Every time I go to Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing or see photos of this stunning memorial, I am reminded of a wonderful tour I took there.

A group of student teachers were with me for a couple of days, taking in key sites that would help them in their teaching of First World War history when they got into the classroom.

We were in the area to discuss the Christmas Truce and whether teaching the myths of history was an acceptable thing to do if it gets a new generation of young people interested in the topic.

After some great debate, we headed to Ploegstreet Memorial and the Royal Berks Cemetery Extension to visit a few men and hear their stories. It was at this point that one of the trainee teachers wandered off to look at the cemetery register.

After some time, she came back to the group in tears. She knew she recognised the name of the cemetery but couldn’t work out why. A look at the cemetery register and she was directed to one grave in particular: it was that of her great uncle and she was the first member of the family to visit him in a hundred years.

It was an incredibly moving experience for her, but also for me. It was yet another reminder of how special a tour can be, in helping people to connect with their past and pay their respects to fallen heroes.