Reliving Operation Neptune at Trebah Garden
This year, Trebah Garden Trust commemorated the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings with their performance of ‘Operation Neptune’. Based on the true stories from the thousands of US troops who left from Trebah’s beach and the local residents who witnessed it, Operation Neptune brings the gum-chewing, smooth-talking, quick-witted soldiers to life.
Operation Neptune is part of the performance work that Trebah Garden are commissioning in the garden for three years with help from the Challenge Fund. A full case study about Trebah will be coming early next year. In the meantime, below are some fantastic images and testimonials from members of the public who enjoyed the performance.
“We have just got back from tonight’s performance of Operation Neptune. Although there were so many of us promenading round the garden, the movement was excellently managed and always felt part of the performance too. The tribute that Trebah has paid to the 29ers over the month has been outstanding.
So many people have been made more aware of the relationship between this area and D-Day, not least the children in the village school, who have benefited enormously from the ongoing relationship with Trebah.”
“‘Thank you’ and huge congratulations to all concerned on a superb performance of ‘Operation Neptune’ last Wednesday evening. It really was very good and very moving, in all senses of the word, and we really appreciate the effort and work which went into it from all concerned. For those of us who lived through that time in 1944 it very cleverly painted a vivid and moving picture of that period, and at the end we just continued to sit on the wall on the hard and soaked up the emotional atmosphere.”
“I cannot stress just how much my class have got out of the whole project and to see pupils gain so much confidence. I was bowled over by the fact that 21 out of 34 children in my class had a parent or family member watching them and to hear their wonderful feedback.”
