It is quite a sight—a lone bugler at the Menin Gate, playing only to those men that are engraved on its walls.

The Covid-19 outbreak has forced change upon the nightly service in Ypres: members of the public are not allowed to stand under the Gate and are in fact asked not to come to the area at all.

Keeping the ceremony going each night is so important. The gate was unveiled on 24 July 1927, with the Last Post being sounded for two months. It was played again when the then Prince of Wales came to visit in 1928, and became a nightly occurrence in 1929. The only time the ceremony was stopped was during the Second World War, from 20 May 1940 to 6 September 1944 when Ypres was liberated.

I’m looking forward to getting back as soon as we can safely do so.

**Long Bugler at the Menin Gate, Ypres. Picture taken from the Last Post Association website**