I used to go to watch the Arsenal quite regularly and the Emirates is a huge, expansive stadium. When it's full, it takes over 60,000 people. It's only when you look around at the rows and rows of spectators that you can begin to appreciate what 60,000 people looks like. It's an enormous body of people but that's pretty much what was lost on that fateful day by way of death and injury.
Fortunately, the Bedfordshire Yeomanry was in reserve on that day, waiting patiently for the breakthrough which never occurred.
I've decided to raise funds for the Royal British Legion by pedalling around 80 kilometres of the north Bedfordshire countryside on 19th June. It will be my small contribution to the nation's remembrance of those that perished on the Somme and all other battlefields during the Great War, and my own efforts to keep alive the memory of the Bedfordshire Yeomanry. I've set up a page on the Just Giving page - if you can spare a few pence to support a very worthy cause, please do.
Just go to: www.justgiving.com/David-Doorne.