Last Post ceremony returns under Menin Gate from May
The Last Post ceremony will be able to take place under the Menin Gate in Ypres from 9 May, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) announced on Monday. The ceremony has been held next to the gate for the past year due to restoration work.
The Menin Gate Memorial bears the names of more than 54,000 soldiers of the former British Empire and its allies who died in the Ypres Salient during the First World War. Since 1928, buglers have sounded the Last Post every evening at 8pm as a daily tribute to the fallen.
Restoration work on the Menin Gate began in 2023. Because of scaffolding, the daily Last Post ceremony was held next to the gate. However, the scaffolding under the gate was removed on Monday and the ceremony will return to its usual location in May.
Another year of renovations
Restoration work under the main hall of the Menin Gate has been completed, with the stone inscriptions repaired where necessary. The vaults and ceilings have been completely restored and repainted. The bronze oculi, the round openings in the vault, were given a protective treatment. And the old staircases of the stair towers have been restored.
The galleries on the north and south sides are now being restored. Those scaffolds will remain in place until the work is completed. The bronze railings have been removed for restoration, the roof is being repaired and new walkways and lighting are being installed. Work is scheduled to be completed by mid-2025.
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#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK