View allAll Photos Tagged Quashed,
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
I woke at six after a fairly good night's sleep. Had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast, hoping to meet more old colleagues.
There are at least three and a half thousand current and former RAF Armourers, so the chance of meeting more I knew during the day seemed high.
As it was, there was just one other person in the semi-dark restaurant. And although there was food, it was limp and barely warm. Still, it was included in the cost of the room, so I filled by boots with fruit, yogurt, sausage and bacon, and a croissant with one of the four cups of coffee I had.
We were due to meet at half twelve, meaning I had maybe three hours to fill.
With churches.
The Church Conservation Trust is a great organisation, and their churches, although redundant, are open ten to four daily.
There was one less than ten miles away, so it was there I drove first. Out of Burton, going against the heavy traffic which tailed back some two miles over the series of roundabouts and traffic lights.
Back into the country, and down another dead end lane to Streeton-en-le-Field.
A heavy dew lay on the ground, and parkland stretched back towards Burton. Trees stood still against the blue sky, again their foliage, though mostly green, was turning golden brown at the edges of their leaves.
I walk through the churchyard, into the porch and pushed the door. It opened though I was twenty minutes early, but that was because the door had been forced and the lock broken.
Sigh.
Though no damage had been done, at least to my eyes, it is a shame that people treat our historic buildings thus.
I take my shots of the building. It must have been quite ruinous at some point recently, as windows had been blocked up, and the chancel arch rebuilt too using the same simple stones.
Functional, but not pretty.
Once done, I went back to the car and programmed the National Memorial Arboretum, 12 miles away, and set off.
At least I was lead across country. Maybe, I thought, I might pass a church or two on the way.
The road wiggled through the countryside, but came in time to a leafy village called Lullington. The handsome church overlooked the village green, the phone box now a library of sorts.
I parked and went to try the church door. It was locked, but on the board there was a named keyholder, so I called and Mrs Cooper said I could have the key, she lived in the long white building opposite.
It was almost a mansion, and her handyman was tending her flower beds. I went to knock, but he asked me what I wanted, and when I explained he went inside to pick up the key and hand it to me.
The church, although handsome, held no great treasures, though is obviously loved, with knitted flowers woven into garlands over the lychgate arch and the arch of the porch. It was only when close could I see the flowers were knitted.
When I returned the key, the bloke asked what I did (with the photos).
I explained, and then told me in a broad Midlands accent two double barrelled named churches nearby that were good. I didn't catch their real name, but a third sounded easy enough: Haw Cross.
But it wasn't Haw Cross or Hawcross.
Nor was it Haugh Cross.
It was Hoar Cross.
I found that on the sat nav and set off back in the general direction of Burton. Which was perfect.
I was lead across the Wolds, along at one point a narrow lane that went straight as an arrow for five miles, over a series of blind summits, through woods until it came to a junction, just shy of Hoar Cross.
Into Hoar Cross, past the pub on the crossroads with the finest pre-warboys finger post I have ever seen, though I didn't stop for shots as I was in a hurry: it was five past eleven and I hadn't found the church.
I went north, east and west out of the village and saw no sign of a church or a church lane.
And then, on the hill overlooking the village, I saw a tower. Modern, well, 20th century perhaps, but a church, and just a hundred yards beyond where I had turned round.
Holy Angels sits beside what counts as the main road in those parts, what little traffic there is motors past. But beyond a Boston Ivy overed wall and brick lychgate, the church rises, impressive in the autumn sunshine.
Inside it is stunning. Grade I listed, beloved by Betjeman and the highest of high Anglican churches.
I only had a matter of minutes, but this is a seriously impressive church: full of light, he smell of incense lingering, stations of the cross on all outside walls, and as a whole church, is nearly as impressive as Cheadle.
Nearly.
I hated to leave, but I had twenty minutes before I was due to be at the Arboretum.
Down the main street, onto an A road, doubling back towards Burton, then picking up signs directing the way, over a main road and railway, across some marshes and there it was.
Packed.
The parking ticket I bought had said sternly not to arrive before your allotted time. Many knew better and ignored this, so the main car park was full, so had to use the overflow beside the landfill site, then walk back.
Inside the main building a table had been set up for those attending. I signed in, and received a program and small token. I looked around.
No one I knew.
Still.
I bought a drink, sat outside and dozens of people around me and more arriving had our trade tie on, or the waistcoat. Some in uniform too, still serving.
But no one I knew.
I ambled down to the site of the ceremony, more folks milling around. Still no one I knew.
I took shots and enjoyed the moment.
I spied one person I know, another Ian, so I went and we shook hands. He also knew few folks. We chatted and caught up on a decade and a half's news since we last met in Lincoln.
Mark arrived.
He was nervous, as he was the play The Last Post (Taps) prior to the two minute's silence, so he went off to practice quietly, if quiet is a thing you do to a bugle.
One more person I know, though many others knew dozens of other attendees.
A serving Sergeant saw my camera and asked if I would supply him with shots for BFBS, so I did my best. But there were so many people getting a clear view was impossible.
At one, half an hour late, the ceremony began, with a former CO of mine doing the introductions before an Air Commodore, ex-Armourer, read the dedication covering a history of the trade and how family-like our trade is:
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, It’s a real privilege to speak to you today about a group of professionals whose contribution to the Royal Air Force has been, AND REMAINS, vital and that is the Royal Air Force Armourer. Versatile, ingenious and relentlessly loyal, the Armourer is a strange creature! From the forward edge of the battle line disposing of bombs and munitions, to the comfortable warmth of the armoury and bay, through the enduring domination of the line hut amongst the lesser trades to the demands of the bomb dump, we are unique and ferociously proud bunch.
From the earliest days of the RAF in 1918, through two world wars, the Cold War, and across every conflict through to the 21st century, Armourers have stood at the sharp end of conflict —enabling decisive and battle winning Air Power and combat effect when called upon.
That history is marked around us today, in this most important and impressive National Memorial Arboretum. And it is against this backdrop that I felt it worth taking a moment to
reflect on our history, highlight our evolution, and celebrate the critical role armourers continues to play in the modern RAF.
The story of the RAF Armourer begins even before the Royal Air Force itself. In the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service employed men trained to handle and maintain machine guns, bombs, and ammunition fitted to fragile biplanes.
When the RAF was founded in April 1918, as the world’s first independent air force, the need for dedicated tradesmen to manage weapons was clear. Early aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel carried Lewis or Vickers guns, with bombs literally dropped by hand in some cases. Armourers were the ones who kept those weapons firing, safe, and effective. More importantly it was the crafty and ingenious armourer who created new and novel ways to win the fight.
They weren’t just technicians; they were pioneers in a new form of warfare.
They had to innovate, often under fire, solving problems that had never been faced before in aviation history.
By the time of the Second World War, the role of Armourers had grown enormously. The RAF’s bomber fleets—Wellingtons, Lancasters, Halifax’s—and its fighters—Spitfires, Hurricanes, and later Tempests and Typhoons—all relied on Armourers.
It was the Armourers who loaded the .303 Browning machine guns on the Battle of Britain’s fighters, often working under pressure, at night, and in all weather. It was the Armourers who fitted the bombs, sometimes Grand Slam and Blockbuster bombs into the belly of the heavy bombers before raids over occupied Europe. And it was Armourers who adapted quickly to new technology, such as rockets and early guided weapons.
Perhaps what is most striking from this era is the relentless pace. A returning Lancaster would land, the aircrew would debrief, and the Armourers would already be preparing it for the next mission. They worked under blackout conditions, often with little rest, knowing that the success of the next sortie depended on their skill and dedication.
After 1945, as Britain entered the nuclear age, the Armourer’s trade evolved again. The RAF was now responsible for weapons of unprecedented destructive power. Armourers were trained to handle and prepare nuclear bombs such as Blue Danube and WE.177, as well as conventional ordnance.
The Cold War also saw the introduction of jet aircraft like the Vulcan, Lightning, and later the Tornado. With these came new weapons—air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and
electronic countermeasures. Armourers had to adapt constantly, mastering advanced technologies while never losing sight of the basics: safety, reliability, and effectiveness.
This period also saw the RAF Armourer community establish a reputation for professionalism around the world. Whether on Quick Reaction Alert at home, deployed in Germany, or stationed further afield, Armourers were essential to Britain’s ability to project power and deter threats.
And let us not forget the Falklands War, whether embarked on HMS Hermes and Invincible with the Harrier Force, preparing the Black Buck raids for their critical and strategic attack on Stanley or on the ground in the most austere and extremely dangerous conditions clearing air delivered munitions, the RAF Armourer once again demonstrated their professionalism and utility.
The end of the Cold War did not mean the end of conflict. From the Gulf War in 1991 through to operations in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and more recently in the Middle East, RAF Armourers have remained on the front line. Many of you here today served and fought in those campaigns.
The armourer of today handles weapons which are far more sophisticated than their predecessors: precision-guided bombs, next generation missiles, cruise missiles, and more.
But the essence of the job remains the same, ensuring that when aircrew press the button, the weapon performs as intended.
On operations, Armourers are the bridge between engineering and combat. They work long hours in heat, dust, or freezing conditions to prepare aircraft at short notice. They are also problem solvers—often improvising solutions to keep aircraft mission-ready in austere conditions. Not to mention often establishing the first bar in Theatre!
So, what does an Armourer do today? In the modern RAF, they are trained across a wide spectrum. Like those who came before them, they handle conventional bombs and missiles,
aircraft gun systems, countermeasures like flares and chaff, and ejection seats.
On the ground, they serve in expeditionary support roles, providing the capability to deploy weapons and aircraft anywhere in the world. On operations, they are part of integrated teams that keep the RAF’s fast jets, helicopters, and transport aircraft ready for action. At the heart of
modern Agile Combat Employment. And just to quash the rumour, we may even still have some Airfield EOD cutting about, perhaps one for a chat for over a beer…..
Today’s Armourers are not just weapons technicians—they are ambassadors of RAF professionalism. They deploy alongside allies, often sharing their expertise and learning from
others. They bring a blend of tradition and modern skill, embodying both the heritage of the trade and its future. And much like those early armourers behind the WW1 trenches in Europe, they are also at the heart of prototype warfare, ensuring we can continue to destroy our
adversaries wherever they may be in new and innovative ways.
If there’s one thing that connects the Armourers of 1918 with those serving today, it is a sense of responsibility. Handling live ordnance demands absolute precision, discipline, and integrity.
There is no room for error.
But there’s also a deep camaraderie within the trade. Anyone who has worked alongside Armourers will tell you about their humour, resilience, and pride. They may joke about being the
“last to let you down”— a nod to their role with ejection seats — but behind that humour lies a serious commitment to keeping aircrew safe and the mission successful.
Our history is full of untold stories: people working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the RAF can deliver air power when it matters most.
The RAF Armourer’s trade has evolved over more than a century, from fitting Lewis guns to biplanes, to loading smart weapons onto the Typhoon and F-35 Lightning. Through every era of RAF history, they have adapted, innovated, and excelled.
They are a vital link in the chain of air power—a chain that connects the engineer on the line, the pilot in the cockpit, and the strategic effect delivered on operations.
As we look to the future—with the growth of uncrewed systems, directed energy weapons, and ever more complex technology—one thing is certain: the RAF will continue to rely on the professionalism and expertise of its Armourers.
So today, let us not only recognise their history, but also celebrate their ongoing role in defending our nation.
In closing, I would also like to take a moment to thank Squadron Leader Mick Haygarth and the team, alongside all of those that contributed to bring this memorial to life, as a symbol of commemoration and also as a celebration of everything this proud trade continues to deliver for
the RAF and Defence.
As many of you know, the father of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Lord Trenchard, held the trade in exceptionally high regard, exemplifying his vision of a highly trained technical workforce, who could keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. And perhaps it was this that
led him to famously state that “Without Armament, there is no need for an Air Force” or perhaps words to that effect……
Ladies and Gentleman, when my grandfather and armourer, Chief Technician Bill Michie, inspired me to join the Royal Air Force as an Armourer, I was privileged to become part of a
wider family which revelled in its history, accomplishments and kinship. While my career has moved on, I will always remain an Armourer and it is with that in mind that I am hugely moved
and proud to join with you here today to unveil this memorial and celebration of our family, our kin and our future, The Royal Air Force Armourer.
Thank you."
No Thank you, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson.
Mark sounded the bugle, the standards were lowered, and a silence fell on the place. We stood to remember those we have lost over the years.
One final prayer, then the Lord's Prayer, and it was over.
I looked around, still just three people I knew. Should I stay for the evening's get together in the local 'Spoons, or go home early and be home this evening?
I worked out the route and timings, and thought I would miss rush hour's in the local area, get past Cambridge by about half four and be on the M25 by half five, and be home by half six-ish.
So I drive to the hotel, checked out, grabbed my stuff from the room and threw it in the back of the car.
I programmed the sat nav for home, and it guided me south out of town until I joined the M6 Toll, then south on the M6 before turning off on the A14 again.
A glorious day for driving, and the road was fairly clear until about ten miles shy of the A1 junction, but beyond that it was three lane roads and driving at the speed limit as I pressed on to Cambridge then down the M11.
No hold ups, no jams certainly, even turning onto the M25 wasn't the stressful event it usually is. I made it to Dartford by five, the sun now low in the west, it was in golden light as I reached the midway point of the bridge and entered The Garden of England again.
I stopped off at Burger King in town for supper. I had their Wagyu burger, the most expensive take away burger in UK history, as I had seen a few folks on Facebook try it.
I got Jools a spicy chicken burger, as well as onion rings, cheesy chilli bites, and BBQ chicken fingers.
No fries.
Back home to eat and catch up.
How was the £11 burger?
It was OK.
Just OK.
I had unpacking to do, and then sort my pictures out and begin to write all about it. Whilst listening to football.
But I was back home.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was built by the pious Anglo-Catholic, Emily Charlotte Meynell Ingram (sister of Charles Wood, 2nd Viscount Halifax) in memory of Hugo Francis Meynell Ingram who died in May 1871. The architects were George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner. Work started in 1872 and the church dedication took place on 22 April 1876.[1] Further extension and additions took place until the church achieved its present form in 1906.
John Betjeman described the church as "the masterpiece of its late Victorian architect G.F. Bodley" and "great architecture; original, well massed, well sited, well detailed; very English"
From 2008, the Church received alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, as the parish does not accept the ordination of women to the priesthood or episcopate. This oversight was transferred in 2023 to the Bishop of Oswestry.
The Karl-Marx-Allee is a monumental socialist boulevard built by the GDR between 1952 and 1960 in Berlin Friedrichshain and Mitte. Today the boulevard is named after Karl Marx. It should not be confused with the Karl-Marx-Straße in the Neukölln district of Berlin.
The boulevard was named Stalinallee between 1949 and 1961 (previously Große Frankfurter Straße), and was a flagship building project of East Germany's reconstruction programme after World War II. It was designed by the architects Hermann Henselmann, Hartmann, Hopp, Leucht, Paulick, and Souradny to contain spacious and luxurious apartments for workers, as well as shops, restaurants, cafés, a tourist hotel, and an enormous cinema, the Kino International.
The avenue, which is 89 metres wide and nearly 2 kilometres long, is lined with monumental eight-storey buildings designed in the wedding-cake style, the socialist classicism of the Soviet Union. At each end are dual towers at Frankfurter Tor and Strausberger Platz designed by Hermann Henselmann. The buildings differ in the revetments of the facades which contain often equally, traditional Berlin motifs by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Most of the buildings are covered by architectural ceramics.
A monumental Stalin statue presented to the East German government by a Komsomol delegation on the occasion of the Third World Festival of Youth and Students was formally dedicated on 3 August 1951 after being temporarily placed at a location on the newly designed and impressive boulevard. It remained there until 1961 when it was removed in a clandestine operation in the course of de-Stalinization.
On June 17, 1953, the Stalinallee became the focus of a worker uprising which endangered the young state's existence. Builders and construction workers demonstrated against the communist government, leading to a national uprising. The rebellion was quashed with Soviet tanks and troops, resulting in the loss of at least 125 lives.
Later the street was used for East Germany's annual May Day parade, featuring thousands of soldiers along with tanks and other military vehicles to showcase the power and the glory of the communist government.
De-Stalinization led to the renaming of the street, after the founder of Marxism, in late 1961. Since the collapse of Eastern European communism in 1989/1990, renaming the street back to its prewar name Große Frankfurter Straße has periodically been discussed, so far without conclusive results.
The boulevard later found favour with postmodernists, with Philip Johnson describing it as 'true city planning on the grand scale', while Aldo Rossi called it 'Europe's last great street.' Since German reunification most of the buildings, including the two towers, have been restored.
SHOPPING
After its completion in the 1950s, the boulevard was very popular with Berliners and visitors alike. People crowded into the stores. "Taking the E line to the shops on Stalin Boulevard" was not only a catchy slogan, it was also characteristic of everyday life in the East German capital. People could find things they would not see elsewhere, and the shopping facilities set an example for the whole of the GDR. The shops offered great variety and were attractively decorated. People could relax in cafés such as Sybylle or at the Kosmos (de) cinema, and in the evening they could take their guests to one of the representative restaurants with such sonorous names as Warschau (Warsaw), Bukarest (Bucharest) (notable for its 18% alcohol Romanian beer), or Budapest.
The boulevard soon developed into a shoppers' paradise in the GDR. It also served the ideological function of introducing visitors to the culture of its "socialist sister states". Shopping was a mixed experience for visitors from the West. Most stores, such as the GUM department store would not accept payment for purchased items without a receipt from an East German bank showing that the West German Marks had been exchanged for East German Marks at a rate of 1:1. In the West, the exchange rate was 1:8 but most restaurants and bookstores were not concerned with these requirements so bargains were to be found.
STALIN´S BATHROOM
In February 2009 an anonymous author edited the article "Karl-Marx-Allee" in the German-language edition of Wikipedia, claiming that during the time of the GDR the road had acquired the nickname "Stalin's bathroom" due to the buildings' tiled façades. Subsequently, several media outlets reiterated this claim. No alternative verification for the term was given, making it a self-referential claim.
After a letter written to the Berliner Zeitung questioned whether the term "Stalin's bathroom" had actually been in common use during the GDR period, Andreas Kopietz, a journalist at the newspaper, published an article admitting he had invented the phrase and identifying himself as the original anonymous Wikipedia editor, allowing the record to be set straight.
In 1963 the tiled facades of these buildings were falling off, necessitating sheltering structures over the sidewalks in some places to protect pedestrians.
WIKIPEDIA
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person based in Kent who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them but just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
The St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, Nice (Cathédrale Orthodoxe Saint-Nicolas de Nice) is a Christian Orthodox cathedral, and a national monument of France, located in the city of Nice. Opened in 1912, thanks to the generosity of Russia's Tsar Nicholas II, it is the largest Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe.
From 1931 until 15 December 2011, the parish that occupied the cathedral was part of the Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe under the jurisdiction of the Church of Constantinople.
Since the mid-19th century, Russian nobility visited Nice and the French Riviera, following the fashion established decades earlier by the English upper class and nobility. In 1864, immediately after the railway reached Nice, Tsar Alexander II visited by train and was attracted by the pleasant climate. Thus began an association between Russians and the French Riviera that continues to this day.
The cathedral, consecrated in December 1912 in memory of Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, who died in Nice, was meant to serve the large Russian community that had settled in Nice by the end of the 19th century, as well as devout visitors from the Imperial Court. Tsar Nicholas II funded the construction work.
On 20 January 2010, a French Court (the Tribunal of First Instance at Nice) adjudged that the title to the Cathedral should be held by the Russian state.
From 2005 till December 2011, there was a protracted ownership and church jurisdictional dispute over the church building as well as control over the parish, between the existing administration of the Exarchate (for legal purposes represented by the "association cultuelle") on the one hand and the RF government on the other. The Russian state, which in 2010 was recognised by the French court as a title-holder, made a decision in 2011 to turn the church building over to the Moscow Patriarchate. The dispute partly stemmed from a conflict between old Russian nobility who have long since settled in Nice and newly arrived Russians.
The litigation, however, is not yet over; an appeal to quash the judgments of the lower courts is pending before the Cour de Cassation, the highest civil court in France.
The Karl-Marx-Allee is a monumental socialist boulevard built by the GDR between 1952 and 1960 in Berlin Friedrichshain and Mitte. Today the boulevard is named after Karl Marx. It should not be confused with the Karl-Marx-Straße in the Neukölln district of Berlin.
The boulevard was named Stalinallee between 1949 and 1961 (previously Große Frankfurter Straße), and was a flagship building project of East Germany's reconstruction programme after World War II. It was designed by the architects Hermann Henselmann, Hartmann, Hopp, Leucht, Paulick, and Souradny to contain spacious and luxurious apartments for workers, as well as shops, restaurants, cafés, a tourist hotel, and an enormous cinema, the Kino International.
The avenue, which is 89 metres wide and nearly 2 kilometres long, is lined with monumental eight-storey buildings designed in the wedding-cake style, the socialist classicism of the Soviet Union. At each end are dual towers at Frankfurter Tor and Strausberger Platz designed by Hermann Henselmann. The buildings differ in the revetments of the facades which contain often equally, traditional Berlin motifs by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Most of the buildings are covered by architectural ceramics.
A monumental Stalin statue presented to the East German government by a Komsomol delegation on the occasion of the Third World Festival of Youth and Students was formally dedicated on 3 August 1951 after being temporarily placed at a location on the newly designed and impressive boulevard. It remained there until 1961 when it was removed in a clandestine operation in the course of de-Stalinization.
On June 17, 1953, the Stalinallee became the focus of a worker uprising which endangered the young state's existence. Builders and construction workers demonstrated against the communist government, leading to a national uprising. The rebellion was quashed with Soviet tanks and troops, resulting in the loss of at least 125 lives.
Later the street was used for East Germany's annual May Day parade, featuring thousands of soldiers along with tanks and other military vehicles to showcase the power and the glory of the communist government.
De-Stalinization led to the renaming of the street, after the founder of Marxism, in late 1961. Since the collapse of Eastern European communism in 1989/1990, renaming the street back to its prewar name Große Frankfurter Straße has periodically been discussed, so far without conclusive results.
The boulevard later found favour with postmodernists, with Philip Johnson describing it as 'true city planning on the grand scale', while Aldo Rossi called it 'Europe's last great street.' Since German reunification most of the buildings, including the two towers, have been restored.
SHOPPING
After its completion in the 1950s, the boulevard was very popular with Berliners and visitors alike. People crowded into the stores. "Taking the E line to the shops on Stalin Boulevard" was not only a catchy slogan, it was also characteristic of everyday life in the East German capital. People could find things they would not see elsewhere, and the shopping facilities set an example for the whole of the GDR. The shops offered great variety and were attractively decorated. People could relax in cafés such as Sybylle or at the Kosmos (de) cinema, and in the evening they could take their guests to one of the representative restaurants with such sonorous names as Warschau (Warsaw), Bukarest (Bucharest) (notable for its 18% alcohol Romanian beer), or Budapest.
The boulevard soon developed into a shoppers' paradise in the GDR. It also served the ideological function of introducing visitors to the culture of its "socialist sister states". Shopping was a mixed experience for visitors from the West. Most stores, such as the GUM department store would not accept payment for purchased items without a receipt from an East German bank showing that the West German Marks had been exchanged for East German Marks at a rate of 1:1. In the West, the exchange rate was 1:8 but most restaurants and bookstores were not concerned with these requirements so bargains were to be found.
STALIN´S BATHROOM
In February 2009 an anonymous author edited the article "Karl-Marx-Allee" in the German-language edition of Wikipedia, claiming that during the time of the GDR the road had acquired the nickname "Stalin's bathroom" due to the buildings' tiled façades. Subsequently, several media outlets reiterated this claim. No alternative verification for the term was given, making it a self-referential claim.
After a letter written to the Berliner Zeitung questioned whether the term "Stalin's bathroom" had actually been in common use during the GDR period, Andreas Kopietz, a journalist at the newspaper, published an article admitting he had invented the phrase and identifying himself as the original anonymous Wikipedia editor, allowing the record to be set straight.
In 1963 the tiled facades of these buildings were falling off, necessitating sheltering structures over the sidewalks in some places to protect pedestrians.
WIKIPEDIA
The Karl-Marx-Allee is a monumental socialist boulevard built by the GDR between 1952 and 1960 in Berlin Friedrichshain and Mitte. Today the boulevard is named after Karl Marx. It should not be confused with the Karl-Marx-Straße in the Neukölln district of Berlin.
The boulevard was named Stalinallee between 1949 and 1961 (previously Große Frankfurter Straße), and was a flagship building project of East Germany's reconstruction programme after World War II. It was designed by the architects Hermann Henselmann, Hartmann, Hopp, Leucht, Paulick, and Souradny to contain spacious and luxurious apartments for workers, as well as shops, restaurants, cafés, a tourist hotel, and an enormous cinema, the Kino International.
The avenue, which is 89 metres wide and nearly 2 kilometres long, is lined with monumental eight-storey buildings designed in the wedding-cake style, the socialist classicism of the Soviet Union. At each end are dual towers at Frankfurter Tor and Strausberger Platz designed by Hermann Henselmann. The buildings differ in the revetments of the facades which contain often equally, traditional Berlin motifs by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Most of the buildings are covered by architectural ceramics.
A monumental Stalin statue presented to the East German government by a Komsomol delegation on the occasion of the Third World Festival of Youth and Students was formally dedicated on 3 August 1951 after being temporarily placed at a location on the newly designed and impressive boulevard. It remained there until 1961 when it was removed in a clandestine operation in the course of de-Stalinization.
On June 17, 1953, the Stalinallee became the focus of a worker uprising which endangered the young state's existence. Builders and construction workers demonstrated against the communist government, leading to a national uprising. The rebellion was quashed with Soviet tanks and troops, resulting in the loss of at least 125 lives.
Later the street was used for East Germany's annual May Day parade, featuring thousands of soldiers along with tanks and other military vehicles to showcase the power and the glory of the communist government.
De-Stalinization led to the renaming of the street, after the founder of Marxism, in late 1961. Since the collapse of Eastern European communism in 1989/1990, renaming the street back to its prewar name Große Frankfurter Straße has periodically been discussed, so far without conclusive results.
The boulevard later found favour with postmodernists, with Philip Johnson describing it as 'true city planning on the grand scale', while Aldo Rossi called it 'Europe's last great street.' Since German reunification most of the buildings, including the two towers, have been restored.
SHOPPING
After its completion in the 1950s, the boulevard was very popular with Berliners and visitors alike. People crowded into the stores. "Taking the E line to the shops on Stalin Boulevard" was not only a catchy slogan, it was also characteristic of everyday life in the East German capital. People could find things they would not see elsewhere, and the shopping facilities set an example for the whole of the GDR. The shops offered great variety and were attractively decorated. People could relax in cafés such as Sybylle or at the Kosmos (de) cinema, and in the evening they could take their guests to one of the representative restaurants with such sonorous names as Warschau (Warsaw), Bukarest (Bucharest) (notable for its 18% alcohol Romanian beer), or Budapest.
The boulevard soon developed into a shoppers' paradise in the GDR. It also served the ideological function of introducing visitors to the culture of its "socialist sister states". Shopping was a mixed experience for visitors from the West. Most stores, such as the GUM department store would not accept payment for purchased items without a receipt from an East German bank showing that the West German Marks had been exchanged for East German Marks at a rate of 1:1. In the West, the exchange rate was 1:8 but most restaurants and bookstores were not concerned with these requirements so bargains were to be found.
STALIN´S BATHROOM
In February 2009 an anonymous author edited the article "Karl-Marx-Allee" in the German-language edition of Wikipedia, claiming that during the time of the GDR the road had acquired the nickname "Stalin's bathroom" due to the buildings' tiled façades. Subsequently, several media outlets reiterated this claim. No alternative verification for the term was given, making it a self-referential claim.
After a letter written to the Berliner Zeitung questioned whether the term "Stalin's bathroom" had actually been in common use during the GDR period, Andreas Kopietz, a journalist at the newspaper, published an article admitting he had invented the phrase and identifying himself as the original anonymous Wikipedia editor, allowing the record to be set straight.
In 1963 the tiled facades of these buildings were falling off, necessitating sheltering structures over the sidewalks in some places to protect pedestrians.
WIKIPEDIA
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person based in Kent who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them but just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
I woke at six after a fairly good night's sleep. Had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast, hoping to meet more old colleagues.
There are at least three and a half thousand current and former RAF Armourers, so the chance of meeting more I knew during the day seemed high.
As it was, there was just one other person in the semi-dark restaurant. And although there was food, it was limp and barely warm. Still, it was included in the cost of the room, so I filled by boots with fruit, yogurt, sausage and bacon, and a croissant with one of the four cups of coffee I had.
We were due to meet at half twelve, meaning I had maybe three hours to fill.
With churches.
The Church Conservation Trust is a great organisation, and their churches, although redundant, are open ten to four daily.
There was one less than ten miles away, so it was there I drove first. Out of Burton, going against the heavy traffic which tailed back some two miles over the series of roundabouts and traffic lights.
Back into the country, and down another dead end lane to Streeton-en-le-Field.
A heavy dew lay on the ground, and parkland stretched back towards Burton. Trees stood still against the blue sky, again their foliage, though mostly green, was turning golden brown at the edges of their leaves.
I walk through the churchyard, into the porch and pushed the door. It opened though I was twenty minutes early, but that was because the door had been forced and the lock broken.
Sigh.
Though no damage had been done, at least to my eyes, it is a shame that people treat our historic buildings thus.
I take my shots of the building. It must have been quite ruinous at some point recently, as windows had been blocked up, and the chancel arch rebuilt too using the same simple stones.
Functional, but not pretty.
Once done, I went back to the car and programmed the National Memorial Arboretum, 12 miles away, and set off.
At least I was lead across country. Maybe, I thought, I might pass a church or two on the way.
The road wiggled through the countryside, but came in time to a leafy village called Lullington. The handsome church overlooked the village green, the phone box now a library of sorts.
I parked and went to try the church door. It was locked, but on the board there was a named keyholder, so I called and Mrs Cooper said I could have the key, she lived in the long white building opposite.
It was almost a mansion, and her handyman was tending her flower beds. I went to knock, but he asked me what I wanted, and when I explained he went inside to pick up the key and hand it to me.
The church, although handsome, held no great treasures, though is obviously loved, with knitted flowers woven into garlands over the lychgate arch and the arch of the porch. It was only when close could I see the flowers were knitted.
When I returned the key, the bloke asked what I did (with the photos).
I explained, and then told me in a broad Midlands accent two double barrelled named churches nearby that were good. I didn't catch their real name, but a third sounded easy enough: Haw Cross.
But it wasn't Haw Cross or Hawcross.
Nor was it Haugh Cross.
It was Hoar Cross.
I found that on the sat nav and set off back in the general direction of Burton. Which was perfect.
I was lead across the Wolds, along at one point a narrow lane that went straight as an arrow for five miles, over a series of blind summits, through woods until it came to a junction, just shy of Hoar Cross.
Into Hoar Cross, past the pub on the crossroads with the finest pre-warboys finger post I have ever seen, though I didn't stop for shots as I was in a hurry: it was five past eleven and I hadn't found the church.
I went north, east and west out of the village and saw no sign of a church or a church lane.
And then, on the hill overlooking the village, I saw a tower. Modern, well, 20th century perhaps, but a church, and just a hundred yards beyond where I had turned round.
Holy Angels sits beside what counts as the main road in those parts, what little traffic there is motors past. But beyond a Boston Ivy overed wall and brick lychgate, the church rises, impressive in the autumn sunshine.
Inside it is stunning. Grade I listed, beloved by Betjeman and the highest of high Anglican churches.
I only had a matter of minutes, but this is a seriously impressive church: full of light, he smell of incense lingering, stations of the cross on all outside walls, and as a whole church, is nearly as impressive as Cheadle.
Nearly.
I hated to leave, but I had twenty minutes before I was due to be at the Arboretum.
Down the main street, onto an A road, doubling back towards Burton, then picking up signs directing the way, over a main road and railway, across some marshes and there it was.
Packed.
The parking ticket I bought had said sternly not to arrive before your allotted time. Many knew better and ignored this, so the main car park was full, so had to use the overflow beside the landfill site, then walk back.
Inside the main building a table had been set up for those attending. I signed in, and received a program and small token. I looked around.
No one I knew.
Still.
I bought a drink, sat outside and dozens of people around me and more arriving had our trade tie on, or the waistcoat. Some in uniform too, still serving.
But no one I knew.
I ambled down to the site of the ceremony, more folks milling around. Still no one I knew.
I took shots and enjoyed the moment.
I spied one person I know, another Ian, so I went and we shook hands. He also knew few folks. We chatted and caught up on a decade and a half's news since we last met in Lincoln.
Mark arrived.
He was nervous, as he was the play The Last Post (Taps) prior to the two minute's silence, so he went off to practice quietly, if quiet is a thing you do to a bugle.
One more person I know, though many others knew dozens of other attendees.
A serving Sergeant saw my camera and asked if I would supply him with shots for BFBS, so I did my best. But there were so many people getting a clear view was impossible.
At one, half an hour late, the ceremony began, with a former CO of mine doing the introductions before an Air Commodore, ex-Armourer, read the dedication covering a history of the trade and how family-like our trade is:
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, It’s a real privilege to speak to you today about a group of professionals whose contribution to the Royal Air Force has been, AND REMAINS, vital and that is the Royal Air Force Armourer. Versatile, ingenious and relentlessly loyal, the Armourer is a strange creature! From the forward edge of the battle line disposing of bombs and munitions, to the comfortable warmth of the armoury and bay, through the enduring domination of the line hut amongst the lesser trades to the demands of the bomb dump, we are unique and ferociously proud bunch.
From the earliest days of the RAF in 1918, through two world wars, the Cold War, and across every conflict through to the 21st century, Armourers have stood at the sharp end of conflict —enabling decisive and battle winning Air Power and combat effect when called upon.
That history is marked around us today, in this most important and impressive National Memorial Arboretum. And it is against this backdrop that I felt it worth taking a moment to
reflect on our history, highlight our evolution, and celebrate the critical role armourers continues to play in the modern RAF.
The story of the RAF Armourer begins even before the Royal Air Force itself. In the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service employed men trained to handle and maintain machine guns, bombs, and ammunition fitted to fragile biplanes.
When the RAF was founded in April 1918, as the world’s first independent air force, the need for dedicated tradesmen to manage weapons was clear. Early aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel carried Lewis or Vickers guns, with bombs literally dropped by hand in some cases. Armourers were the ones who kept those weapons firing, safe, and effective. More importantly it was the crafty and ingenious armourer who created new and novel ways to win the fight.
They weren’t just technicians; they were pioneers in a new form of warfare.
They had to innovate, often under fire, solving problems that had never been faced before in aviation history.
By the time of the Second World War, the role of Armourers had grown enormously. The RAF’s bomber fleets—Wellingtons, Lancasters, Halifax’s—and its fighters—Spitfires, Hurricanes, and later Tempests and Typhoons—all relied on Armourers.
It was the Armourers who loaded the .303 Browning machine guns on the Battle of Britain’s fighters, often working under pressure, at night, and in all weather. It was the Armourers who fitted the bombs, sometimes Grand Slam and Blockbuster bombs into the belly of the heavy bombers before raids over occupied Europe. And it was Armourers who adapted quickly to new technology, such as rockets and early guided weapons.
Perhaps what is most striking from this era is the relentless pace. A returning Lancaster would land, the aircrew would debrief, and the Armourers would already be preparing it for the next mission. They worked under blackout conditions, often with little rest, knowing that the success of the next sortie depended on their skill and dedication.
After 1945, as Britain entered the nuclear age, the Armourer’s trade evolved again. The RAF was now responsible for weapons of unprecedented destructive power. Armourers were trained to handle and prepare nuclear bombs such as Blue Danube and WE.177, as well as conventional ordnance.
The Cold War also saw the introduction of jet aircraft like the Vulcan, Lightning, and later the Tornado. With these came new weapons—air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and
electronic countermeasures. Armourers had to adapt constantly, mastering advanced technologies while never losing sight of the basics: safety, reliability, and effectiveness.
This period also saw the RAF Armourer community establish a reputation for professionalism around the world. Whether on Quick Reaction Alert at home, deployed in Germany, or stationed further afield, Armourers were essential to Britain’s ability to project power and deter threats.
And let us not forget the Falklands War, whether embarked on HMS Hermes and Invincible with the Harrier Force, preparing the Black Buck raids for their critical and strategic attack on Stanley or on the ground in the most austere and extremely dangerous conditions clearing air delivered munitions, the RAF Armourer once again demonstrated their professionalism and utility.
The end of the Cold War did not mean the end of conflict. From the Gulf War in 1991 through to operations in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and more recently in the Middle East, RAF Armourers have remained on the front line. Many of you here today served and fought in those campaigns.
The armourer of today handles weapons which are far more sophisticated than their predecessors: precision-guided bombs, next generation missiles, cruise missiles, and more.
But the essence of the job remains the same, ensuring that when aircrew press the button, the weapon performs as intended.
On operations, Armourers are the bridge between engineering and combat. They work long hours in heat, dust, or freezing conditions to prepare aircraft at short notice. They are also problem solvers—often improvising solutions to keep aircraft mission-ready in austere conditions. Not to mention often establishing the first bar in Theatre!
So, what does an Armourer do today? In the modern RAF, they are trained across a wide spectrum. Like those who came before them, they handle conventional bombs and missiles,
aircraft gun systems, countermeasures like flares and chaff, and ejection seats.
On the ground, they serve in expeditionary support roles, providing the capability to deploy weapons and aircraft anywhere in the world. On operations, they are part of integrated teams that keep the RAF’s fast jets, helicopters, and transport aircraft ready for action. At the heart of
modern Agile Combat Employment. And just to quash the rumour, we may even still have some Airfield EOD cutting about, perhaps one for a chat for over a beer…..
Today’s Armourers are not just weapons technicians—they are ambassadors of RAF professionalism. They deploy alongside allies, often sharing their expertise and learning from
others. They bring a blend of tradition and modern skill, embodying both the heritage of the trade and its future. And much like those early armourers behind the WW1 trenches in Europe, they are also at the heart of prototype warfare, ensuring we can continue to destroy our
adversaries wherever they may be in new and innovative ways.
If there’s one thing that connects the Armourers of 1918 with those serving today, it is a sense of responsibility. Handling live ordnance demands absolute precision, discipline, and integrity.
There is no room for error.
But there’s also a deep camaraderie within the trade. Anyone who has worked alongside Armourers will tell you about their humour, resilience, and pride. They may joke about being the
“last to let you down”— a nod to their role with ejection seats — but behind that humour lies a serious commitment to keeping aircrew safe and the mission successful.
Our history is full of untold stories: people working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the RAF can deliver air power when it matters most.
The RAF Armourer’s trade has evolved over more than a century, from fitting Lewis guns to biplanes, to loading smart weapons onto the Typhoon and F-35 Lightning. Through every era of RAF history, they have adapted, innovated, and excelled.
They are a vital link in the chain of air power—a chain that connects the engineer on the line, the pilot in the cockpit, and the strategic effect delivered on operations.
As we look to the future—with the growth of uncrewed systems, directed energy weapons, and ever more complex technology—one thing is certain: the RAF will continue to rely on the professionalism and expertise of its Armourers.
So today, let us not only recognise their history, but also celebrate their ongoing role in defending our nation.
In closing, I would also like to take a moment to thank Squadron Leader Mick Haygarth and the team, alongside all of those that contributed to bring this memorial to life, as a symbol of commemoration and also as a celebration of everything this proud trade continues to deliver for
the RAF and Defence.
As many of you know, the father of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Lord Trenchard, held the trade in exceptionally high regard, exemplifying his vision of a highly trained technical workforce, who could keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. And perhaps it was this that
led him to famously state that “Without Armament, there is no need for an Air Force” or perhaps words to that effect……
Ladies and Gentleman, when my grandfather and armourer, Chief Technician Bill Michie, inspired me to join the Royal Air Force as an Armourer, I was privileged to become part of a
wider family which revelled in its history, accomplishments and kinship. While my career has moved on, I will always remain an Armourer and it is with that in mind that I am hugely moved
and proud to join with you here today to unveil this memorial and celebration of our family, our kin and our future, The Royal Air Force Armourer.
Thank you."
No Thank you, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson.
Mark sounded the bugle, the standards were lowered, and a silence fell on the place. We stood to remember those we have lost over the years.
One final prayer, then the Lord's Prayer, and it was over.
I looked around, still just three people I knew. Should I stay for the evening's get together in the local 'Spoons, or go home early and be home this evening?
I worked out the route and timings, and thought I would miss rush hour's in the local area, get past Cambridge by about half four and be on the M25 by half five, and be home by half six-ish.
So I drive to the hotel, checked out, grabbed my stuff from the room and threw it in the back of the car.
I programmed the sat nav for home, and it guided me south out of town until I joined the M6 Toll, then south on the M6 before turning off on the A14 again.
A glorious day for driving, and the road was fairly clear until about ten miles shy of the A1 junction, but beyond that it was three lane roads and driving at the speed limit as I pressed on to Cambridge then down the M11.
No hold ups, no jams certainly, even turning onto the M25 wasn't the stressful event it usually is. I made it to Dartford by five, the sun now low in the west, it was in golden light as I reached the midway point of the bridge and entered The Garden of England again.
I stopped off at Burger King in town for supper. I had their Wagyu burger, the most expensive take away burger in UK history, as I had seen a few folks on Facebook try it.
I got Jools a spicy chicken burger, as well as onion rings, cheesy chilli bites, and BBQ chicken fingers.
No fries.
Back home to eat and catch up.
How was the £11 burger?
It was OK.
Just OK.
I had unpacking to do, and then sort my pictures out and begin to write all about it. Whilst listening to football.
But I was back home.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The church dates from the 14th century. The spire, nicknamed Lullington Spud,[2] was rebuilt in 1776.
It was restored between 1861 and 1862 under the supervision of the architect John West Hugall and the contractor Elliott and Lilley. The main addition was a new south aisle. The gallery which blocked the tower was removed, and the tower arch opened up. The seating in the nave and choir stalls were renewed. The floor was laid with Minton tiles, with those in the sanctuary containing evangelistic symbols. A reredos was made from the alabaster slab which formed the old altar, and was inlaid with a centre cross of Rouge royal marble and Derbyshire Blue John, and four smaller Maltese crosses. The font was made of a bowl of Devonshire granite supported on five shafts of St Mary Church Torquay marble, raised on three steps of Mansfield stone. The restoration work cost £2,000 (equivalent to £235,735 in 2023)[3] and the church reopened on 23 September 1862.[4]
The St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral, Nice (Cathédrale Orthodoxe Saint-Nicolas de Nice) is a Christian Orthodox cathedral, and a national monument of France, located in the city of Nice. Opened in 1912, thanks to the generosity of Russia's Tsar Nicholas II, it is the largest Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe.
From 1931 until 15 December 2011, the parish that occupied the cathedral was part of the Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe under the jurisdiction of the Church of Constantinople.
Since the mid-19th century, Russian nobility visited Nice and the French Riviera, following the fashion established decades earlier by the English upper class and nobility. In 1864, immediately after the railway reached Nice, Tsar Alexander II visited by train and was attracted by the pleasant climate. Thus began an association between Russians and the French Riviera that continues to this day.
The cathedral, consecrated in December 1912 in memory of Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia, who died in Nice, was meant to serve the large Russian community that had settled in Nice by the end of the 19th century, as well as devout visitors from the Imperial Court. Tsar Nicholas II funded the construction work.
On 20 January 2010, a French Court (the Tribunal of First Instance at Nice) adjudged that the title to the Cathedral should be held by the Russian state.
From 2005 till December 2011, there was a protracted ownership and church jurisdictional dispute over the church building as well as control over the parish, between the existing administration of the Exarchate (for legal purposes represented by the "association cultuelle") on the one hand and the RF government on the other. The Russian state, which in 2010 was recognised by the French court as a title-holder, made a decision in 2011 to turn the church building over to the Moscow Patriarchate. The dispute partly stemmed from a conflict between old Russian nobility who have long since settled in Nice and newly arrived Russians.
The litigation, however, is not yet over; an appeal to quash the judgments of the lower courts is pending before the Cour de Cassation, the highest civil court in France.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them but just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person based in Kent who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them but just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
I woke at six after a fairly good night's sleep. Had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast, hoping to meet more old colleagues.
There are at least three and a half thousand current and former RAF Armourers, so the chance of meeting more I knew during the day seemed high.
As it was, there was just one other person in the semi-dark restaurant. And although there was food, it was limp and barely warm. Still, it was included in the cost of the room, so I filled by boots with fruit, yogurt, sausage and bacon, and a croissant with one of the four cups of coffee I had.
We were due to meet at half twelve, meaning I had maybe three hours to fill.
With churches.
The Church Conservation Trust is a great organisation, and their churches, although redundant, are open ten to four daily.
There was one less than ten miles away, so it was there I drove first. Out of Burton, going against the heavy traffic which tailed back some two miles over the series of roundabouts and traffic lights.
Back into the country, and down another dead end lane to Streeton-en-le-Field.
A heavy dew lay on the ground, and parkland stretched back towards Burton. Trees stood still against the blue sky, again their foliage, though mostly green, was turning golden brown at the edges of their leaves.
I walk through the churchyard, into the porch and pushed the door. It opened though I was twenty minutes early, but that was because the door had been forced and the lock broken.
Sigh.
Though no damage had been done, at least to my eyes, it is a shame that people treat our historic buildings thus.
I take my shots of the building. It must have been quite ruinous at some point recently, as windows had been blocked up, and the chancel arch rebuilt too using the same simple stones.
Functional, but not pretty.
Once done, I went back to the car and programmed the National Memorial Arboretum, 12 miles away, and set off.
At least I was lead across country. Maybe, I thought, I might pass a church or two on the way.
The road wiggled through the countryside, but came in time to a leafy village called Lullington. The handsome church overlooked the village green, the phone box now a library of sorts.
I parked and went to try the church door. It was locked, but on the board there was a named keyholder, so I called and Mrs Cooper said I could have the key, she lived in the long white building opposite.
It was almost a mansion, and her handyman was tending her flower beds. I went to knock, but he asked me what I wanted, and when I explained he went inside to pick up the key and hand it to me.
The church, although handsome, held no great treasures, though is obviously loved, with knitted flowers woven into garlands over the lychgate arch and the arch of the porch. It was only when close could I see the flowers were knitted.
When I returned the key, the bloke asked what I did (with the photos).
I explained, and then told me in a broad Midlands accent two double barrelled named churches nearby that were good. I didn't catch their real name, but a third sounded easy enough: Haw Cross.
But it wasn't Haw Cross or Hawcross.
Nor was it Haugh Cross.
It was Hoar Cross.
I found that on the sat nav and set off back in the general direction of Burton. Which was perfect.
I was lead across the Wolds, along at one point a narrow lane that went straight as an arrow for five miles, over a series of blind summits, through woods until it came to a junction, just shy of Hoar Cross.
Into Hoar Cross, past the pub on the crossroads with the finest pre-warboys finger post I have ever seen, though I didn't stop for shots as I was in a hurry: it was five past eleven and I hadn't found the church.
I went north, east and west out of the village and saw no sign of a church or a church lane.
And then, on the hill overlooking the village, I saw a tower. Modern, well, 20th century perhaps, but a church, and just a hundred yards beyond where I had turned round.
Holy Angels sits beside what counts as the main road in those parts, what little traffic there is motors past. But beyond a Boston Ivy overed wall and brick lychgate, the church rises, impressive in the autumn sunshine.
Inside it is stunning. Grade I listed, beloved by Betjeman and the highest of high Anglican churches.
I only had a matter of minutes, but this is a seriously impressive church: full of light, he smell of incense lingering, stations of the cross on all outside walls, and as a whole church, is nearly as impressive as Cheadle.
Nearly.
I hated to leave, but I had twenty minutes before I was due to be at the Arboretum.
Down the main street, onto an A road, doubling back towards Burton, then picking up signs directing the way, over a main road and railway, across some marshes and there it was.
Packed.
The parking ticket I bought had said sternly not to arrive before your allotted time. Many knew better and ignored this, so the main car park was full, so had to use the overflow beside the landfill site, then walk back.
Inside the main building a table had been set up for those attending. I signed in, and received a program and small token. I looked around.
No one I knew.
Still.
I bought a drink, sat outside and dozens of people around me and more arriving had our trade tie on, or the waistcoat. Some in uniform too, still serving.
But no one I knew.
I ambled down to the site of the ceremony, more folks milling around. Still no one I knew.
I took shots and enjoyed the moment.
I spied one person I know, another Ian, so I went and we shook hands. He also knew few folks. We chatted and caught up on a decade and a half's news since we last met in Lincoln.
Mark arrived.
He was nervous, as he was the play The Last Post (Taps) prior to the two minute's silence, so he went off to practice quietly, if quiet is a thing you do to a bugle.
One more person I know, though many others knew dozens of other attendees.
A serving Sergeant saw my camera and asked if I would supply him with shots for BFBS, so I did my best. But there were so many people getting a clear view was impossible.
At one, half an hour late, the ceremony began, with a former CO of mine doing the introductions before an Air Commodore, ex-Armourer, read the dedication covering a history of the trade and how family-like our trade is:
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, It’s a real privilege to speak to you today about a group of professionals whose contribution to the Royal Air Force has been, AND REMAINS, vital and that is the Royal Air Force Armourer. Versatile, ingenious and relentlessly loyal, the Armourer is a strange creature! From the forward edge of the battle line disposing of bombs and munitions, to the comfortable warmth of the armoury and bay, through the enduring domination of the line hut amongst the lesser trades to the demands of the bomb dump, we are unique and ferociously proud bunch.
From the earliest days of the RAF in 1918, through two world wars, the Cold War, and across every conflict through to the 21st century, Armourers have stood at the sharp end of conflict —enabling decisive and battle winning Air Power and combat effect when called upon.
That history is marked around us today, in this most important and impressive National Memorial Arboretum. And it is against this backdrop that I felt it worth taking a moment to
reflect on our history, highlight our evolution, and celebrate the critical role armourers continues to play in the modern RAF.
The story of the RAF Armourer begins even before the Royal Air Force itself. In the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service employed men trained to handle and maintain machine guns, bombs, and ammunition fitted to fragile biplanes.
When the RAF was founded in April 1918, as the world’s first independent air force, the need for dedicated tradesmen to manage weapons was clear. Early aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel carried Lewis or Vickers guns, with bombs literally dropped by hand in some cases. Armourers were the ones who kept those weapons firing, safe, and effective. More importantly it was the crafty and ingenious armourer who created new and novel ways to win the fight.
They weren’t just technicians; they were pioneers in a new form of warfare.
They had to innovate, often under fire, solving problems that had never been faced before in aviation history.
By the time of the Second World War, the role of Armourers had grown enormously. The RAF’s bomber fleets—Wellingtons, Lancasters, Halifax’s—and its fighters—Spitfires, Hurricanes, and later Tempests and Typhoons—all relied on Armourers.
It was the Armourers who loaded the .303 Browning machine guns on the Battle of Britain’s fighters, often working under pressure, at night, and in all weather. It was the Armourers who fitted the bombs, sometimes Grand Slam and Blockbuster bombs into the belly of the heavy bombers before raids over occupied Europe. And it was Armourers who adapted quickly to new technology, such as rockets and early guided weapons.
Perhaps what is most striking from this era is the relentless pace. A returning Lancaster would land, the aircrew would debrief, and the Armourers would already be preparing it for the next mission. They worked under blackout conditions, often with little rest, knowing that the success of the next sortie depended on their skill and dedication.
After 1945, as Britain entered the nuclear age, the Armourer’s trade evolved again. The RAF was now responsible for weapons of unprecedented destructive power. Armourers were trained to handle and prepare nuclear bombs such as Blue Danube and WE.177, as well as conventional ordnance.
The Cold War also saw the introduction of jet aircraft like the Vulcan, Lightning, and later the Tornado. With these came new weapons—air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and
electronic countermeasures. Armourers had to adapt constantly, mastering advanced technologies while never losing sight of the basics: safety, reliability, and effectiveness.
This period also saw the RAF Armourer community establish a reputation for professionalism around the world. Whether on Quick Reaction Alert at home, deployed in Germany, or stationed further afield, Armourers were essential to Britain’s ability to project power and deter threats.
And let us not forget the Falklands War, whether embarked on HMS Hermes and Invincible with the Harrier Force, preparing the Black Buck raids for their critical and strategic attack on Stanley or on the ground in the most austere and extremely dangerous conditions clearing air delivered munitions, the RAF Armourer once again demonstrated their professionalism and utility.
The end of the Cold War did not mean the end of conflict. From the Gulf War in 1991 through to operations in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and more recently in the Middle East, RAF Armourers have remained on the front line. Many of you here today served and fought in those campaigns.
The armourer of today handles weapons which are far more sophisticated than their predecessors: precision-guided bombs, next generation missiles, cruise missiles, and more.
But the essence of the job remains the same, ensuring that when aircrew press the button, the weapon performs as intended.
On operations, Armourers are the bridge between engineering and combat. They work long hours in heat, dust, or freezing conditions to prepare aircraft at short notice. They are also problem solvers—often improvising solutions to keep aircraft mission-ready in austere conditions. Not to mention often establishing the first bar in Theatre!
So, what does an Armourer do today? In the modern RAF, they are trained across a wide spectrum. Like those who came before them, they handle conventional bombs and missiles,
aircraft gun systems, countermeasures like flares and chaff, and ejection seats.
On the ground, they serve in expeditionary support roles, providing the capability to deploy weapons and aircraft anywhere in the world. On operations, they are part of integrated teams that keep the RAF’s fast jets, helicopters, and transport aircraft ready for action. At the heart of
modern Agile Combat Employment. And just to quash the rumour, we may even still have some Airfield EOD cutting about, perhaps one for a chat for over a beer…..
Today’s Armourers are not just weapons technicians—they are ambassadors of RAF professionalism. They deploy alongside allies, often sharing their expertise and learning from
others. They bring a blend of tradition and modern skill, embodying both the heritage of the trade and its future. And much like those early armourers behind the WW1 trenches in Europe, they are also at the heart of prototype warfare, ensuring we can continue to destroy our
adversaries wherever they may be in new and innovative ways.
If there’s one thing that connects the Armourers of 1918 with those serving today, it is a sense of responsibility. Handling live ordnance demands absolute precision, discipline, and integrity.
There is no room for error.
But there’s also a deep camaraderie within the trade. Anyone who has worked alongside Armourers will tell you about their humour, resilience, and pride. They may joke about being the
“last to let you down”— a nod to their role with ejection seats — but behind that humour lies a serious commitment to keeping aircrew safe and the mission successful.
Our history is full of untold stories: people working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the RAF can deliver air power when it matters most.
The RAF Armourer’s trade has evolved over more than a century, from fitting Lewis guns to biplanes, to loading smart weapons onto the Typhoon and F-35 Lightning. Through every era of RAF history, they have adapted, innovated, and excelled.
They are a vital link in the chain of air power—a chain that connects the engineer on the line, the pilot in the cockpit, and the strategic effect delivered on operations.
As we look to the future—with the growth of uncrewed systems, directed energy weapons, and ever more complex technology—one thing is certain: the RAF will continue to rely on the professionalism and expertise of its Armourers.
So today, let us not only recognise their history, but also celebrate their ongoing role in defending our nation.
In closing, I would also like to take a moment to thank Squadron Leader Mick Haygarth and the team, alongside all of those that contributed to bring this memorial to life, as a symbol of commemoration and also as a celebration of everything this proud trade continues to deliver for
the RAF and Defence.
As many of you know, the father of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Lord Trenchard, held the trade in exceptionally high regard, exemplifying his vision of a highly trained technical workforce, who could keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. And perhaps it was this that
led him to famously state that “Without Armament, there is no need for an Air Force” or perhaps words to that effect……
Ladies and Gentleman, when my grandfather and armourer, Chief Technician Bill Michie, inspired me to join the Royal Air Force as an Armourer, I was privileged to become part of a
wider family which revelled in its history, accomplishments and kinship. While my career has moved on, I will always remain an Armourer and it is with that in mind that I am hugely moved
and proud to join with you here today to unveil this memorial and celebration of our family, our kin and our future, The Royal Air Force Armourer.
Thank you."
No Thank you, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson.
Mark sounded the bugle, the standards were lowered, and a silence fell on the place. We stood to remember those we have lost over the years.
One final prayer, then the Lord's Prayer, and it was over.
I looked around, still just three people I knew. Should I stay for the evening's get together in the local 'Spoons, or go home early and be home this evening?
I worked out the route and timings, and thought I would miss rush hour's in the local area, get past Cambridge by about half four and be on the M25 by half five, and be home by half six-ish.
So I drive to the hotel, checked out, grabbed my stuff from the room and threw it in the back of the car.
I programmed the sat nav for home, and it guided me south out of town until I joined the M6 Toll, then south on the M6 before turning off on the A14 again.
A glorious day for driving, and the road was fairly clear until about ten miles shy of the A1 junction, but beyond that it was three lane roads and driving at the speed limit as I pressed on to Cambridge then down the M11.
No hold ups, no jams certainly, even turning onto the M25 wasn't the stressful event it usually is. I made it to Dartford by five, the sun now low in the west, it was in golden light as I reached the midway point of the bridge and entered The Garden of England again.
I stopped off at Burger King in town for supper. I had their Wagyu burger, the most expensive take away burger in UK history, as I had seen a few folks on Facebook try it.
I got Jools a spicy chicken burger, as well as onion rings, cheesy chilli bites, and BBQ chicken fingers.
No fries.
Back home to eat and catch up.
How was the £11 burger?
It was OK.
Just OK.
I had unpacking to do, and then sort my pictures out and begin to write all about it. Whilst listening to football.
But I was back home.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The church dates from the 14th century. The spire, nicknamed Lullington Spud,[2] was rebuilt in 1776.
It was restored between 1861 and 1862 under the supervision of the architect John West Hugall and the contractor Elliott and Lilley. The main addition was a new south aisle. The gallery which blocked the tower was removed, and the tower arch opened up. The seating in the nave and choir stalls were renewed. The floor was laid with Minton tiles, with those in the sanctuary containing evangelistic symbols. A reredos was made from the alabaster slab which formed the old altar, and was inlaid with a centre cross of Rouge royal marble and Derbyshire Blue John, and four smaller Maltese crosses. The font was made of a bowl of Devonshire granite supported on five shafts of St Mary Church Torquay marble, raised on three steps of Mansfield stone. The restoration work cost £2,000 (equivalent to £235,735 in 2023)[3] and the church reopened on 23 September 1862.[4]
Steven Jeffery is labelled as a sex abuser, dragged through the courts. He is even tried and convicted, but the State’s legal fraternity quashed his conviction but later he got three-year sentence. This is when former WA governor Malcolm McCusker recruited lawyer Shash Nigam as his cornerman, after Jeffery’s wife requested for help. For more details visit: www.perthnow.com.au/news/court-justice/the-pursuit-of-jus...
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
I woke at six after a fairly good night's sleep. Had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast, hoping to meet more old colleagues.
There are at least three and a half thousand current and former RAF Armourers, so the chance of meeting more I knew during the day seemed high.
As it was, there was just one other person in the semi-dark restaurant. And although there was food, it was limp and barely warm. Still, it was included in the cost of the room, so I filled by boots with fruit, yogurt, sausage and bacon, and a croissant with one of the four cups of coffee I had.
We were due to meet at half twelve, meaning I had maybe three hours to fill.
With churches.
The Church Conservation Trust is a great organisation, and their churches, although redundant, are open ten to four daily.
There was one less than ten miles away, so it was there I drove first. Out of Burton, going against the heavy traffic which tailed back some two miles over the series of roundabouts and traffic lights.
Back into the country, and down another dead end lane to Streeton-en-le-Field.
A heavy dew lay on the ground, and parkland stretched back towards Burton. Trees stood still against the blue sky, again their foliage, though mostly green, was turning golden brown at the edges of their leaves.
I walk through the churchyard, into the porch and pushed the door. It opened though I was twenty minutes early, but that was because the door had been forced and the lock broken.
Sigh.
Though no damage had been done, at least to my eyes, it is a shame that people treat our historic buildings thus.
I take my shots of the building. It must have been quite ruinous at some point recently, as windows had been blocked up, and the chancel arch rebuilt too using the same simple stones.
Functional, but not pretty.
Once done, I went back to the car and programmed the National Memorial Arboretum, 12 miles away, and set off.
At least I was lead across country. Maybe, I thought, I might pass a church or two on the way.
The road wiggled through the countryside, but came in time to a leafy village called Lullington. The handsome church overlooked the village green, the phone box now a library of sorts.
I parked and went to try the church door. It was locked, but on the board there was a named keyholder, so I called and Mrs Cooper said I could have the key, she lived in the long white building opposite.
It was almost a mansion, and her handyman was tending her flower beds. I went to knock, but he asked me what I wanted, and when I explained he went inside to pick up the key and hand it to me.
The church, although handsome, held no great treasures, though is obviously loved, with knitted flowers woven into garlands over the lychgate arch and the arch of the porch. It was only when close could I see the flowers were knitted.
When I returned the key, the bloke asked what I did (with the photos).
I explained, and then told me in a broad Midlands accent two double barrelled named churches nearby that were good. I didn't catch their real name, but a third sounded easy enough: Haw Cross.
But it wasn't Haw Cross or Hawcross.
Nor was it Haugh Cross.
It was Hoar Cross.
I found that on the sat nav and set off back in the general direction of Burton. Which was perfect.
I was lead across the Wolds, along at one point a narrow lane that went straight as an arrow for five miles, over a series of blind summits, through woods until it came to a junction, just shy of Hoar Cross.
Into Hoar Cross, past the pub on the crossroads with the finest pre-warboys finger post I have ever seen, though I didn't stop for shots as I was in a hurry: it was five past eleven and I hadn't found the church.
I went north, east and west out of the village and saw no sign of a church or a church lane.
And then, on the hill overlooking the village, I saw a tower. Modern, well, 20th century perhaps, but a church, and just a hundred yards beyond where I had turned round.
Holy Angels sits beside what counts as the main road in those parts, what little traffic there is motors past. But beyond a Boston Ivy overed wall and brick lychgate, the church rises, impressive in the autumn sunshine.
Inside it is stunning. Grade I listed, beloved by Betjeman and the highest of high Anglican churches.
I only had a matter of minutes, but this is a seriously impressive church: full of light, he smell of incense lingering, stations of the cross on all outside walls, and as a whole church, is nearly as impressive as Cheadle.
Nearly.
I hated to leave, but I had twenty minutes before I was due to be at the Arboretum.
Down the main street, onto an A road, doubling back towards Burton, then picking up signs directing the way, over a main road and railway, across some marshes and there it was.
Packed.
The parking ticket I bought had said sternly not to arrive before your allotted time. Many knew better and ignored this, so the main car park was full, so had to use the overflow beside the landfill site, then walk back.
Inside the main building a table had been set up for those attending. I signed in, and received a program and small token. I looked around.
No one I knew.
Still.
I bought a drink, sat outside and dozens of people around me and more arriving had our trade tie on, or the waistcoat. Some in uniform too, still serving.
But no one I knew.
I ambled down to the site of the ceremony, more folks milling around. Still no one I knew.
I took shots and enjoyed the moment.
I spied one person I know, another Ian, so I went and we shook hands. He also knew few folks. We chatted and caught up on a decade and a half's news since we last met in Lincoln.
Mark arrived.
He was nervous, as he was the play The Last Post (Taps) prior to the two minute's silence, so he went off to practice quietly, if quiet is a thing you do to a bugle.
One more person I know, though many others knew dozens of other attendees.
A serving Sergeant saw my camera and asked if I would supply him with shots for BFBS, so I did my best. But there were so many people getting a clear view was impossible.
At one, half an hour late, the ceremony began, with a former CO of mine doing the introductions before an Air Commodore, ex-Armourer, read the dedication covering a history of the trade and how family-like our trade is:
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, It’s a real privilege to speak to you today about a group of professionals whose contribution to the Royal Air Force has been, AND REMAINS, vital and that is the Royal Air Force Armourer. Versatile, ingenious and relentlessly loyal, the Armourer is a strange creature! From the forward edge of the battle line disposing of bombs and munitions, to the comfortable warmth of the armoury and bay, through the enduring domination of the line hut amongst the lesser trades to the demands of the bomb dump, we are unique and ferociously proud bunch.
From the earliest days of the RAF in 1918, through two world wars, the Cold War, and across every conflict through to the 21st century, Armourers have stood at the sharp end of conflict —enabling decisive and battle winning Air Power and combat effect when called upon.
That history is marked around us today, in this most important and impressive National Memorial Arboretum. And it is against this backdrop that I felt it worth taking a moment to
reflect on our history, highlight our evolution, and celebrate the critical role armourers continues to play in the modern RAF.
The story of the RAF Armourer begins even before the Royal Air Force itself. In the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service employed men trained to handle and maintain machine guns, bombs, and ammunition fitted to fragile biplanes.
When the RAF was founded in April 1918, as the world’s first independent air force, the need for dedicated tradesmen to manage weapons was clear. Early aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel carried Lewis or Vickers guns, with bombs literally dropped by hand in some cases. Armourers were the ones who kept those weapons firing, safe, and effective. More importantly it was the crafty and ingenious armourer who created new and novel ways to win the fight.
They weren’t just technicians; they were pioneers in a new form of warfare.
They had to innovate, often under fire, solving problems that had never been faced before in aviation history.
By the time of the Second World War, the role of Armourers had grown enormously. The RAF’s bomber fleets—Wellingtons, Lancasters, Halifax’s—and its fighters—Spitfires, Hurricanes, and later Tempests and Typhoons—all relied on Armourers.
It was the Armourers who loaded the .303 Browning machine guns on the Battle of Britain’s fighters, often working under pressure, at night, and in all weather. It was the Armourers who fitted the bombs, sometimes Grand Slam and Blockbuster bombs into the belly of the heavy bombers before raids over occupied Europe. And it was Armourers who adapted quickly to new technology, such as rockets and early guided weapons.
Perhaps what is most striking from this era is the relentless pace. A returning Lancaster would land, the aircrew would debrief, and the Armourers would already be preparing it for the next mission. They worked under blackout conditions, often with little rest, knowing that the success of the next sortie depended on their skill and dedication.
After 1945, as Britain entered the nuclear age, the Armourer’s trade evolved again. The RAF was now responsible for weapons of unprecedented destructive power. Armourers were trained to handle and prepare nuclear bombs such as Blue Danube and WE.177, as well as conventional ordnance.
The Cold War also saw the introduction of jet aircraft like the Vulcan, Lightning, and later the Tornado. With these came new weapons—air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and
electronic countermeasures. Armourers had to adapt constantly, mastering advanced technologies while never losing sight of the basics: safety, reliability, and effectiveness.
This period also saw the RAF Armourer community establish a reputation for professionalism around the world. Whether on Quick Reaction Alert at home, deployed in Germany, or stationed further afield, Armourers were essential to Britain’s ability to project power and deter threats.
And let us not forget the Falklands War, whether embarked on HMS Hermes and Invincible with the Harrier Force, preparing the Black Buck raids for their critical and strategic attack on Stanley or on the ground in the most austere and extremely dangerous conditions clearing air delivered munitions, the RAF Armourer once again demonstrated their professionalism and utility.
The end of the Cold War did not mean the end of conflict. From the Gulf War in 1991 through to operations in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and more recently in the Middle East, RAF Armourers have remained on the front line. Many of you here today served and fought in those campaigns.
The armourer of today handles weapons which are far more sophisticated than their predecessors: precision-guided bombs, next generation missiles, cruise missiles, and more.
But the essence of the job remains the same, ensuring that when aircrew press the button, the weapon performs as intended.
On operations, Armourers are the bridge between engineering and combat. They work long hours in heat, dust, or freezing conditions to prepare aircraft at short notice. They are also problem solvers—often improvising solutions to keep aircraft mission-ready in austere conditions. Not to mention often establishing the first bar in Theatre!
So, what does an Armourer do today? In the modern RAF, they are trained across a wide spectrum. Like those who came before them, they handle conventional bombs and missiles,
aircraft gun systems, countermeasures like flares and chaff, and ejection seats.
On the ground, they serve in expeditionary support roles, providing the capability to deploy weapons and aircraft anywhere in the world. On operations, they are part of integrated teams that keep the RAF’s fast jets, helicopters, and transport aircraft ready for action. At the heart of
modern Agile Combat Employment. And just to quash the rumour, we may even still have some Airfield EOD cutting about, perhaps one for a chat for over a beer…..
Today’s Armourers are not just weapons technicians—they are ambassadors of RAF professionalism. They deploy alongside allies, often sharing their expertise and learning from
others. They bring a blend of tradition and modern skill, embodying both the heritage of the trade and its future. And much like those early armourers behind the WW1 trenches in Europe, they are also at the heart of prototype warfare, ensuring we can continue to destroy our
adversaries wherever they may be in new and innovative ways.
If there’s one thing that connects the Armourers of 1918 with those serving today, it is a sense of responsibility. Handling live ordnance demands absolute precision, discipline, and integrity.
There is no room for error.
But there’s also a deep camaraderie within the trade. Anyone who has worked alongside Armourers will tell you about their humour, resilience, and pride. They may joke about being the
“last to let you down”— a nod to their role with ejection seats — but behind that humour lies a serious commitment to keeping aircrew safe and the mission successful.
Our history is full of untold stories: people working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the RAF can deliver air power when it matters most.
The RAF Armourer’s trade has evolved over more than a century, from fitting Lewis guns to biplanes, to loading smart weapons onto the Typhoon and F-35 Lightning. Through every era of RAF history, they have adapted, innovated, and excelled.
They are a vital link in the chain of air power—a chain that connects the engineer on the line, the pilot in the cockpit, and the strategic effect delivered on operations.
As we look to the future—with the growth of uncrewed systems, directed energy weapons, and ever more complex technology—one thing is certain: the RAF will continue to rely on the professionalism and expertise of its Armourers.
So today, let us not only recognise their history, but also celebrate their ongoing role in defending our nation.
In closing, I would also like to take a moment to thank Squadron Leader Mick Haygarth and the team, alongside all of those that contributed to bring this memorial to life, as a symbol of commemoration and also as a celebration of everything this proud trade continues to deliver for
the RAF and Defence.
As many of you know, the father of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Lord Trenchard, held the trade in exceptionally high regard, exemplifying his vision of a highly trained technical workforce, who could keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. And perhaps it was this that
led him to famously state that “Without Armament, there is no need for an Air Force” or perhaps words to that effect……
Ladies and Gentleman, when my grandfather and armourer, Chief Technician Bill Michie, inspired me to join the Royal Air Force as an Armourer, I was privileged to become part of a
wider family which revelled in its history, accomplishments and kinship. While my career has moved on, I will always remain an Armourer and it is with that in mind that I am hugely moved
and proud to join with you here today to unveil this memorial and celebration of our family, our kin and our future, The Royal Air Force Armourer.
Thank you."
No Thank you, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson.
Mark sounded the bugle, the standards were lowered, and a silence fell on the place. We stood to remember those we have lost over the years.
One final prayer, then the Lord's Prayer, and it was over.
I looked around, still just three people I knew. Should I stay for the evening's get together in the local 'Spoons, or go home early and be home this evening?
I worked out the route and timings, and thought I would miss rush hour's in the local area, get past Cambridge by about half four and be on the M25 by half five, and be home by half six-ish.
So I drive to the hotel, checked out, grabbed my stuff from the room and threw it in the back of the car.
I programmed the sat nav for home, and it guided me south out of town until I joined the M6 Toll, then south on the M6 before turning off on the A14 again.
A glorious day for driving, and the road was fairly clear until about ten miles shy of the A1 junction, but beyond that it was three lane roads and driving at the speed limit as I pressed on to Cambridge then down the M11.
No hold ups, no jams certainly, even turning onto the M25 wasn't the stressful event it usually is. I made it to Dartford by five, the sun now low in the west, it was in golden light as I reached the midway point of the bridge and entered The Garden of England again.
I stopped off at Burger King in town for supper. I had their Wagyu burger, the most expensive take away burger in UK history, as I had seen a few folks on Facebook try it.
I got Jools a spicy chicken burger, as well as onion rings, cheesy chilli bites, and BBQ chicken fingers.
No fries.
Back home to eat and catch up.
How was the £11 burger?
It was OK.
Just OK.
I had unpacking to do, and then sort my pictures out and begin to write all about it. Whilst listening to football.
But I was back home.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was built by the pious Anglo-Catholic, Emily Charlotte Meynell Ingram (sister of Charles Wood, 2nd Viscount Halifax) in memory of Hugo Francis Meynell Ingram who died in May 1871. The architects were George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner. Work started in 1872 and the church dedication took place on 22 April 1876.[1] Further extension and additions took place until the church achieved its present form in 1906.
John Betjeman described the church as "the masterpiece of its late Victorian architect G.F. Bodley" and "great architecture; original, well massed, well sited, well detailed; very English"
From 2008, the Church received alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, as the parish does not accept the ordination of women to the priesthood or episcopate. This oversight was transferred in 2023 to the Bishop of Oswestry.
I woke at six after a fairly good night's sleep. Had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast, hoping to meet more old colleagues.
There are at least three and a half thousand current and former RAF Armourers, so the chance of meeting more I knew during the day seemed high.
As it was, there was just one other person in the semi-dark restaurant. And although there was food, it was limp and barely warm. Still, it was included in the cost of the room, so I filled by boots with fruit, yogurt, sausage and bacon, and a croissant with one of the four cups of coffee I had.
We were due to meet at half twelve, meaning I had maybe three hours to fill.
With churches.
The Church Conservation Trust is a great organisation, and their churches, although redundant, are open ten to four daily.
There was one less than ten miles away, so it was there I drove first. Out of Burton, going against the heavy traffic which tailed back some two miles over the series of roundabouts and traffic lights.
Back into the country, and down another dead end lane to Streeton-en-le-Field.
A heavy dew lay on the ground, and parkland stretched back towards Burton. Trees stood still against the blue sky, again their foliage, though mostly green, was turning golden brown at the edges of their leaves.
I walk through the churchyard, into the porch and pushed the door. It opened though I was twenty minutes early, but that was because the door had been forced and the lock broken.
Sigh.
Though no damage had been done, at least to my eyes, it is a shame that people treat our historic buildings thus.
I take my shots of the building. It must have been quite ruinous at some point recently, as windows had been blocked up, and the chancel arch rebuilt too using the same simple stones.
Functional, but not pretty.
Once done, I went back to the car and programmed the National Memorial Arboretum, 12 miles away, and set off.
At least I was lead across country. Maybe, I thought, I might pass a church or two on the way.
The road wiggled through the countryside, but came in time to a leafy village called Lullington. The handsome church overlooked the village green, the phone box now a library of sorts.
I parked and went to try the church door. It was locked, but on the board there was a named keyholder, so I called and Mrs Cooper said I could have the key, she lived in the long white building opposite.
It was almost a mansion, and her handyman was tending her flower beds. I went to knock, but he asked me what I wanted, and when I explained he went inside to pick up the key and hand it to me.
The church, although handsome, held no great treasures, though is obviously loved, with knitted flowers woven into garlands over the lychgate arch and the arch of the porch. It was only when close could I see the flowers were knitted.
When I returned the key, the bloke asked what I did (with the photos).
I explained, and then told me in a broad Midlands accent two double barrelled named churches nearby that were good. I didn't catch their real name, but a third sounded easy enough: Haw Cross.
But it wasn't Haw Cross or Hawcross.
Nor was it Haugh Cross.
It was Hoar Cross.
I found that on the sat nav and set off back in the general direction of Burton. Which was perfect.
I was lead across the Wolds, along at one point a narrow lane that went straight as an arrow for five miles, over a series of blind summits, through woods until it came to a junction, just shy of Hoar Cross.
Into Hoar Cross, past the pub on the crossroads with the finest pre-warboys finger post I have ever seen, though I didn't stop for shots as I was in a hurry: it was five past eleven and I hadn't found the church.
I went north, east and west out of the village and saw no sign of a church or a church lane.
And then, on the hill overlooking the village, I saw a tower. Modern, well, 20th century perhaps, but a church, and just a hundred yards beyond where I had turned round.
Holy Angels sits beside what counts as the main road in those parts, what little traffic there is motors past. But beyond a Boston Ivy overed wall and brick lychgate, the church rises, impressive in the autumn sunshine.
Inside it is stunning. Grade I listed, beloved by Betjeman and the highest of high Anglican churches.
I only had a matter of minutes, but this is a seriously impressive church: full of light, he smell of incense lingering, stations of the cross on all outside walls, and as a whole church, is nearly as impressive as Cheadle.
Nearly.
I hated to leave, but I had twenty minutes before I was due to be at the Arboretum.
Down the main street, onto an A road, doubling back towards Burton, then picking up signs directing the way, over a main road and railway, across some marshes and there it was.
Packed.
The parking ticket I bought had said sternly not to arrive before your allotted time. Many knew better and ignored this, so the main car park was full, so had to use the overflow beside the landfill site, then walk back.
Inside the main building a table had been set up for those attending. I signed in, and received a program and small token. I looked around.
No one I knew.
Still.
I bought a drink, sat outside and dozens of people around me and more arriving had our trade tie on, or the waistcoat. Some in uniform too, still serving.
But no one I knew.
I ambled down to the site of the ceremony, more folks milling around. Still no one I knew.
I took shots and enjoyed the moment.
I spied one person I know, another Ian, so I went and we shook hands. He also knew few folks. We chatted and caught up on a decade and a half's news since we last met in Lincoln.
Mark arrived.
He was nervous, as he was the play The Last Post (Taps) prior to the two minute's silence, so he went off to practice quietly, if quiet is a thing you do to a bugle.
One more person I know, though many others knew dozens of other attendees.
A serving Sergeant saw my camera and asked if I would supply him with shots for BFBS, so I did my best. But there were so many people getting a clear view was impossible.
At one, half an hour late, the ceremony began, with a former CO of mine doing the introductions before an Air Commodore, ex-Armourer, read the dedication covering a history of the trade and how family-like our trade is:
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, It’s a real privilege to speak to you today about a group of professionals whose contribution to the Royal Air Force has been, AND REMAINS, vital and that is the Royal Air Force Armourer. Versatile, ingenious and relentlessly loyal, the Armourer is a strange creature! From the forward edge of the battle line disposing of bombs and munitions, to the comfortable warmth of the armoury and bay, through the enduring domination of the line hut amongst the lesser trades to the demands of the bomb dump, we are unique and ferociously proud bunch.
From the earliest days of the RAF in 1918, through two world wars, the Cold War, and across every conflict through to the 21st century, Armourers have stood at the sharp end of conflict —enabling decisive and battle winning Air Power and combat effect when called upon.
That history is marked around us today, in this most important and impressive National Memorial Arboretum. And it is against this backdrop that I felt it worth taking a moment to
reflect on our history, highlight our evolution, and celebrate the critical role armourers continues to play in the modern RAF.
The story of the RAF Armourer begins even before the Royal Air Force itself. In the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service employed men trained to handle and maintain machine guns, bombs, and ammunition fitted to fragile biplanes.
When the RAF was founded in April 1918, as the world’s first independent air force, the need for dedicated tradesmen to manage weapons was clear. Early aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel carried Lewis or Vickers guns, with bombs literally dropped by hand in some cases. Armourers were the ones who kept those weapons firing, safe, and effective. More importantly it was the crafty and ingenious armourer who created new and novel ways to win the fight.
They weren’t just technicians; they were pioneers in a new form of warfare.
They had to innovate, often under fire, solving problems that had never been faced before in aviation history.
By the time of the Second World War, the role of Armourers had grown enormously. The RAF’s bomber fleets—Wellingtons, Lancasters, Halifax’s—and its fighters—Spitfires, Hurricanes, and later Tempests and Typhoons—all relied on Armourers.
It was the Armourers who loaded the .303 Browning machine guns on the Battle of Britain’s fighters, often working under pressure, at night, and in all weather. It was the Armourers who fitted the bombs, sometimes Grand Slam and Blockbuster bombs into the belly of the heavy bombers before raids over occupied Europe. And it was Armourers who adapted quickly to new technology, such as rockets and early guided weapons.
Perhaps what is most striking from this era is the relentless pace. A returning Lancaster would land, the aircrew would debrief, and the Armourers would already be preparing it for the next mission. They worked under blackout conditions, often with little rest, knowing that the success of the next sortie depended on their skill and dedication.
After 1945, as Britain entered the nuclear age, the Armourer’s trade evolved again. The RAF was now responsible for weapons of unprecedented destructive power. Armourers were trained to handle and prepare nuclear bombs such as Blue Danube and WE.177, as well as conventional ordnance.
The Cold War also saw the introduction of jet aircraft like the Vulcan, Lightning, and later the Tornado. With these came new weapons—air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and
electronic countermeasures. Armourers had to adapt constantly, mastering advanced technologies while never losing sight of the basics: safety, reliability, and effectiveness.
This period also saw the RAF Armourer community establish a reputation for professionalism around the world. Whether on Quick Reaction Alert at home, deployed in Germany, or stationed further afield, Armourers were essential to Britain’s ability to project power and deter threats.
And let us not forget the Falklands War, whether embarked on HMS Hermes and Invincible with the Harrier Force, preparing the Black Buck raids for their critical and strategic attack on Stanley or on the ground in the most austere and extremely dangerous conditions clearing air delivered munitions, the RAF Armourer once again demonstrated their professionalism and utility.
The end of the Cold War did not mean the end of conflict. From the Gulf War in 1991 through to operations in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and more recently in the Middle East, RAF Armourers have remained on the front line. Many of you here today served and fought in those campaigns.
The armourer of today handles weapons which are far more sophisticated than their predecessors: precision-guided bombs, next generation missiles, cruise missiles, and more.
But the essence of the job remains the same, ensuring that when aircrew press the button, the weapon performs as intended.
On operations, Armourers are the bridge between engineering and combat. They work long hours in heat, dust, or freezing conditions to prepare aircraft at short notice. They are also problem solvers—often improvising solutions to keep aircraft mission-ready in austere conditions. Not to mention often establishing the first bar in Theatre!
So, what does an Armourer do today? In the modern RAF, they are trained across a wide spectrum. Like those who came before them, they handle conventional bombs and missiles,
aircraft gun systems, countermeasures like flares and chaff, and ejection seats.
On the ground, they serve in expeditionary support roles, providing the capability to deploy weapons and aircraft anywhere in the world. On operations, they are part of integrated teams that keep the RAF’s fast jets, helicopters, and transport aircraft ready for action. At the heart of
modern Agile Combat Employment. And just to quash the rumour, we may even still have some Airfield EOD cutting about, perhaps one for a chat for over a beer…..
Today’s Armourers are not just weapons technicians—they are ambassadors of RAF professionalism. They deploy alongside allies, often sharing their expertise and learning from
others. They bring a blend of tradition and modern skill, embodying both the heritage of the trade and its future. And much like those early armourers behind the WW1 trenches in Europe, they are also at the heart of prototype warfare, ensuring we can continue to destroy our
adversaries wherever they may be in new and innovative ways.
If there’s one thing that connects the Armourers of 1918 with those serving today, it is a sense of responsibility. Handling live ordnance demands absolute precision, discipline, and integrity.
There is no room for error.
But there’s also a deep camaraderie within the trade. Anyone who has worked alongside Armourers will tell you about their humour, resilience, and pride. They may joke about being the
“last to let you down”— a nod to their role with ejection seats — but behind that humour lies a serious commitment to keeping aircrew safe and the mission successful.
Our history is full of untold stories: people working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the RAF can deliver air power when it matters most.
The RAF Armourer’s trade has evolved over more than a century, from fitting Lewis guns to biplanes, to loading smart weapons onto the Typhoon and F-35 Lightning. Through every era of RAF history, they have adapted, innovated, and excelled.
They are a vital link in the chain of air power—a chain that connects the engineer on the line, the pilot in the cockpit, and the strategic effect delivered on operations.
As we look to the future—with the growth of uncrewed systems, directed energy weapons, and ever more complex technology—one thing is certain: the RAF will continue to rely on the professionalism and expertise of its Armourers.
So today, let us not only recognise their history, but also celebrate their ongoing role in defending our nation.
In closing, I would also like to take a moment to thank Squadron Leader Mick Haygarth and the team, alongside all of those that contributed to bring this memorial to life, as a symbol of commemoration and also as a celebration of everything this proud trade continues to deliver for
the RAF and Defence.
As many of you know, the father of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Lord Trenchard, held the trade in exceptionally high regard, exemplifying his vision of a highly trained technical workforce, who could keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. And perhaps it was this that
led him to famously state that “Without Armament, there is no need for an Air Force” or perhaps words to that effect……
Ladies and Gentleman, when my grandfather and armourer, Chief Technician Bill Michie, inspired me to join the Royal Air Force as an Armourer, I was privileged to become part of a
wider family which revelled in its history, accomplishments and kinship. While my career has moved on, I will always remain an Armourer and it is with that in mind that I am hugely moved
and proud to join with you here today to unveil this memorial and celebration of our family, our kin and our future, The Royal Air Force Armourer.
Thank you."
No Thank you, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson.
Mark sounded the bugle, the standards were lowered, and a silence fell on the place. We stood to remember those we have lost over the years.
One final prayer, then the Lord's Prayer, and it was over.
I looked around, still just three people I knew. Should I stay for the evening's get together in the local 'Spoons, or go home early and be home this evening?
I worked out the route and timings, and thought I would miss rush hour's in the local area, get past Cambridge by about half four and be on the M25 by half five, and be home by half six-ish.
So I drive to the hotel, checked out, grabbed my stuff from the room and threw it in the back of the car.
I programmed the sat nav for home, and it guided me south out of town until I joined the M6 Toll, then south on the M6 before turning off on the A14 again.
A glorious day for driving, and the road was fairly clear until about ten miles shy of the A1 junction, but beyond that it was three lane roads and driving at the speed limit as I pressed on to Cambridge then down the M11.
No hold ups, no jams certainly, even turning onto the M25 wasn't the stressful event it usually is. I made it to Dartford by five, the sun now low in the west, it was in golden light as I reached the midway point of the bridge and entered The Garden of England again.
I stopped off at Burger King in town for supper. I had their Wagyu burger, the most expensive take away burger in UK history, as I had seen a few folks on Facebook try it.
I got Jools a spicy chicken burger, as well as onion rings, cheesy chilli bites, and BBQ chicken fingers.
No fries.
Back home to eat and catch up.
How was the £11 burger?
It was OK.
Just OK.
I had unpacking to do, and then sort my pictures out and begin to write all about it. Whilst listening to football.
But I was back home.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The church dates from the 14th century. The spire, nicknamed Lullington Spud,[2] was rebuilt in 1776.
It was restored between 1861 and 1862 under the supervision of the architect John West Hugall and the contractor Elliott and Lilley. The main addition was a new south aisle. The gallery which blocked the tower was removed, and the tower arch opened up. The seating in the nave and choir stalls were renewed. The floor was laid with Minton tiles, with those in the sanctuary containing evangelistic symbols. A reredos was made from the alabaster slab which formed the old altar, and was inlaid with a centre cross of Rouge royal marble and Derbyshire Blue John, and four smaller Maltese crosses. The font was made of a bowl of Devonshire granite supported on five shafts of St Mary Church Torquay marble, raised on three steps of Mansfield stone. The restoration work cost £2,000 (equivalent to £235,735 in 2023)[3] and the church reopened on 23 September 1862.[4]
After almost a week waiting at the border while the Indian government decided on whether or not to heed China's warnings the invasion force for Bangladesh was finally given the green light. After initial resistance was quashed with minor casualties, the Bangladesh army began to surrender en masse to the superior Indian soldiers. Let this be a warning to all nations that no matter what threats you may make you cannot prevent India from claiming what is rightfully there's.
For the LMG
"Cordeys Craft Bakery" 40 Bank Street, Rawtenstall, BB4 8DY
"Powder Room" 38a Bank Street, Rawtenstall, Rossendale Lancashire BB4 8DY
A FAMILY bakery has moved to quash rumours that the firm has closed down.
Cordey’s Craft Bakery, which has had a presence in Rossendale for more than 60 years, is refurbishing its main Waterfoot shop.
Director Ryan Cordey said he had set up a new parent company for the bakery as his brother, Anthony, no longer wanted to be involved in the business.
The old company, Rossendale Bakeries Ltd, was dissolved earlier this month after Ryan had set up a new one, Hannjo Ltd.
The firm will continue to trade under the Cordey’s title, with the shop in Bacup Road, Waterfoot, expected to re-open in October.
Its store in Bank Street, Rawtenstall, was closed for one day last week but has since re-opened, while its Bacup shop, in St James’ Square, closed earlier this year.
LET 190913
I woke at six after a fairly good night's sleep. Had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast, hoping to meet more old colleagues.
There are at least three and a half thousand current and former RAF Armourers, so the chance of meeting more I knew during the day seemed high.
As it was, there was just one other person in the semi-dark restaurant. And although there was food, it was limp and barely warm. Still, it was included in the cost of the room, so I filled by boots with fruit, yogurt, sausage and bacon, and a croissant with one of the four cups of coffee I had.
We were due to meet at half twelve, meaning I had maybe three hours to fill.
With churches.
The Church Conservation Trust is a great organisation, and their churches, although redundant, are open ten to four daily.
There was one less than ten miles away, so it was there I drove first. Out of Burton, going against the heavy traffic which tailed back some two miles over the series of roundabouts and traffic lights.
Back into the country, and down another dead end lane to Streeton-en-le-Field.
A heavy dew lay on the ground, and parkland stretched back towards Burton. Trees stood still against the blue sky, again their foliage, though mostly green, was turning golden brown at the edges of their leaves.
I walk through the churchyard, into the porch and pushed the door. It opened though I was twenty minutes early, but that was because the door had been forced and the lock broken.
Sigh.
Though no damage had been done, at least to my eyes, it is a shame that people treat our historic buildings thus.
I take my shots of the building. It must have been quite ruinous at some point recently, as windows had been blocked up, and the chancel arch rebuilt too using the same simple stones.
Functional, but not pretty.
Once done, I went back to the car and programmed the National Memorial Arboretum, 12 miles away, and set off.
At least I was lead across country. Maybe, I thought, I might pass a church or two on the way.
The road wiggled through the countryside, but came in time to a leafy village called Lullington. The handsome church overlooked the village green, the phone box now a library of sorts.
I parked and went to try the church door. It was locked, but on the board there was a named keyholder, so I called and Mrs Cooper said I could have the key, she lived in the long white building opposite.
It was almost a mansion, and her handyman was tending her flower beds. I went to knock, but he asked me what I wanted, and when I explained he went inside to pick up the key and hand it to me.
The church, although handsome, held no great treasures, though is obviously loved, with knitted flowers woven into garlands over the lychgate arch and the arch of the porch. It was only when close could I see the flowers were knitted.
When I returned the key, the bloke asked what I did (with the photos).
I explained, and then told me in a broad Midlands accent two double barrelled named churches nearby that were good. I didn't catch their real name, but a third sounded easy enough: Haw Cross.
But it wasn't Haw Cross or Hawcross.
Nor was it Haugh Cross.
It was Hoar Cross.
I found that on the sat nav and set off back in the general direction of Burton. Which was perfect.
I was lead across the Wolds, along at one point a narrow lane that went straight as an arrow for five miles, over a series of blind summits, through woods until it came to a junction, just shy of Hoar Cross.
Into Hoar Cross, past the pub on the crossroads with the finest pre-warboys finger post I have ever seen, though I didn't stop for shots as I was in a hurry: it was five past eleven and I hadn't found the church.
I went north, east and west out of the village and saw no sign of a church or a church lane.
And then, on the hill overlooking the village, I saw a tower. Modern, well, 20th century perhaps, but a church, and just a hundred yards beyond where I had turned round.
Holy Angels sits beside what counts as the main road in those parts, what little traffic there is motors past. But beyond a Boston Ivy overed wall and brick lychgate, the church rises, impressive in the autumn sunshine.
Inside it is stunning. Grade I listed, beloved by Betjeman and the highest of high Anglican churches.
I only had a matter of minutes, but this is a seriously impressive church: full of light, he smell of incense lingering, stations of the cross on all outside walls, and as a whole church, is nearly as impressive as Cheadle.
Nearly.
I hated to leave, but I had twenty minutes before I was due to be at the Arboretum.
Down the main street, onto an A road, doubling back towards Burton, then picking up signs directing the way, over a main road and railway, across some marshes and there it was.
Packed.
The parking ticket I bought had said sternly not to arrive before your allotted time. Many knew better and ignored this, so the main car park was full, so had to use the overflow beside the landfill site, then walk back.
Inside the main building a table had been set up for those attending. I signed in, and received a program and small token. I looked around.
No one I knew.
Still.
I bought a drink, sat outside and dozens of people around me and more arriving had our trade tie on, or the waistcoat. Some in uniform too, still serving.
But no one I knew.
I ambled down to the site of the ceremony, more folks milling around. Still no one I knew.
I took shots and enjoyed the moment.
I spied one person I know, another Ian, so I went and we shook hands. He also knew few folks. We chatted and caught up on a decade and a half's news since we last met in Lincoln.
Mark arrived.
He was nervous, as he was the play The Last Post (Taps) prior to the two minute's silence, so he went off to practice quietly, if quiet is a thing you do to a bugle.
One more person I know, though many others knew dozens of other attendees.
A serving Sergeant saw my camera and asked if I would supply him with shots for BFBS, so I did my best. But there were so many people getting a clear view was impossible.
At one, half an hour late, the ceremony began, with a former CO of mine doing the introductions before an Air Commodore, ex-Armourer, read the dedication covering a history of the trade and how family-like our trade is:
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, It’s a real privilege to speak to you today about a group of professionals whose contribution to the Royal Air Force has been, AND REMAINS, vital and that is the Royal Air Force Armourer. Versatile, ingenious and relentlessly loyal, the Armourer is a strange creature! From the forward edge of the battle line disposing of bombs and munitions, to the comfortable warmth of the armoury and bay, through the enduring domination of the line hut amongst the lesser trades to the demands of the bomb dump, we are unique and ferociously proud bunch.
From the earliest days of the RAF in 1918, through two world wars, the Cold War, and across every conflict through to the 21st century, Armourers have stood at the sharp end of conflict —enabling decisive and battle winning Air Power and combat effect when called upon.
That history is marked around us today, in this most important and impressive National Memorial Arboretum. And it is against this backdrop that I felt it worth taking a moment to
reflect on our history, highlight our evolution, and celebrate the critical role armourers continues to play in the modern RAF.
The story of the RAF Armourer begins even before the Royal Air Force itself. In the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service employed men trained to handle and maintain machine guns, bombs, and ammunition fitted to fragile biplanes.
When the RAF was founded in April 1918, as the world’s first independent air force, the need for dedicated tradesmen to manage weapons was clear. Early aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel carried Lewis or Vickers guns, with bombs literally dropped by hand in some cases. Armourers were the ones who kept those weapons firing, safe, and effective. More importantly it was the crafty and ingenious armourer who created new and novel ways to win the fight.
They weren’t just technicians; they were pioneers in a new form of warfare.
They had to innovate, often under fire, solving problems that had never been faced before in aviation history.
By the time of the Second World War, the role of Armourers had grown enormously. The RAF’s bomber fleets—Wellingtons, Lancasters, Halifax’s—and its fighters—Spitfires, Hurricanes, and later Tempests and Typhoons—all relied on Armourers.
It was the Armourers who loaded the .303 Browning machine guns on the Battle of Britain’s fighters, often working under pressure, at night, and in all weather. It was the Armourers who fitted the bombs, sometimes Grand Slam and Blockbuster bombs into the belly of the heavy bombers before raids over occupied Europe. And it was Armourers who adapted quickly to new technology, such as rockets and early guided weapons.
Perhaps what is most striking from this era is the relentless pace. A returning Lancaster would land, the aircrew would debrief, and the Armourers would already be preparing it for the next mission. They worked under blackout conditions, often with little rest, knowing that the success of the next sortie depended on their skill and dedication.
After 1945, as Britain entered the nuclear age, the Armourer’s trade evolved again. The RAF was now responsible for weapons of unprecedented destructive power. Armourers were trained to handle and prepare nuclear bombs such as Blue Danube and WE.177, as well as conventional ordnance.
The Cold War also saw the introduction of jet aircraft like the Vulcan, Lightning, and later the Tornado. With these came new weapons—air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and
electronic countermeasures. Armourers had to adapt constantly, mastering advanced technologies while never losing sight of the basics: safety, reliability, and effectiveness.
This period also saw the RAF Armourer community establish a reputation for professionalism around the world. Whether on Quick Reaction Alert at home, deployed in Germany, or stationed further afield, Armourers were essential to Britain’s ability to project power and deter threats.
And let us not forget the Falklands War, whether embarked on HMS Hermes and Invincible with the Harrier Force, preparing the Black Buck raids for their critical and strategic attack on Stanley or on the ground in the most austere and extremely dangerous conditions clearing air delivered munitions, the RAF Armourer once again demonstrated their professionalism and utility.
The end of the Cold War did not mean the end of conflict. From the Gulf War in 1991 through to operations in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and more recently in the Middle East, RAF Armourers have remained on the front line. Many of you here today served and fought in those campaigns.
The armourer of today handles weapons which are far more sophisticated than their predecessors: precision-guided bombs, next generation missiles, cruise missiles, and more.
But the essence of the job remains the same, ensuring that when aircrew press the button, the weapon performs as intended.
On operations, Armourers are the bridge between engineering and combat. They work long hours in heat, dust, or freezing conditions to prepare aircraft at short notice. They are also problem solvers—often improvising solutions to keep aircraft mission-ready in austere conditions. Not to mention often establishing the first bar in Theatre!
So, what does an Armourer do today? In the modern RAF, they are trained across a wide spectrum. Like those who came before them, they handle conventional bombs and missiles,
aircraft gun systems, countermeasures like flares and chaff, and ejection seats.
On the ground, they serve in expeditionary support roles, providing the capability to deploy weapons and aircraft anywhere in the world. On operations, they are part of integrated teams that keep the RAF’s fast jets, helicopters, and transport aircraft ready for action. At the heart of
modern Agile Combat Employment. And just to quash the rumour, we may even still have some Airfield EOD cutting about, perhaps one for a chat for over a beer…..
Today’s Armourers are not just weapons technicians—they are ambassadors of RAF professionalism. They deploy alongside allies, often sharing their expertise and learning from
others. They bring a blend of tradition and modern skill, embodying both the heritage of the trade and its future. And much like those early armourers behind the WW1 trenches in Europe, they are also at the heart of prototype warfare, ensuring we can continue to destroy our
adversaries wherever they may be in new and innovative ways.
If there’s one thing that connects the Armourers of 1918 with those serving today, it is a sense of responsibility. Handling live ordnance demands absolute precision, discipline, and integrity.
There is no room for error.
But there’s also a deep camaraderie within the trade. Anyone who has worked alongside Armourers will tell you about their humour, resilience, and pride. They may joke about being the
“last to let you down”— a nod to their role with ejection seats — but behind that humour lies a serious commitment to keeping aircrew safe and the mission successful.
Our history is full of untold stories: people working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the RAF can deliver air power when it matters most.
The RAF Armourer’s trade has evolved over more than a century, from fitting Lewis guns to biplanes, to loading smart weapons onto the Typhoon and F-35 Lightning. Through every era of RAF history, they have adapted, innovated, and excelled.
They are a vital link in the chain of air power—a chain that connects the engineer on the line, the pilot in the cockpit, and the strategic effect delivered on operations.
As we look to the future—with the growth of uncrewed systems, directed energy weapons, and ever more complex technology—one thing is certain: the RAF will continue to rely on the professionalism and expertise of its Armourers.
So today, let us not only recognise their history, but also celebrate their ongoing role in defending our nation.
In closing, I would also like to take a moment to thank Squadron Leader Mick Haygarth and the team, alongside all of those that contributed to bring this memorial to life, as a symbol of commemoration and also as a celebration of everything this proud trade continues to deliver for
the RAF and Defence.
As many of you know, the father of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Lord Trenchard, held the trade in exceptionally high regard, exemplifying his vision of a highly trained technical workforce, who could keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. And perhaps it was this that
led him to famously state that “Without Armament, there is no need for an Air Force” or perhaps words to that effect……
Ladies and Gentleman, when my grandfather and armourer, Chief Technician Bill Michie, inspired me to join the Royal Air Force as an Armourer, I was privileged to become part of a
wider family which revelled in its history, accomplishments and kinship. While my career has moved on, I will always remain an Armourer and it is with that in mind that I am hugely moved
and proud to join with you here today to unveil this memorial and celebration of our family, our kin and our future, The Royal Air Force Armourer.
Thank you."
No Thank you, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson.
Mark sounded the bugle, the standards were lowered, and a silence fell on the place. We stood to remember those we have lost over the years.
One final prayer, then the Lord's Prayer, and it was over.
I looked around, still just three people I knew. Should I stay for the evening's get together in the local 'Spoons, or go home early and be home this evening?
I worked out the route and timings, and thought I would miss rush hour's in the local area, get past Cambridge by about half four and be on the M25 by half five, and be home by half six-ish.
So I drive to the hotel, checked out, grabbed my stuff from the room and threw it in the back of the car.
I programmed the sat nav for home, and it guided me south out of town until I joined the M6 Toll, then south on the M6 before turning off on the A14 again.
A glorious day for driving, and the road was fairly clear until about ten miles shy of the A1 junction, but beyond that it was three lane roads and driving at the speed limit as I pressed on to Cambridge then down the M11.
No hold ups, no jams certainly, even turning onto the M25 wasn't the stressful event it usually is. I made it to Dartford by five, the sun now low in the west, it was in golden light as I reached the midway point of the bridge and entered The Garden of England again.
I stopped off at Burger King in town for supper. I had their Wagyu burger, the most expensive take away burger in UK history, as I had seen a few folks on Facebook try it.
I got Jools a spicy chicken burger, as well as onion rings, cheesy chilli bites, and BBQ chicken fingers.
No fries.
Back home to eat and catch up.
How was the £11 burger?
It was OK.
Just OK.
I had unpacking to do, and then sort my pictures out and begin to write all about it. Whilst listening to football.
But I was back home.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was built by the pious Anglo-Catholic, Emily Charlotte Meynell Ingram (sister of Charles Wood, 2nd Viscount Halifax) in memory of Hugo Francis Meynell Ingram who died in May 1871. The architects were George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner. Work started in 1872 and the church dedication took place on 22 April 1876.[1] Further extension and additions took place until the church achieved its present form in 1906.
John Betjeman described the church as "the masterpiece of its late Victorian architect G.F. Bodley" and "great architecture; original, well massed, well sited, well detailed; very English"
From 2008, the Church received alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, as the parish does not accept the ordination of women to the priesthood or episcopate. This oversight was transferred in 2023 to the Bishop of Oswestry.
I woke at six after a fairly good night's sleep. Had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast, hoping to meet more old colleagues.
There are at least three and a half thousand current and former RAF Armourers, so the chance of meeting more I knew during the day seemed high.
As it was, there was just one other person in the semi-dark restaurant. And although there was food, it was limp and barely warm. Still, it was included in the cost of the room, so I filled by boots with fruit, yogurt, sausage and bacon, and a croissant with one of the four cups of coffee I had.
We were due to meet at half twelve, meaning I had maybe three hours to fill.
With churches.
The Church Conservation Trust is a great organisation, and their churches, although redundant, are open ten to four daily.
There was one less than ten miles away, so it was there I drove first. Out of Burton, going against the heavy traffic which tailed back some two miles over the series of roundabouts and traffic lights.
Back into the country, and down another dead end lane to Streeton-en-le-Field.
A heavy dew lay on the ground, and parkland stretched back towards Burton. Trees stood still against the blue sky, again their foliage, though mostly green, was turning golden brown at the edges of their leaves.
I walk through the churchyard, into the porch and pushed the door. It opened though I was twenty minutes early, but that was because the door had been forced and the lock broken.
Sigh.
Though no damage had been done, at least to my eyes, it is a shame that people treat our historic buildings thus.
I take my shots of the building. It must have been quite ruinous at some point recently, as windows had been blocked up, and the chancel arch rebuilt too using the same simple stones.
Functional, but not pretty.
Once done, I went back to the car and programmed the National Memorial Arboretum, 12 miles away, and set off.
At least I was lead across country. Maybe, I thought, I might pass a church or two on the way.
The road wiggled through the countryside, but came in time to a leafy village called Lullington. The handsome church overlooked the village green, the phone box now a library of sorts.
I parked and went to try the church door. It was locked, but on the board there was a named keyholder, so I called and Mrs Cooper said I could have the key, she lived in the long white building opposite.
It was almost a mansion, and her handyman was tending her flower beds. I went to knock, but he asked me what I wanted, and when I explained he went inside to pick up the key and hand it to me.
The church, although handsome, held no great treasures, though is obviously loved, with knitted flowers woven into garlands over the lychgate arch and the arch of the porch. It was only when close could I see the flowers were knitted.
When I returned the key, the bloke asked what I did (with the photos).
I explained, and then told me in a broad Midlands accent two double barrelled named churches nearby that were good. I didn't catch their real name, but a third sounded easy enough: Haw Cross.
But it wasn't Haw Cross or Hawcross.
Nor was it Haugh Cross.
It was Hoar Cross.
I found that on the sat nav and set off back in the general direction of Burton. Which was perfect.
I was lead across the Wolds, along at one point a narrow lane that went straight as an arrow for five miles, over a series of blind summits, through woods until it came to a junction, just shy of Hoar Cross.
Into Hoar Cross, past the pub on the crossroads with the finest pre-warboys finger post I have ever seen, though I didn't stop for shots as I was in a hurry: it was five past eleven and I hadn't found the church.
I went north, east and west out of the village and saw no sign of a church or a church lane.
And then, on the hill overlooking the village, I saw a tower. Modern, well, 20th century perhaps, but a church, and just a hundred yards beyond where I had turned round.
Holy Angels sits beside what counts as the main road in those parts, what little traffic there is motors past. But beyond a Boston Ivy overed wall and brick lychgate, the church rises, impressive in the autumn sunshine.
Inside it is stunning. Grade I listed, beloved by Betjeman and the highest of high Anglican churches.
I only had a matter of minutes, but this is a seriously impressive church: full of light, he smell of incense lingering, stations of the cross on all outside walls, and as a whole church, is nearly as impressive as Cheadle.
Nearly.
I hated to leave, but I had twenty minutes before I was due to be at the Arboretum.
Down the main street, onto an A road, doubling back towards Burton, then picking up signs directing the way, over a main road and railway, across some marshes and there it was.
Packed.
The parking ticket I bought had said sternly not to arrive before your allotted time. Many knew better and ignored this, so the main car park was full, so had to use the overflow beside the landfill site, then walk back.
Inside the main building a table had been set up for those attending. I signed in, and received a program and small token. I looked around.
No one I knew.
Still.
I bought a drink, sat outside and dozens of people around me and more arriving had our trade tie on, or the waistcoat. Some in uniform too, still serving.
But no one I knew.
I ambled down to the site of the ceremony, more folks milling around. Still no one I knew.
I took shots and enjoyed the moment.
I spied one person I know, another Ian, so I went and we shook hands. He also knew few folks. We chatted and caught up on a decade and a half's news since we last met in Lincoln.
Mark arrived.
He was nervous, as he was the play The Last Post (Taps) prior to the two minute's silence, so he went off to practice quietly, if quiet is a thing you do to a bugle.
One more person I know, though many others knew dozens of other attendees.
A serving Sergeant saw my camera and asked if I would supply him with shots for BFBS, so I did my best. But there were so many people getting a clear view was impossible.
At one, half an hour late, the ceremony began, with a former CO of mine doing the introductions before an Air Commodore, ex-Armourer, read the dedication covering a history of the trade and how family-like our trade is:
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, It’s a real privilege to speak to you today about a group of professionals whose contribution to the Royal Air Force has been, AND REMAINS, vital and that is the Royal Air Force Armourer. Versatile, ingenious and relentlessly loyal, the Armourer is a strange creature! From the forward edge of the battle line disposing of bombs and munitions, to the comfortable warmth of the armoury and bay, through the enduring domination of the line hut amongst the lesser trades to the demands of the bomb dump, we are unique and ferociously proud bunch.
From the earliest days of the RAF in 1918, through two world wars, the Cold War, and across every conflict through to the 21st century, Armourers have stood at the sharp end of conflict —enabling decisive and battle winning Air Power and combat effect when called upon.
That history is marked around us today, in this most important and impressive National Memorial Arboretum. And it is against this backdrop that I felt it worth taking a moment to
reflect on our history, highlight our evolution, and celebrate the critical role armourers continues to play in the modern RAF.
The story of the RAF Armourer begins even before the Royal Air Force itself. In the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service employed men trained to handle and maintain machine guns, bombs, and ammunition fitted to fragile biplanes.
When the RAF was founded in April 1918, as the world’s first independent air force, the need for dedicated tradesmen to manage weapons was clear. Early aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel carried Lewis or Vickers guns, with bombs literally dropped by hand in some cases. Armourers were the ones who kept those weapons firing, safe, and effective. More importantly it was the crafty and ingenious armourer who created new and novel ways to win the fight.
They weren’t just technicians; they were pioneers in a new form of warfare.
They had to innovate, often under fire, solving problems that had never been faced before in aviation history.
By the time of the Second World War, the role of Armourers had grown enormously. The RAF’s bomber fleets—Wellingtons, Lancasters, Halifax’s—and its fighters—Spitfires, Hurricanes, and later Tempests and Typhoons—all relied on Armourers.
It was the Armourers who loaded the .303 Browning machine guns on the Battle of Britain’s fighters, often working under pressure, at night, and in all weather. It was the Armourers who fitted the bombs, sometimes Grand Slam and Blockbuster bombs into the belly of the heavy bombers before raids over occupied Europe. And it was Armourers who adapted quickly to new technology, such as rockets and early guided weapons.
Perhaps what is most striking from this era is the relentless pace. A returning Lancaster would land, the aircrew would debrief, and the Armourers would already be preparing it for the next mission. They worked under blackout conditions, often with little rest, knowing that the success of the next sortie depended on their skill and dedication.
After 1945, as Britain entered the nuclear age, the Armourer’s trade evolved again. The RAF was now responsible for weapons of unprecedented destructive power. Armourers were trained to handle and prepare nuclear bombs such as Blue Danube and WE.177, as well as conventional ordnance.
The Cold War also saw the introduction of jet aircraft like the Vulcan, Lightning, and later the Tornado. With these came new weapons—air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and
electronic countermeasures. Armourers had to adapt constantly, mastering advanced technologies while never losing sight of the basics: safety, reliability, and effectiveness.
This period also saw the RAF Armourer community establish a reputation for professionalism around the world. Whether on Quick Reaction Alert at home, deployed in Germany, or stationed further afield, Armourers were essential to Britain’s ability to project power and deter threats.
And let us not forget the Falklands War, whether embarked on HMS Hermes and Invincible with the Harrier Force, preparing the Black Buck raids for their critical and strategic attack on Stanley or on the ground in the most austere and extremely dangerous conditions clearing air delivered munitions, the RAF Armourer once again demonstrated their professionalism and utility.
The end of the Cold War did not mean the end of conflict. From the Gulf War in 1991 through to operations in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and more recently in the Middle East, RAF Armourers have remained on the front line. Many of you here today served and fought in those campaigns.
The armourer of today handles weapons which are far more sophisticated than their predecessors: precision-guided bombs, next generation missiles, cruise missiles, and more.
But the essence of the job remains the same, ensuring that when aircrew press the button, the weapon performs as intended.
On operations, Armourers are the bridge between engineering and combat. They work long hours in heat, dust, or freezing conditions to prepare aircraft at short notice. They are also problem solvers—often improvising solutions to keep aircraft mission-ready in austere conditions. Not to mention often establishing the first bar in Theatre!
So, what does an Armourer do today? In the modern RAF, they are trained across a wide spectrum. Like those who came before them, they handle conventional bombs and missiles,
aircraft gun systems, countermeasures like flares and chaff, and ejection seats.
On the ground, they serve in expeditionary support roles, providing the capability to deploy weapons and aircraft anywhere in the world. On operations, they are part of integrated teams that keep the RAF’s fast jets, helicopters, and transport aircraft ready for action. At the heart of
modern Agile Combat Employment. And just to quash the rumour, we may even still have some Airfield EOD cutting about, perhaps one for a chat for over a beer…..
Today’s Armourers are not just weapons technicians—they are ambassadors of RAF professionalism. They deploy alongside allies, often sharing their expertise and learning from
others. They bring a blend of tradition and modern skill, embodying both the heritage of the trade and its future. And much like those early armourers behind the WW1 trenches in Europe, they are also at the heart of prototype warfare, ensuring we can continue to destroy our
adversaries wherever they may be in new and innovative ways.
If there’s one thing that connects the Armourers of 1918 with those serving today, it is a sense of responsibility. Handling live ordnance demands absolute precision, discipline, and integrity.
There is no room for error.
But there’s also a deep camaraderie within the trade. Anyone who has worked alongside Armourers will tell you about their humour, resilience, and pride. They may joke about being the
“last to let you down”— a nod to their role with ejection seats — but behind that humour lies a serious commitment to keeping aircrew safe and the mission successful.
Our history is full of untold stories: people working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the RAF can deliver air power when it matters most.
The RAF Armourer’s trade has evolved over more than a century, from fitting Lewis guns to biplanes, to loading smart weapons onto the Typhoon and F-35 Lightning. Through every era of RAF history, they have adapted, innovated, and excelled.
They are a vital link in the chain of air power—a chain that connects the engineer on the line, the pilot in the cockpit, and the strategic effect delivered on operations.
As we look to the future—with the growth of uncrewed systems, directed energy weapons, and ever more complex technology—one thing is certain: the RAF will continue to rely on the professionalism and expertise of its Armourers.
So today, let us not only recognise their history, but also celebrate their ongoing role in defending our nation.
In closing, I would also like to take a moment to thank Squadron Leader Mick Haygarth and the team, alongside all of those that contributed to bring this memorial to life, as a symbol of commemoration and also as a celebration of everything this proud trade continues to deliver for
the RAF and Defence.
As many of you know, the father of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Lord Trenchard, held the trade in exceptionally high regard, exemplifying his vision of a highly trained technical workforce, who could keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. And perhaps it was this that
led him to famously state that “Without Armament, there is no need for an Air Force” or perhaps words to that effect……
Ladies and Gentleman, when my grandfather and armourer, Chief Technician Bill Michie, inspired me to join the Royal Air Force as an Armourer, I was privileged to become part of a
wider family which revelled in its history, accomplishments and kinship. While my career has moved on, I will always remain an Armourer and it is with that in mind that I am hugely moved
and proud to join with you here today to unveil this memorial and celebration of our family, our kin and our future, The Royal Air Force Armourer.
Thank you."
No Thank you, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson.
Mark sounded the bugle, the standards were lowered, and a silence fell on the place. We stood to remember those we have lost over the years.
One final prayer, then the Lord's Prayer, and it was over.
I looked around, still just three people I knew. Should I stay for the evening's get together in the local 'Spoons, or go home early and be home this evening?
I worked out the route and timings, and thought I would miss rush hour's in the local area, get past Cambridge by about half four and be on the M25 by half five, and be home by half six-ish.
So I drive to the hotel, checked out, grabbed my stuff from the room and threw it in the back of the car.
I programmed the sat nav for home, and it guided me south out of town until I joined the M6 Toll, then south on the M6 before turning off on the A14 again.
A glorious day for driving, and the road was fairly clear until about ten miles shy of the A1 junction, but beyond that it was three lane roads and driving at the speed limit as I pressed on to Cambridge then down the M11.
No hold ups, no jams certainly, even turning onto the M25 wasn't the stressful event it usually is. I made it to Dartford by five, the sun now low in the west, it was in golden light as I reached the midway point of the bridge and entered The Garden of England again.
I stopped off at Burger King in town for supper. I had their Wagyu burger, the most expensive take away burger in UK history, as I had seen a few folks on Facebook try it.
I got Jools a spicy chicken burger, as well as onion rings, cheesy chilli bites, and BBQ chicken fingers.
No fries.
Back home to eat and catch up.
How was the £11 burger?
It was OK.
Just OK.
I had unpacking to do, and then sort my pictures out and begin to write all about it. Whilst listening to football.
But I was back home.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Built of warm-toned sandstone, medieval St Michael's elegant spire is seen above the trees, in rolling wooded countryside, where the boundaries of four counties meet. Nearby are earthworks of former settlements, but now only a few scattered houses remain.
With late eighteenth-century box pews and other fittings, but with no major Victorian restoration, it is an uncommon survival of a medieval church where time has stood still. There are good bosses in the roof and a fine incised alabaster slab.
www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/our-churches/st-michaels-c...
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Most of the fabric in the church dates from the 14th century. The tower was added in the 15th century, and the clerestory in the following century. More alterations were made in the following three centuries. The spire was rebuilt in 1889, and in 1911 a restoration was carried out by Christopher Spalding.[3] After it was declared redundant, the church was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust.
The church is constructed in local sandstone.[3] Its plan consists of a nave with a north aisle and a south porch, a chancel, and a west tower. The tower is in two stages. In the lower stage is a west Perpendicular window, and the upper stage contains a single-light bell opening on each side. The parapet is battlemented, and on top of the tower is a recessed spire. The nave has a plain parapet and its arched windows have been divided by central mullions. The five windows in the clerestory are square-headed, and are also divided into two lights by mullions. The north aisle has windows, some of which are blocked, and a doorway, also blocked, under a Tudor arch. The chancel has a battlemented parapet with pinnacles, and a Perpendicular five-light east window.
Between the nave and the north aisle is a three-bay arcade. In the wall of the aisle are the remnants of a tomb recess with pinnacles. The church is floored with square brick tiles. All the windows contain leaded lights.[1] The timber roof has bosses and carved grotesque figures.[4] The chancel arch appears to be made of stone, but it is in fact wooden and covered with stucco, giving it the appearance of stone.[3][4] The church contains a full set of 18th-century box pews, and a chancel rail with turned balusters from the same period. The font dates from about 1662.[1] The memorials include a carved alabaster grave slab to Richard Savage who died in 1489, and his wife, Agnes.[4] There is a brass tablet giving thanks for the fact that eleven men from the Parish went to the Great War of 1914 to 1918 and all eleven returned making Stretton en le Field one of the Thankful Villages.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Michael%27s_Church,_Stretton_en_...
Not much chance of that... if you don't like the purple Yahoo! mini navigation tool bar recently added to the top of flickr pages, then be sure to express your opinion in the [Acknowledged] Yahoo Navigation Bar discussion thread. Some bugs deserve to be quashed before they are forever in our face! NB13132
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Sir John Ingleby (1434-1499) built the castle gatehouse and married a great heiress, but later took holy orders and became a monk at Mount Grace Priory. A later Ingilby, Sir William, helped quash the Rising of the North in 1568, even though his two sons were among the rebels. One of the sons, Francis, became a priest and was captured and executed when he returned to England in 1585.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person based in Kent who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them but just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
I woke at six after a fairly good night's sleep. Had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast, hoping to meet more old colleagues.
There are at least three and a half thousand current and former RAF Armourers, so the chance of meeting more I knew during the day seemed high.
As it was, there was just one other person in the semi-dark restaurant. And although there was food, it was limp and barely warm. Still, it was included in the cost of the room, so I filled by boots with fruit, yogurt, sausage and bacon, and a croissant with one of the four cups of coffee I had.
We were due to meet at half twelve, meaning I had maybe three hours to fill.
With churches.
The Church Conservation Trust is a great organisation, and their churches, although redundant, are open ten to four daily.
There was one less than ten miles away, so it was there I drove first. Out of Burton, going against the heavy traffic which tailed back some two miles over the series of roundabouts and traffic lights.
Back into the country, and down another dead end lane to Streeton-en-le-Field.
A heavy dew lay on the ground, and parkland stretched back towards Burton. Trees stood still against the blue sky, again their foliage, though mostly green, was turning golden brown at the edges of their leaves.
I walk through the churchyard, into the porch and pushed the door. It opened though I was twenty minutes early, but that was because the door had been forced and the lock broken.
Sigh.
Though no damage had been done, at least to my eyes, it is a shame that people treat our historic buildings thus.
I take my shots of the building. It must have been quite ruinous at some point recently, as windows had been blocked up, and the chancel arch rebuilt too using the same simple stones.
Functional, but not pretty.
Once done, I went back to the car and programmed the National Memorial Arboretum, 12 miles away, and set off.
At least I was lead across country. Maybe, I thought, I might pass a church or two on the way.
The road wiggled through the countryside, but came in time to a leafy village called Lullington. The handsome church overlooked the village green, the phone box now a library of sorts.
I parked and went to try the church door. It was locked, but on the board there was a named keyholder, so I called and Mrs Cooper said I could have the key, she lived in the long white building opposite.
It was almost a mansion, and her handyman was tending her flower beds. I went to knock, but he asked me what I wanted, and when I explained he went inside to pick up the key and hand it to me.
The church, although handsome, held no great treasures, though is obviously loved, with knitted flowers woven into garlands over the lychgate arch and the arch of the porch. It was only when close could I see the flowers were knitted.
When I returned the key, the bloke asked what I did (with the photos).
I explained, and then told me in a broad Midlands accent two double barrelled named churches nearby that were good. I didn't catch their real name, but a third sounded easy enough: Haw Cross.
But it wasn't Haw Cross or Hawcross.
Nor was it Haugh Cross.
It was Hoar Cross.
I found that on the sat nav and set off back in the general direction of Burton. Which was perfect.
I was lead across the Wolds, along at one point a narrow lane that went straight as an arrow for five miles, over a series of blind summits, through woods until it came to a junction, just shy of Hoar Cross.
Into Hoar Cross, past the pub on the crossroads with the finest pre-warboys finger post I have ever seen, though I didn't stop for shots as I was in a hurry: it was five past eleven and I hadn't found the church.
I went north, east and west out of the village and saw no sign of a church or a church lane.
And then, on the hill overlooking the village, I saw a tower. Modern, well, 20th century perhaps, but a church, and just a hundred yards beyond where I had turned round.
Holy Angels sits beside what counts as the main road in those parts, what little traffic there is motors past. But beyond a Boston Ivy overed wall and brick lychgate, the church rises, impressive in the autumn sunshine.
Inside it is stunning. Grade I listed, beloved by Betjeman and the highest of high Anglican churches.
I only had a matter of minutes, but this is a seriously impressive church: full of light, he smell of incense lingering, stations of the cross on all outside walls, and as a whole church, is nearly as impressive as Cheadle.
Nearly.
I hated to leave, but I had twenty minutes before I was due to be at the Arboretum.
Down the main street, onto an A road, doubling back towards Burton, then picking up signs directing the way, over a main road and railway, across some marshes and there it was.
Packed.
The parking ticket I bought had said sternly not to arrive before your allotted time. Many knew better and ignored this, so the main car park was full, so had to use the overflow beside the landfill site, then walk back.
Inside the main building a table had been set up for those attending. I signed in, and received a program and small token. I looked around.
No one I knew.
Still.
I bought a drink, sat outside and dozens of people around me and more arriving had our trade tie on, or the waistcoat. Some in uniform too, still serving.
But no one I knew.
I ambled down to the site of the ceremony, more folks milling around. Still no one I knew.
I took shots and enjoyed the moment.
I spied one person I know, another Ian, so I went and we shook hands. He also knew few folks. We chatted and caught up on a decade and a half's news since we last met in Lincoln.
Mark arrived.
He was nervous, as he was the play The Last Post (Taps) prior to the two minute's silence, so he went off to practice quietly, if quiet is a thing you do to a bugle.
One more person I know, though many others knew dozens of other attendees.
A serving Sergeant saw my camera and asked if I would supply him with shots for BFBS, so I did my best. But there were so many people getting a clear view was impossible.
At one, half an hour late, the ceremony began, with a former CO of mine doing the introductions before an Air Commodore, ex-Armourer, read the dedication covering a history of the trade and how family-like our trade is:
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, It’s a real privilege to speak to you today about a group of professionals whose contribution to the Royal Air Force has been, AND REMAINS, vital and that is the Royal Air Force Armourer. Versatile, ingenious and relentlessly loyal, the Armourer is a strange creature! From the forward edge of the battle line disposing of bombs and munitions, to the comfortable warmth of the armoury and bay, through the enduring domination of the line hut amongst the lesser trades to the demands of the bomb dump, we are unique and ferociously proud bunch.
From the earliest days of the RAF in 1918, through two world wars, the Cold War, and across every conflict through to the 21st century, Armourers have stood at the sharp end of conflict —enabling decisive and battle winning Air Power and combat effect when called upon.
That history is marked around us today, in this most important and impressive National Memorial Arboretum. And it is against this backdrop that I felt it worth taking a moment to
reflect on our history, highlight our evolution, and celebrate the critical role armourers continues to play in the modern RAF.
The story of the RAF Armourer begins even before the Royal Air Force itself. In the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service employed men trained to handle and maintain machine guns, bombs, and ammunition fitted to fragile biplanes.
When the RAF was founded in April 1918, as the world’s first independent air force, the need for dedicated tradesmen to manage weapons was clear. Early aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel carried Lewis or Vickers guns, with bombs literally dropped by hand in some cases. Armourers were the ones who kept those weapons firing, safe, and effective. More importantly it was the crafty and ingenious armourer who created new and novel ways to win the fight.
They weren’t just technicians; they were pioneers in a new form of warfare.
They had to innovate, often under fire, solving problems that had never been faced before in aviation history.
By the time of the Second World War, the role of Armourers had grown enormously. The RAF’s bomber fleets—Wellingtons, Lancasters, Halifax’s—and its fighters—Spitfires, Hurricanes, and later Tempests and Typhoons—all relied on Armourers.
It was the Armourers who loaded the .303 Browning machine guns on the Battle of Britain’s fighters, often working under pressure, at night, and in all weather. It was the Armourers who fitted the bombs, sometimes Grand Slam and Blockbuster bombs into the belly of the heavy bombers before raids over occupied Europe. And it was Armourers who adapted quickly to new technology, such as rockets and early guided weapons.
Perhaps what is most striking from this era is the relentless pace. A returning Lancaster would land, the aircrew would debrief, and the Armourers would already be preparing it for the next mission. They worked under blackout conditions, often with little rest, knowing that the success of the next sortie depended on their skill and dedication.
After 1945, as Britain entered the nuclear age, the Armourer’s trade evolved again. The RAF was now responsible for weapons of unprecedented destructive power. Armourers were trained to handle and prepare nuclear bombs such as Blue Danube and WE.177, as well as conventional ordnance.
The Cold War also saw the introduction of jet aircraft like the Vulcan, Lightning, and later the Tornado. With these came new weapons—air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and
electronic countermeasures. Armourers had to adapt constantly, mastering advanced technologies while never losing sight of the basics: safety, reliability, and effectiveness.
This period also saw the RAF Armourer community establish a reputation for professionalism around the world. Whether on Quick Reaction Alert at home, deployed in Germany, or stationed further afield, Armourers were essential to Britain’s ability to project power and deter threats.
And let us not forget the Falklands War, whether embarked on HMS Hermes and Invincible with the Harrier Force, preparing the Black Buck raids for their critical and strategic attack on Stanley or on the ground in the most austere and extremely dangerous conditions clearing air delivered munitions, the RAF Armourer once again demonstrated their professionalism and utility.
The end of the Cold War did not mean the end of conflict. From the Gulf War in 1991 through to operations in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and more recently in the Middle East, RAF Armourers have remained on the front line. Many of you here today served and fought in those campaigns.
The armourer of today handles weapons which are far more sophisticated than their predecessors: precision-guided bombs, next generation missiles, cruise missiles, and more.
But the essence of the job remains the same, ensuring that when aircrew press the button, the weapon performs as intended.
On operations, Armourers are the bridge between engineering and combat. They work long hours in heat, dust, or freezing conditions to prepare aircraft at short notice. They are also problem solvers—often improvising solutions to keep aircraft mission-ready in austere conditions. Not to mention often establishing the first bar in Theatre!
So, what does an Armourer do today? In the modern RAF, they are trained across a wide spectrum. Like those who came before them, they handle conventional bombs and missiles,
aircraft gun systems, countermeasures like flares and chaff, and ejection seats.
On the ground, they serve in expeditionary support roles, providing the capability to deploy weapons and aircraft anywhere in the world. On operations, they are part of integrated teams that keep the RAF’s fast jets, helicopters, and transport aircraft ready for action. At the heart of
modern Agile Combat Employment. And just to quash the rumour, we may even still have some Airfield EOD cutting about, perhaps one for a chat for over a beer…..
Today’s Armourers are not just weapons technicians—they are ambassadors of RAF professionalism. They deploy alongside allies, often sharing their expertise and learning from
others. They bring a blend of tradition and modern skill, embodying both the heritage of the trade and its future. And much like those early armourers behind the WW1 trenches in Europe, they are also at the heart of prototype warfare, ensuring we can continue to destroy our
adversaries wherever they may be in new and innovative ways.
If there’s one thing that connects the Armourers of 1918 with those serving today, it is a sense of responsibility. Handling live ordnance demands absolute precision, discipline, and integrity.
There is no room for error.
But there’s also a deep camaraderie within the trade. Anyone who has worked alongside Armourers will tell you about their humour, resilience, and pride. They may joke about being the
“last to let you down”— a nod to their role with ejection seats — but behind that humour lies a serious commitment to keeping aircrew safe and the mission successful.
Our history is full of untold stories: people working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that the RAF can deliver air power when it matters most.
The RAF Armourer’s trade has evolved over more than a century, from fitting Lewis guns to biplanes, to loading smart weapons onto the Typhoon and F-35 Lightning. Through every era of RAF history, they have adapted, innovated, and excelled.
They are a vital link in the chain of air power—a chain that connects the engineer on the line, the pilot in the cockpit, and the strategic effect delivered on operations.
As we look to the future—with the growth of uncrewed systems, directed energy weapons, and ever more complex technology—one thing is certain: the RAF will continue to rely on the professionalism and expertise of its Armourers.
So today, let us not only recognise their history, but also celebrate their ongoing role in defending our nation.
In closing, I would also like to take a moment to thank Squadron Leader Mick Haygarth and the team, alongside all of those that contributed to bring this memorial to life, as a symbol of commemoration and also as a celebration of everything this proud trade continues to deliver for
the RAF and Defence.
As many of you know, the father of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Lord Trenchard, held the trade in exceptionally high regard, exemplifying his vision of a highly trained technical workforce, who could keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. And perhaps it was this that
led him to famously state that “Without Armament, there is no need for an Air Force” or perhaps words to that effect……
Ladies and Gentleman, when my grandfather and armourer, Chief Technician Bill Michie, inspired me to join the Royal Air Force as an Armourer, I was privileged to become part of a
wider family which revelled in its history, accomplishments and kinship. While my career has moved on, I will always remain an Armourer and it is with that in mind that I am hugely moved
and proud to join with you here today to unveil this memorial and celebration of our family, our kin and our future, The Royal Air Force Armourer.
Thank you."
No Thank you, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson.
Mark sounded the bugle, the standards were lowered, and a silence fell on the place. We stood to remember those we have lost over the years.
One final prayer, then the Lord's Prayer, and it was over.
I looked around, still just three people I knew. Should I stay for the evening's get together in the local 'Spoons, or go home early and be home this evening?
I worked out the route and timings, and thought I would miss rush hour's in the local area, get past Cambridge by about half four and be on the M25 by half five, and be home by half six-ish.
So I drive to the hotel, checked out, grabbed my stuff from the room and threw it in the back of the car.
I programmed the sat nav for home, and it guided me south out of town until I joined the M6 Toll, then south on the M6 before turning off on the A14 again.
A glorious day for driving, and the road was fairly clear until about ten miles shy of the A1 junction, but beyond that it was three lane roads and driving at the speed limit as I pressed on to Cambridge then down the M11.
No hold ups, no jams certainly, even turning onto the M25 wasn't the stressful event it usually is. I made it to Dartford by five, the sun now low in the west, it was in golden light as I reached the midway point of the bridge and entered The Garden of England again.
I stopped off at Burger King in town for supper. I had their Wagyu burger, the most expensive take away burger in UK history, as I had seen a few folks on Facebook try it.
I got Jools a spicy chicken burger, as well as onion rings, cheesy chilli bites, and BBQ chicken fingers.
No fries.
Back home to eat and catch up.
How was the £11 burger?
It was OK.
Just OK.
I had unpacking to do, and then sort my pictures out and begin to write all about it. Whilst listening to football.
But I was back home.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was built by the pious Anglo-Catholic, Emily Charlotte Meynell Ingram (sister of Charles Wood, 2nd Viscount Halifax) in memory of Hugo Francis Meynell Ingram who died in May 1871. The architects were George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner. Work started in 1872 and the church dedication took place on 22 April 1876.[1] Further extension and additions took place until the church achieved its present form in 1906.
John Betjeman described the church as "the masterpiece of its late Victorian architect G.F. Bodley" and "great architecture; original, well massed, well sited, well detailed; very English"
From 2008, the Church received alternative episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, as the parish does not accept the ordination of women to the priesthood or episcopate. This oversight was transferred in 2023 to the Bishop of Oswestry.
Israel is the only “free” country in the Middle East, according to a new report that ranks the world’s nations. In its annual report, the U.S.-based Freedom House said “Israel remains the region’s only free country,” a ranking that is disputed by the country’s critics who say Israel’s democratic values are slowly eroding.
Freedom House acknowledged but then dismissed those critics, saying, “In recent years, controversies have surrounded proposed laws that threatened freedom of expression and the rights of civil society organizations, [but] in most cases, these measures have either been quashed by the government or parliament, or struck down by the Supreme Court.”
In contrast, states under Hamas or Palestinian Authority rule were ranked as “not free,” as were many of Israel’s neighbors. The report – which ranks the world’s nations by political rights and civil liberties – labeled both Jordan and Syria as “not free,” and Egypt and Lebanon as “partly free.” Two of the world’s “worst of the worst” countries were in the region: Saudi Arabia and Syria.
Among other states in the Middle East, Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen all also received the “not free” ranking, while Tunisia, Kuwait, Libya, Turkey and Morocco were defined as “partly free.”
The hunger and thirst for freedom is not just an American value, but something that God has placed within the hearts of men and women everywhere. The scriptures remind us that true freedom can only be found in a relationship with God; anything else is a false freedom. Pray that many living in the Middle East will find this true freedom while they struggle for political and personal freedom as well.
For more on this story, visit: Jerusalem Prayer Team Articles Page.
LIKE and SHARE this story to encourage others to pray for peace in Jerusalem, and leave your own PRAYERS and COMMENTS below.
--------------------
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Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them but just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them, but, just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.
Some of you may have noticed that, unfortunately, owing to the fact that a certain person based in Kent who sells truck photos on eBay commercially has been lifting my images from this album and selling them I have had to remove 2300 photos that didn't have a watermark. I have now run around 1700 through Lightroom and added a watermark with the intention of bulk uploading them again. Rather than watermark the existing (hidden) files in Flickr one at a time it will be easier to do it this way. I definitely won’t be adding individual tags with the make and model of each vehicle I will just add generic transport tags. Each photo is named after the vehicle and reg in any case. For anyone new to these images there is a chapter and verse explanation below. It is staggering how many times I get asked questions that a quick scan would answer or just as likely I can’t possibly answer – I didn’t take them but just to clarify-I do own the copyright- and I do pursue copyright theft.
This is a collection of scanned prints from a collection of photographs taken by the late Jim Taylor A number of years ago I was offered a large number of photographs taken by Jim Taylor, a transport photographer based in Huddersfield. The collection, 30,000 prints, 20,000 negatives – and copyright! – had been offered to me and one of the national transport magazines previously by a friend of Jim's, on behalf of Jim's wife. I initially turned them down, already having over 30,000 of my own prints filed away and taking space up. Several months later the prints were still for sale – at what was, apparently, the going rate. It was a lot of money and I deliberated for quite a while before deciding to buy them. I did however buy them directly from Jim’s wife and she delivered them personally – just to quash the occasional rumour from people who can’t mind their own business. Although some prints were sold elsewhere, particularly the popular big fleet stuff, I should have the negatives, unfortunately they came to me in a random mix, 1200 to a box, without any sort of indexing and as such it would be impossible to match negatives to prints, or, to even find a print of any particular vehicle. I have only ever looked at a handful myself unless I am scanning them. The prints are generally in excellent condition and I initially stored them in a bedroom without ever looking at any of them. In 2006 I built an extension and they had to be well protected from dust and moved a few times. Ultimately my former 6x7 box room office has become their (and my own work’s) permanent home.
I hope to avoid posting images that Jim had not taken his self, however should I inadvertently infringe another photographers copyright, please inform me by email and I will resolve the issue immediately. There are copyright issues with some of the photographs that were sold to me. A Flickr member from Scotland drew my attention to some of his own work amongst the first uploads of Jim’s work. I had a quick look through some of the 30 boxes of prints and decided that for the time being the safest thing for me to do was withdraw the majority of the earlier uploaded scans and deal with the problem – which I did. whilst the vast majority of the prints are Jims, there is a problem defining copyright of some of them, this is something that the seller did not make clear at the time. I am reasonably confident that I have since been successful in identifying Jims own work. His early work consists of many thousands of lustre 6x4 prints which are difficult to scan well, later work is almost entirely 7x5 glossy, much easier to scan. Not all of the prints are pin sharp but I can generally print successfully to A4 from a scan.
You may notice photographs being duplicated in this Album, unfortunately there are multiple copies of many prints (for swapping) and as I have to have a system of archiving and backing up I can only guess - using memory - if I have scanned a print before. The bigger fleets have so many similar vehicles and registration numbers that it is impossible to get it right all of the time. It is easier to scan and process a print than check my files - on three different PC’s - for duplicates. There has not been, nor will there ever be, any intention to knowingly breach anyone else's copyright. I have presented the Jim Taylor collection as exactly that-The Jim Taylor Collection- his work not mine, my own work is quite obviously mine.
Unfortunately, many truck spotters have swapped and traded their work without copyright marking it as theirs. These people never anticipated the ease with which images would be shared online in the future. I would guess that having swapped and traded photos for many years that it is almost impossible to control their future use. Anyone wanting to control the future use of their work would have been well advised to copyright mark their work (as many did) and would be well advised not to post them on photo sharing sites without a watermark as the whole point of these sites is to share the image, it is very easy for those that wish, to lift any image, despite security settings, indeed, Flickr itself, warns you that this is the case. It was this abuse and theft of my material that led me to watermark all of my later uploads. I may yet withdraw non-watermarked photos, I haven’t decided yet. (I did in the end)
To anyone reading the above it will be quite obvious that I can’t provide information regarding specific photos or potential future uploads – I didn’t take them! There are many vehicles that were well known to me as Jim only lived down the road from me (although I didn’t know him), however scanning, titling, tagging and uploading is laborious and time consuming enough, I do however provide a fair amount of information with my own transport (and other) photos. I am aware that there are requests from other Flickr users that are unanswered, I stumble across them months or years after they were posted, this isn’t deliberate. Some weekends one or two “enthusiasts” can add many hundreds of photos as favourites, this pushes requests that are in the comments section ten or twenty pages out of sight and I miss them. I also have notifications switched off, I receive around 50 emails a day through work and I don’t want even more from Flickr. Other requests, like many other things, I just plain forget – no excuses! Uploads of Jim’s photos will be infrequent as it is a boring pastime and I would much rather work on my own output.