oozes self-conscious elegance and exclusiveness. There is its famous race course where you can lose your money, if you are so inclined, and plenty of casinos to finish you off.

We enjoy more modest entertainment walking down the town's central feature - a 500m boardwalk. For day trippers, the surrounding countryside is quite delightful and features many old half-timbered manor houses. Nearby is the town of Hornfleur, one of the best preserved old ports of Normandy. A visit is a must.

Further afield is the spectacular seaside resort of Etretat, immortalised by Monet in a series of paintings of its alabaster cliffs, arches, tunnels and solitary needle.

Returning from Calais in the comfortable business class lounge of a P&O ferry, I can't help reflecting on our encounter with the old soldier. As the 60th anniversary of D-Day approaches, hundreds of veterans will be preparing to storm the beaches once more. Hopefully, he will be there again, holding all who will listen in thrall - a living link to the past.

TRAVELFACTS

Seven nights in a self-catering apartment sleeping up to five people at Deauville in early June, costs £476. This includes a return Dover to Calais ferry crossing with P&O Ferries for one car and up to five passengers.

For further information, brochures and bookings contact Perfect Places on 0870 366 7562 or visit the website at www.perfectplacesonline.co.uk.