I began the day full of excited apprehension; it was going to be a big day so I guessed it was only natural to be slightly pensive.

After several hours of travel and chatter in the cars, the day really started to kick into full swing with the arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh at Weeze airport in Germany.  The welcome stood waiting, noticeably edgy, in a hanger that left me half expecting a Backstreet Boys video to break out when the private jet rolled up!

No sooner had the Duke walked down the steps of the jet we were off with the blue lights of German and Dutch police leading us, I felt very special indeed as I watched the jaws of the unsuspecting patrons of the small airport drop.
Once at Nijmegen I was off like a flash to my position in the Press area, where I was welcomed by an atmosphere far more friendly than expected (I was prepared to be bundled over by eager professionals).

I found myself in a very good position to witness the arrival of the Duke and Her Majesty Queen Beatrix as well as the immaculately turned out Grenadier Guards, but I couldn’t let the excitement of occasion sway me from my task, so I duly set about taking the photographs which was my major task of the day (223 in total!)
This was my first big ceremony and I couldn’t help but be incredibly impressed by the reaction of the huge crowd that came out for the occasion.  They clapped and cheered and showed true appreciation for the sacrifices of those men and women 65 years ago.  The most important people there were of course the veterans all of whom had lost friends in the liberation of Nijmegen yet they came full of pride, smiles and waves for everyone.  In a particularly touching moment during one of the speeches, members of the American 82nd Airborne Division were asked to stand and stand they did, including some who were in wheel chairs.  At that point I put my camera down and took a moment to reflect upon the occasion.

Another profound moment came when the Dutch Defence Minister, Eimert van Middelkoop, addressed the children in the crowd and implored them to tell the story of Operation Market Garden to their friends to keep its memory alive, I was sure they would.

It all seemed over so quickly and before I knew it I was back in the car with those blue lights flashing around me.  The Duke was in the plane and off the ground as quickly as he arrived and at last the excitement of the day was done and my hunger kicked in!

Alex Lawrence, Communications Officer