Well, I have to be somewhat cynical.

The govt can be seen to do the right thing but its all too late, travel arrangements and perhaps a new passport, now suddenly someone else is paying, is a real problem with only 3 weeks to go.

They haven't done any research or used a bit of common sense either. Normandy isn't like Disney Land/World and surrounded by hundreds of acres of motels, its decidedly non-tourist, people were booking what there was 2 years ago.

Current estimates put the influx at some 1,000,000 people, where are they to stay? We had a job even finding a campsite last November which was at the eleventh hour in effect.

The beaches and other places are to be strictly controlled, the French are issuing formal passes, we knew that months ago; everyone and his dog will try to be at a beach on the 6th; a bit of inter-govt liaison would have been nice. No gendarme is on leave that weekend. Strong rumours have presidential and royal presences over the weekend, so will the French police let throngs of thousands loose? I think not.

Ponder why the word has come down that carrying a jerrican in an external rack will result in official entanglements as will any form of weapon or sidearm, even de-acts with certification.

I'm guessing that a jerrican bomb could be easily hidden amongst the hordes of jerrican carrying vehicles, and where better to hide a real gun than amongst the vast numbers of 101 Airborne that it seems everyone and the French dress up in.

This happened to some UK vets who suddenly found local councils had a tiny budget to spend sending them over. This was last Jan and the national TV news reported they could only find accommodation some 80km or 50 miles inland.

Surely they've seen the B&W films and know what Bocage country is, Normandy isn't a theme park you can open once every 5 years.

Its actually very cynical treatment of your vets therefore and largely nugatory.

Their money is quite safe, it would be surprising if 0.1% could ever get spent; but my regrets are with the vets.

R.