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Came back from work to find the Stormies attempting a raid on the chocolate easter eggs. Think they'll need a bigger wheelbarrow!
Le Raid 4L Trophy est un raid automobile solidaire destiné aux jeunes de moins de 28 ans et couru exclusivement en Renault 4. Créé par Jean-Jacques Rey en 1997, il est organisé par l'entreprise Desertours en partenariat avec l'École supérieure de commerce de Rennes.
Le Raid 4L Trophy a lieu chaque année, au mois de février. Les participants (environ 2 500 personnes âgés de 18 à 28 ans) disputent cette course d'orientation. Le parcours, d'environ 6 000 km, traverse la France, l’Espagne et le Maroc. Le départ a lieu à Biarritz, puis les équipages traversent librement l'Espagne jusqu'à Algésiras et prennent le ferry pour le Maroc, où les épreuves du raid commencent. Le parcours présente plusieurs étapes dont certaines autour des dunes de Merzouga et dans l'Atlas, pour mener jusqu'à Marrakech. Les participants roulent la journée, en se guidant avec un roadbook et une boussole. Ils se rassemblent le soir dans un bivouac prévu par l'organisation. Les deux derniers jours d'épreuves constituent l'étape « marathon », où les participants établissent leur bivouac en autonomie. Au cours de ce voyage, les participants transportent des fournitures scolaires et sportives, qui sont redistribuées aux enfants du sud marocain à l'arrivée. Chaque équipage est classé en fonction du nombre de kilomètres réalisés pour passer par chaque point de contrôle du parcours, l'objectif étant d'en parcourir le moins possible.
The Raid 4L Trophy is a solidarity automobile raid intended for young people under 28 and raced exclusively in Renault 4. Created by Jean-Jacques Rey in 1997, it is organized by the company Desertours in partnership with the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce of Rennes. The Raid 4L Trophy takes place every year in February. The participants (about 2,500 people aged 18 to 28) compete in this orienteering race. The route, approximately 6,000 km, crosses France, Spain and Morocco. The start takes place in Biarritz, then the crews travel freely through Spain to Algeciras and take the ferry to Morocco, where the trials of the raid begin. The route presents several stages, some of which around the dunes of Merzouga and in the Atlas, to lead to Marrakech. Participants ride the day, guided by a roadbook and a compass. They gather in the evening in a bivouac provided by the organization. The last two days of events constitute the “marathon” stage, where the participants set up their bivouac independently. During this trip, participants carry school and sports supplies, which are redistributed to children in southern Morocco on arrival. Each crew is classified according to the number of kilometers made to pass through each checkpoint on the course, the objective being to cover as few as possible.
This is an old shot I took of my friend. I was trying some different post production stuff out and this is what I came up with.
Strobist:
AB1600 in Large Octabox camera right
AB800 low in beauty dish with sock camera left
AB800 bare camera left for key
AB800 bare camera right for key
Triggered by Cybersyncs
Durant 2 jours, cette compétition va regrouper 160 équipages au milieu des îles et des forts parsemant la célèbre Baie des Corsaires.
Cette épreuve sous forme de raid côtier est ouverte aux catamarans de sport catégories de 16 à 21 pieds (Formule 18, Intersérie C0-C1,Hobie-Cat 16).
This image has been digitised from Queensland State Archives, Series ID S2149: Railway Glass Plate Negatives - Queensland Rail Heritage Collection. It is one of the images depicting the many stations, bridges and tracks that people and goods travelled from, on and through all over the Queensland Rail network.
Roma Street Railway Station occupies a 0.55ha site within the extensive Roma Street Station transit complex, located on the western side of the Brisbane central business district. The substantial masonry station building (1875) is set back from and faces Roma Street (although partially obscured by later development), and has a prominent centred entrance to the front (south) and a platform along the rear (north). A later platform and awning to the south is associated with the former Country Station development (1939/40).
Features of Roma Street Railway Station of state-level cultural heritage significance are:
Station building (1875)
Platform (1875)
Country Station platform and awning (1939)
Views
The state-level periods of significance of the place are layered and relate to its origins and use as a passenger station (1875-1940) and railway design, traffic and management offices (1875-1974), and the establishment of the former Country Station (1939/40).
A large iron-roofed shelter (c1980) to the east of the station, small buildings to the west, and a lift, stairs and escalators accessing the modern subway below, are not of state-level cultural heritage significance.
The Roma Street Railway Station was opened in 1875 as the first Brisbane Terminal Station for use on the Brisbane end of the Southern and Western Railway Line from Ipswich. The two-storey station building was designed by Francis Drummond Greville (FDG) Stanley, the Colonial Architect and Superintendent of Public Buildings, in 1873 and built over the next two years by Brisbane builder, John Petrie. The station operated as the Brisbane terminal station until 1889, as a major passenger and administration station until 1940, and Brisbane’s primary railway goods facility until 1991. It served as offices for the Queensland Railway Department (later Queensland Railways, later Queensland Rail) staff for over 100 years, and is the one of the oldest surviving railway buildings in Queensland.
In the Australian colonies, governments fostered the development of railways as a means of developing the country and encouraging settlement. It was argued that rail would reduce freight costs and save travel time for passengers.[1] Queensland’s first railway survey was undertaken by the New South Wales Government in 1856, and following separation, Queensland Parliament passed the Railway Act in 1863, enabling railways to be constructed in the colony. The railway network developed along decentralised lines extending from ports to pastoral and mining centres. The first line, between Ipswich and Bigge's Camp, 34km west of Ipswich (later Grandchester, QHR600729), was opened in 1865. This was the first stage of the four-stage Southern and Western Railway project which linked Ipswich to Toowoomba in 1867, Warwick in 1871, and Dalby in 1878. New railways opened west from Rockhampton in 1867 (the Northern Line, later renamed the Central Railway), west from Townsville in 1880 (the Great Northern Line), Cairns in 1887, and south from Normanton in 1891.
The Southern and Western Railway served the pastoralists and industrialists of Ipswich and the Darling Downs, and was primarily for goods, rather than passengers. With the railhead at Ipswich, a railway to Brisbane was not initially considered essential, as goods could be shipped from Ipswich to Brisbane’s port for export. However, the Bremer and upper Brisbane rivers could not cope with large shipping, and lobbying began for an extension to Brisbane. A preliminary survey of possible lines was completed in 1865,[4] but concerns over the extension’s financial viability put work on hold. A Royal Commission on Railway Construction was called in the 1870s, and recommended the extension: the business generated by it was likely to be profitable, and the colony’s economy, which had collapsed in the mid-1860s, had been bolstered by the Gympie gold rush and was better able to afford new infrastructure.
The extension between Ipswich and Oxley was approved in August 1872,[6] and, the first sod on the extension was turned at Goodna in January 1873. From Oxley, two lines had been surveyed, terminating either at North or South Brisbane. After extensive debate, the route to North Brisbane, via a bridge at Oxley Point (Indooroopilly), was chosen as more cost-effective. The terminus of this route, selected by Railway Department Chief Engineer HC Stanley, was located within the Grammar School reserve at the base of the ‘Green Hills’ (Petrie Terrace). The site was unused by the school and was large enough for a major passenger station and goods yard.
The section between Oxley and Brisbane was approved in October 1873,[9] and the Government called for tenders for the construction of the railway terminus station in Brisbane. FDG Stanley, the recently-appointed Colonial Architect and Superintendent of Buildings within the Public Works Department, was the designer of the building. Stanley had commenced with the Public Works Department in 1863, serving as Superintendent of Buildings after Charles Tiffin vacated the Colonial Architect’s position. He was the official Colonial Architect from 1873-1883, when the colony, recovering from the economic collapse of the 1860s, began to invest in public buildings. Stanley’s designs, balancing classical styles and stylistic features with climate-appropriate adaptations and economic restraint, helped define public architecture in Queensland. Extant examples of major works, designed while he was Colonial Architect, include the original State Library (1876-9, QHR600177); Toowoomba Court House (1876-8, QHR600848); Townsville Magistrates Court (1876-7, QHR600929); Townsville Gaol (now part of Townsville Central State School, 1877, QHR601162); Brisbane’s Port Office (1880, QHR600088); Toowoomba Hospital (surviving kitchen wing 1880, QHR601296); post offices at Gympie (1878-80, QHR600534), South Brisbane (1881, QHR600302) and Toowoomba (1880, QHR600847); as well as the Brisbane Supreme Court (no longer extant). As Superintendent of Buildings he designed the Toowoomba Railway Station (1874, QHR600872), Government Printing Office (1873, QHR600114) and Lady Elliott Island Lighthouse (1872-3).
The Brisbane Courier provided a detailed description of the proposed Terminus Passenger Station in October 1873:
The general style of the building will be that known as the Italian Gothic order of architecture. The material used...will be pressed brick with cut stone facings, this being chosen on account of its durability and as also affording the greatest consonant with economy. The station will consist of a main building, two storeys high, flanked at each end by a single storey wing.
The building was designed to house both a passenger station and railway administrative offices. Passengers would access the station from Roma Street via a carriageway, disembarking at the station’s central carriage porch. The porch fronted a 10ft (3m) wide arcade running the length of the main building. From the arcade, passengers would enter either the first-class booking office on the east or the second-class booking office on the west, both served by a semi-circular ticket office on the rear (northern) wall. Female passengers travelling on second-class tickets could wait in a small room located along a western passage, while separate waiting rooms for first-class male and female passengers were east of the first-class booking office. Doorways in the rear wall of the booking offices and waiting rooms led directly onto the 190-foot (58m) long departure platform. Arriving passengers exited the station via a second platform across the rail line. Luggage was loaded onto trains via the luggage passage, on the eastern end of the building. The guards and porters room, staff facilities, a lamp room and stairs to the upper floor were situated in the eastern wing. The western side of the building held public services, including the telegraph office, station master’s office, and parcel and book office, accessible via a public lobby at the end of the arcade. A private staircase to the traffic managers’ office, a staircase to the traffic department, and toilet facilities were located in the western wing. An office or book stall space, in the northwestern side of the building, was accessible from the platform.
Upstairs, the offices of the traffic department, clerks, accountant, draughtsmen, Railways Engineer, Resident Engineer and contractors were accessed from a central passageway which ran almost the length of the building; with a small S-bend in the western end. An arch in the centre of the corridor marked the separation of the traffic department from the Chief Engineer’s office. Both wings hosted staircases.
The building included adaptations for the climate. The arcade sheltered the ground floor rooms from the sun, while skylights in the ceiling and a ventilated lantern provided light and ventilation to the upper floor. All public rooms and most of the offices were fitted with fireplaces. A platform shade, installed on the northern wall of the building over the platform, sheltered passengers from the weather, and was composed of material from an iron station building imported from England for use at Toowoomba. It was supported by brick buttresses at both ends of the building (extant) and on the arrivals platform (no longer extant).
Commensurate with Stanley’s design approach, materials used for the station reflected elegance but economy. Apart from the recycled iron roof trusses and columns, the building was constructed of machine-pressed bricks made from locally-sourced clay, more affordable than stone, and praised as ‘cleaner, sharper [and] finer’ than Brisbane bricks used in earlier buildings. Freestone for the building dressings and columns was sourced from Murphy’s Creek.
Construction work took place over two years, after contractor John Petrie’s tender of £11,845 was accepted in December 1873. Progress was slow, with the stonework foundations underway in June 1874, and the building only ten foot above the ground by September. The line from Ipswich to Brisbane was opened without ceremony on 14 June 1875. The platform at Brisbane Terminus Passenger Station was half-paved, the rooms and corridors incomplete, the roofing over the platform in progress and there was no permanent lighting. Nonetheless, an interested crowd gathered to watch the first outbound services leave the station. The building was sufficiently complete by August 1875 for the Brisbane Courier to describe it as ‘in all respects convenient, handsome, and well-designed’. The station’s arcade was later highlighted as one of Brisbane’s valued architectural features.
The Brisbane to Ipswich route quickly became the busiest section of line in Queensland. Merchandise and imported goods from the ports were despatched along the line, while produce from the Darling Downs and surrounds – including coal, flour, wool, hay, maize, livestock, vegetable and dairy produce – was brought to Brisbane. A central goods handling facility was opened at the Terminal Station, including a large (64m long) goods shed and two sidings, erected in 1875-6 (no longer extant), while railway produce markets opened outside the station, along George and Roma streets. A maintenance yard also operated at Roma Street, including locomotive and carriage sheds. By 1882 the Terminal Station platforms had been extended to cope with the traffic and trade. Traffic reduced slightly after some export goods were diverted to South Brisbane in 1884,[32] but expanded again.[33] Cattle yards, produce sheds, carriage sheds, gas works, goods sheds, coal stages, cold stores, additional locomotive sheds and siding extensions were all added to Roma Street’s goods yard. None of these structures survive in 2020.
Passengers also used the line. Residential occupation of Toowong and Indooroopilly boomed as middle-class city workers took advantage of the four daily train services. In 1882 rail lines were opened from the Terminal Station to Sandgate and the Racecourse, taking day-trippers to the seaside and races, and bringing northern suburbs passengers into Brisbane. In January 1888, the first through-service to Sydney departed from the Terminal Station. However, travellers criticised the lack of direct access from the Terminal Station to the central business district, and in 1889, the Brisbane Central Railway Station was opened. Central Railway Station (QHR 600073) – located closer to the General Post Office and city office buildings – became Brisbane’s main passenger station, and the original Terminal Station was renamed Roma Street Railway Station.
Despite its diminished status, Roma Street remained a major centre for passengers and travellers. Through the 19th and early 20th centuries, guards of honour lined Roma Street to greet and farewell significant visitors and figures, including premiers Morehead and Griffith, governors Norman and Lamington; Governor-General Munro-Ferguson; the late politician JM Macrossan, who had died in Sydney; singer Nellie Melba; Lord Kitchener; and Salvation Army General Booth. Roma Street continued to operate as the Sydney Mail terminus until 1931, when the service shifted to South Brisbane. Crowds thronged to Roma Street Station as soldiers departed for the South African War and World War I. Travelling circuses performed in the Roma Street yards, and an historic parade in 1936 included a ‘Puffing Billy’ locomotive, which was displayed at the yards until 1959. Roma Street also continued as the city’s primary goods terminus.
The station building played an important role as office accommodation for Queensland railway staff. Internal rearrangements were made to the building to accommodate growing staff numbers, and improve their working conditions. It was one of the first buildings in Queensland to feature electric light, installed in 1884.[50] The Chief Engineer vacated the building in 1901 and was replaced by the general traffic manager’s department, with a telephonic system of communication installed the same year. Bunker, lumber and message rooms were added to the wings by 1907; a traffic collector’s office and new strongroom were installed in 1911; and parcels, printing offices and machine rooms replaced the first-class waiting rooms, guards’ room and lamp room by 1920. In 1915, an additional storey was constructed atop the central carriage porch, providing more accommodation for the Traffic Branch on the first floor. A traffic control system, coordinating trains between Brisbane and Gympie, was installed and operated from the additional storey in 1927.
Queensland’s railway network extended dramatically in the 20th century. The North Coast line connected Brisbane to Gladstone in 1898, Rockhampton in 1904, and Cairns in 1924, providing a direct rail link between Brisbane and Mackay, Townsville, Winton, Forsayth, Cloncurry and Blackall. Southern and western trains reached Dirranbandi, Surat, Cunnamulla and Quilpie. Central Station initially hosted ‘country’ services, but it lacked room for expansion, and Roma Street’s larger site was earmarked for a new country station. Roma Street’s locomotive, carriage and marshalling yard facilities were transferred to the Mayne Rail Yards between 1911 and 1927, and work began on the new station. A 350ft (106m) reinforced concrete, tiled passenger subway was constructed from Roma Street to the platforms in 1936-7, replacing an overhead walkway. A new steel awning was installed above the southern platform (Platform 3 in 2020), in approximately 1939. It was used in conjunction with two platforms at the new country station (no longer extant) for country and other passenger services.
On 30 November 1940 the Country Station was opened at Roma Street Station. This low-lying face brick building and its additional platform sat directly between the 1873-5 building and Roma Street. The new passenger station relieved congestion at Brisbane Central Station and made Roma Street the chief station for long distance travel north. The original station was refurbished, its roof re-clad with corrugated fibrous sheeting; and its brick walls painted red and lined in cream to match the new station building. The southwest pediment was removed and replaced by a new storey on the western end of the building. A covered area was added east of the building where the subway stairs emerged. The original station building was turned over to the General Manager, with offices for clerks, traffic-, livestock-, coach- and wagon staff, maintenance and locomotive staff, telephone and telegraph exchanges, and the train control section.
Further plans to upgrade and alter the building were postponed by World War II, during which time troop trains departed from Roma Street, and the pedestrian subway served as an air-raid shelter.[66] In 1945, plans were drawn to alter doors, windows and stairs in the wings, and partitions on the first floor. A second storey was added over the west wing in 1953 (later removed), and the General Manager’s staircase was repositioned in 1961. Externally, the iron carriage shed platform shade over the northern platform was removed in 1959.
Extensive change was undertaken at Roma Street around the original station building in the late 20th century. The southern and northern Brisbane railway systems were directly connected in the 1970s, with the opening of the Merivale Bridge in 1978. In 1985, the country railway station (1940 building) was demolished and replaced by a multi-storey centre incorporating new railway and bus facilities, a hotel, offices and function centre. The original station building was left intact, and two new interstate platforms with standard gauge rails were built on its southern side. The pedestrian subway was refurbished in 1986, with a broom finish concrete and expansion joints, and grated drains were laid on the floor, and a ceramic tile finish on the wall faces to match the subway tiles at Central Station. Roma Street’s rail freight facility was moved to Acacia Ridge in 1991. During the mid-1990s the platforms north and south of the early station building were re-arranged and extended. A bricked waiting area and new roof were added east of the station. Underground, a new concourse was constructed to replace the pedestrian subway, and a 19m section of the original subway converted to a storage room.
The station building remained the General Manager’s Office until 1974. The station master, staff workers and archive storage occupied the building in the 1990s. By 1993, Roma Street was acknowledged as the oldest surviving railway station building in an Australian capital city, and one of the oldest surviving railway buildings in Queensland. A new office fitout was installed on the ground floor for Queensland Rail and the Queensland Police Rail Squad in 1999. Stabilisation, waterproofing and reconstruction works commenced in 2012, including restoration of the brick, plaster, lead flashings, window joinery and stone works. Replacement bricks were custom made in England; Welsh slate was imported from the UK; replacement stone came from Helidon; and rolled lead from England was installed. In 2015, a new steel beams and suspension system was installed between the two storeys, to lift a 65mm bow in the timber floor beams fit amongst the existing timber structures. The second storey of the west wing was removed and the roofline reconstructed to its original configuration. The restoration received an Australian Institute of Architects Queensland award in 2015.
In 2020 the building is vacant, pending further repairs.
On Monday 3rd January 2022 members of the Bath Tub Club drove from Warminster to Imber across Salisbury Plain.
Imber is an uninhabited village within the British Army's training area on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England. It remains under the control of the Ministry of Defence and non-military access is limited to several open days a year.
The Intergalactic Girl always wanted to explore the universe and go on space adventures, but she got stuck guarding a remote outpost on a bare planet. I guess she should have been careful what she wished for because one day the notorious Space Villain and his merciless crew of space pirates came to raid the outpost! Can she fend off the scum together with her astronaut friends?
My second entry for the CMF Series 6 Building Contest on Eurobricks.
Raid des Compagnons
Montréal-Québec
Vélo - Course - Canot
Arrivée Plage Jacques-Cartier, Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada 2017-6-27 à 13:10 hrs.
At the end of May 1866 a large force of Fenians (Irish-Americans) for desired freedom from British rule from Ireland invaded the Niagara Region of Canada West in an effort to occupy the Province in order to force the British to grant independence for Ireland. After Occupying the village of Fort Erie, they marched and on the 2nd of June, 1866 engaged a force of Canadian Militia of the 13th Battalion, Volunteer Militia (Infantry) of Canada and the 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Rifles. While the Canadians saw initial success they were driven from the field by superior numbers and training of the Fenian Forces. The Fenians would again engage a second small force of Canadian Militia at Fort Erie and would again defeat them. But facing dwindling numbers would withdraw in the early hours of the 3rd of June. The Angur Farmhouse as it stands today played a roll in marking where the Fenians pinned down the Canadians, the house stands much as it did in 1866 and has some bullet holes left in the brick, although I was unable to locate them.
Mamiya m645 - Mamiya-Sekor C 45mm 1:2.8 N - Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-100
Kodak D-23 (Stock) 6:00 @ 20C
Meter: Pentax Spotmeter V
Scanner: Epson V700
Editor: Adobe Photoshop CC
Voronezh is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects western Russia with the Urals and Siberia, the Caucasus and Ukraine, and the M4 highway (Moscow–Voronezh–Rostov-on-Don–Novorossiysk). In recent years the city has experienced rapid population growth, rising in 2021 to 1,057,681, up from 889,680 recorded in the 2010 Census, making it the 14th-most populous city in the country.
For many years, the hypothesis of the Soviet historian Vladimir Zagorovsky dominated: he produced the toponym "Voronezh" from the hypothetical Slavic personal name Voroneg. This man allegedly gave the name of a small town in the Chernigov Principality (now the village of Voronizh in Ukraine). Later, in the 11th or 12th century, the settlers were able to "transfer" this name to the Don region, where they named the second city Voronezh, and the river got its name from the city. However, now many researchers criticize the hypothesis, since in reality neither the name of Voroneg nor the second city was revealed, and usually the names of Russian cities repeated the names of the rivers, but not vice versa.
A comprehensive scientific analysis was conducted in 2015–2016 by the historian Pavel Popov. His conclusion: "Voronezh" is a probable Slavic macrotoponym associated with outstanding signs of nature, has a root voron- (from the proto-Slavic vorn) in the meaning of "black, dark" and the suffix -ezh (-azh, -ozh). It was not “transferred” and in the 8th - 9th centuries it marked a vast territory covered with black forests (oak forests) - from the mouth of the Voronezh river to the Voronozhsky annalistic forests in the middle and upper reaches of the river, and in the west to the Don (many forests were cut down). The historian believes that the main "city" of the early town-planning complex could repeat the name of the region – Voronezh. Now the hillfort is located in the administrative part of the modern city, in the Voronezh upland oak forest. This is one of Europe's largest ancient Slavic hillforts, the area of which – more than 9 hectares – 13 times the area of the main settlement in Kyiv before the baptism of Rus.
In it is assumed that the word "Voronezh" means bluing - a technique to increase the corrosion resistance of iron products. This explanation fits well with the proximity to the ancient city of Voronezh of a large iron deposit and the city of Stary Oskol. As well as the name of Voroneț Monastery known for its blue shade.
Folk etymology claims the name comes from combining the Russian words for raven (ворон) and hedgehog (еж) into Воронеж. According to this explanation two Slavic tribes named after the animals used this combination to name the river which later in turn provided the name for a settlement. There is not believed to be any scientific support for this explanation.
In the 16th century, the Middle Don basin, including the Voronezh river, was gradually conquered by Muscovy from the Nogai Horde (a successor state of the Golden Horde), and the current city of Voronezh was established in 1585 by Feodor I as a fort protecting the Muravsky Trail trade route against the slave raids of the Nogai and Crimean Tatars. The city was named after the river.
17th to 19th centuries
In the 17th century, Voronezh gradually evolved into a sizable town. Weronecz is shown on the Worona river in Resania in Joan Blaeu's map of 1645. Peter the Great built a dockyard in Voronezh where the Azov Flotilla was constructed for the Azov campaigns in 1695 and 1696. This fleet, the first ever built in Russia, included the first Russian ship of the line, Goto Predestinatsia. The Orthodox diocese of Voronezh was instituted in 1682 and its first bishop, Mitrofan of Voronezh, was later proclaimed the town's patron saint.
Owing to the Voronezh Admiralty Wharf, for a short time, Voronezh became the largest city of South Russia and the economic center of a large and fertile region. In 1711, it was made the seat of the Azov Governorate, which eventually morphed into the Voronezh Governorate.
In the 19th century, Voronezh was a center of the Central Black Earth Region. Manufacturing industry (mills, tallow-melting, butter-making, soap, leather, and other works) as well as bread, cattle, suet, and the hair trade developed in the town. A railway connected Voronezh with Moscow in 1868 and Rostov-on-Don in 1871.
This well hidden Air Raid Shelter is in my next door neighbours garden and if you look you can make out where the entrance was to the left where the entrance was bricked up and to the right at the back there is a green cone shape that is the air vent .
She has been living there for more years than she wants to tell me and said that when she bought the house the bank said she had to remove it or fill it up and seal it so she had it filled with hardcore and then bricked up.
This morning, Friday 25 October, saw raids on homes of suspected drug dealers as part of Challenger.
Agencies across Greater Manchester have joined forces to declare war on organised criminal gangs across the region.
This week has seen the launch of Challenger, the largest ever multi-agency response to tackling organised criminal gangs (OCGS) in Manchester's history.
Over the past five days, more than 100 warrants have been carried out by numerous agencies to root out the drug dealers, loan sharks, rogue landlords and counterfeit good suppliers who are the lynchpins of these criminal networks.
The aim of Challenger is to identify every single organised crime group in existence and use all the weapons available to agencies across both Manchester and the UK to disrupt, dismantle and destroy these gangs.
This week alone, more than 50 suspected members of criminal gangs have been arrested for a variety of offences including drugs, firearms and money laundering.
More than £330,000 worth of drugs were recovered, £25,000 in cash seized along with weapons such as high-powered air rifles, a BB gun, a Taser and a baton. Seven high powered cars were also seized.
Up to 50 tonnes worth of counterfeit goods - worth at least £2m - including fake trainers, watches and clothing, were also seized from three properties in the Strangeways area, all of which were stocked to the brim across several different floors with fake goods.
Detective Chief Superintendent Rebekah Sutcliffe, who heads Challenger for Greater Manchester Police, said: "Organised crime groups have a corrosive and insidious effect on our communities. These sorts of people mistakenly believe they 'own their turf' and use violence and intimidation to make people's lives a misery.
"However, this week we have brought the fight to these gangs and through Challenger we are now declaring war on these criminal networks who for too long have been bullying communities and enjoying a lavish lifestyle.
"Challenger is not about cutting off the head of a monster - it is about systematically dismantling these gangs member by member and making it impossible for them to operate. To do that, we need to get into the ribs of these people and hit them where it hurts.
"By working in partnership with so many other agencies, we can attack these gangs from every angle. We can expose benefit scams and leave these people penniless; we can seize their flash motors which are often not insured or taxed; we can shut down nail bars, takeaways and pubs where organised criminals often launder their dirty cash and we stop loan sharks from bullying victims into taking out exorbitant loans which fund their criminality.
"Through this partnership approach, Challenger will unmask every single organised crime group in Manchester and use every available tool to bring them crashing down."
There are currently more than 160 known organised criminal gangs in Greater Manchester, costing the local economy between 850m and 1.7bn each year.
However, it is thought they may be up to 500 of these networks in operation.
Thanks to Challenger, a central taskforce has been set up which will gather intelligence and build up an accurate picture of every single criminal gang in Manchester.
The taskforce will then work with partners from the local community, including neighbourhood policing teams, local authorities, Immigration Enforcement, the England Illegal Money Lending Team, housing providers, the Department for Work and Pensions, the DVLA, HMRC and other agencies to draw up bespoke plans for how best to dismantle these gangs.
In addition to this important local approach, Challenger is also being supported by the Home Office and the National Crime Agency (NCA). Officers from these national agencies are providing regular support and expertise about how best to tackle organised criminality.
But central to the success of Challenger will be the support of the local community and people coming forward with information about criminality in their area.
Detective Chief Superintendent Sutcliffe said: "There may be a misconception among people that organised criminality is all about drugs and guns and that it does not affect their lives. They could not be more wrong.
"Organised criminality is not just about firearms and drug dealing - it is happening on people's doorsteps every day without them realising it.
"The way these gangs fund their criminal empires is through the sale of counterfeit goods, loan sharking, electricity, housing and benefit scams, human trafficking and rogue landlords.
"If you suspect any of this is happening in your community, you need to report it because the endgame of these sorts of offences are the brutal shootings we saw last year that resulted in innocent people being killed.
"But, with your help, we can break this chain. If you don't buy counterfeit goods or turn to loan sharks you are cutting off the funds for these criminals to buy guns and drugs. If you report housing scams you will be making it impossible for these gangs to have bases from which to operate. If you report someone who is driving around in a flash motor you know is not insured, you will be stopping these cars from being used as getaway vehicle during serious crime.
"This is a war we can win with the public's help. We can give communities back to law-abiding people. If you help us to identify the foundations these empires are built on, we will bring them crashing down. And if you wish to report anything anonymously, you can do so by contacting Crimestoppers."
National Crime Agency regional head of investigations, Steve Baldwin, said: "Organised crime deprives people of their security and prosperity, leads to loss of life and costs the UK well over £20billion each year. It directly affects all of our communities. The NCA's role is to lead the UK's fight against organised crime. But to do that we need to work closely with our law enforcement partners like Greater Manchester Police, as we have done in supporting this operation. Together we will use every technique available to relentlessly and continuously disrupt serious organised criminals and make their lives as difficult as possible."
Jim Battle, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner said: "These so-called 'Mr Bigs' think they can control our communities with a grip of fear. But the action taken by police, local councils and other agencies this week sends a clear message to these abhorrent individuals that there is no place for you in our communities - you will be hunted down and you will be brought to justice.
"The fight is ongoing and we can only keep up the pressure on these criminal gangs with the support of our communities across Greater Manchester. I thank the decent, law-abiding people for their continued help and urge you all to stand with us so together we can bring down these criminals and build safer communities."
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website.
You should call 101, the new national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
Officers execute daybreak raids as part of a firearms investigation in Cheetham Hill.
This morning, Thursday 21 May, officers from the North Manchester division carried out raids at two addresses in Cheetham Hill as part of an ongoing investigation into a firearms discharge, which took place last week on Monday 11 May 2020.
In the early hours of that morning, at around 1.15am, police were called to reports of between two and four gunshot sounds on Galsworthy Avenue.
No injuries were reported but some damage was caused to a vehicle on the street.
During today's raids officers seized a quantity of cash as part of the direct action. One man was arrested.
Speaking after the raids, Superintendent Rebecca Boyce, of GMPs North Manchester district, said: “First and foremost I sincerely hope that this morning’s activity shows to the people of Cheetham Hill just how seriously we continue to take incidents of this nature. We will explore every line of enquiry available to us and leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of justice.
“Guns and violence have no place on our streets; and anyone who is harbouring weapons of this nature or taking part in this kind of criminal activity should know that we do not take these incidents lightly. Anyone who brandishes a weapon within our communities and ultimately puts the lives of others at risk can expect to be investigated by us.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to protecting people and making the streets of Cheetham Hill a safer place, we have been working closely with partners, including Manchester City Council –both Adult and Children’s Services and housing providers. This prevention work is absolutely vital if we are to support those most vulnerable in our society and put a stop to this type of offending. A huge priority for us is discouraging people from taking this path and turning to this kind of criminality and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners who have continued to support us in this.
“We have been always very clear that we cannot do this alone and would like to continue to appeal to the public to help us. Often, answers lie within communities and this type of criminal activity can only be halted completely with the support of those with information. If people would prefer to speak anonymously, they can do so by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers.”
Anyone with any information should contact police on 0161 856 3924 quoting incident number 124 of 11/05/2020. Details can also be anonymously passed to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Vikings raid a village.
My biggest ever creation, and a pain to photograph.
The skateboard ramp houses are based off Lord of the Lego's designs.
Gallery, when public: www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=311824
Dawn raids saw officers in Oldham execute six drugs warrants as part of a crackdown on drug dealing in the district.
At around 6.15am this morning (Thursday 2 July 2020), officers from GMP’s Oldham division raided an address on Chamber Road, Coppice, and at five properties in the Glodwick area.
The action comes after concerns were raised in the community regarding the dealing of drugs in the area.
Neighbourhood Inspector Steve Prescott, of GMP’s Oldham division, said: “We hope that today’s operation demonstrates not only how keen we are to tackle drugs across the district and the Force, but also our endeavours to listen to community concerns and to act upon them.
“Today’s action is a significant part of tackling the issues around drugs that we see too often in our societies and the devastating impact they can have on individuals, their families and loved ones as well as the wider community.
“This action will have caused a huge amount of disruption for the criminals who seek to infiltrate these substances onto our streets and degrade the quality of life for so many.
“Anyone with concerns about the dealing of such drugs in their area should not hesitate to contact police; safe in the knowledge that we are prepared to strike back against those who operate in this destructive and illegal industry.”
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk
Officers execute daybreak raids as part of a firearms investigation in Cheetham Hill.
This morning, Thursday 21 May, officers from the North Manchester division carried out raids at two addresses in Cheetham Hill as part of an ongoing investigation into a firearms discharge, which took place last week on Monday 11 May 2020.
In the early hours of that morning, at around 1.15am, police were called to reports of between two and four gunshot sounds on Galsworthy Avenue.
No injuries were reported but some damage was caused to a vehicle on the street.
During today's raids officers seized a quantity of cash as part of the direct action. One man was arrested.
Speaking after the raids, Superintendent Rebecca Boyce, of GMPs North Manchester district, said: “First and foremost I sincerely hope that this morning’s activity shows to the people of Cheetham Hill just how seriously we continue to take incidents of this nature. We will explore every line of enquiry available to us and leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of justice.
“Guns and violence have no place on our streets; and anyone who is harbouring weapons of this nature or taking part in this kind of criminal activity should know that we do not take these incidents lightly. Anyone who brandishes a weapon within our communities and ultimately puts the lives of others at risk can expect to be investigated by us.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to protecting people and making the streets of Cheetham Hill a safer place, we have been working closely with partners, including Manchester City Council –both Adult and Children’s Services and housing providers. This prevention work is absolutely vital if we are to support those most vulnerable in our society and put a stop to this type of offending. A huge priority for us is discouraging people from taking this path and turning to this kind of criminality and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners who have continued to support us in this.
“We have been always very clear that we cannot do this alone and would like to continue to appeal to the public to help us. Often, answers lie within communities and this type of criminal activity can only be halted completely with the support of those with information. If people would prefer to speak anonymously, they can do so by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers.”
Anyone with any information should contact police on 0161 856 3924 quoting incident number 124 of 11/05/2020. Details can also be anonymously passed to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Dawn raids saw officers in Oldham execute six drugs warrants as part of a crackdown on drug dealing in the district.
At around 6.15am this morning (Thursday 2 July 2020), officers from GMP’s Oldham division raided an address on Chamber Road, Coppice, and at five properties in the Glodwick area.
The action comes after concerns were raised in the community regarding the dealing of drugs in the area.
Neighbourhood Inspector Steve Prescott, of GMP’s Oldham division, said: “We hope that today’s operation demonstrates not only how keen we are to tackle drugs across the district and the Force, but also our endeavours to listen to community concerns and to act upon them.
“Today’s action is a significant part of tackling the issues around drugs that we see too often in our societies and the devastating impact they can have on individuals, their families and loved ones as well as the wider community.
“This action will have caused a huge amount of disruption for the criminals who seek to infiltrate these substances onto our streets and degrade the quality of life for so many.
“Anyone with concerns about the dealing of such drugs in their area should not hesitate to contact police; safe in the knowledge that we are prepared to strike back against those who operate in this destructive and illegal industry.”
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk
This morning, Friday 25 October, saw raids on homes of suspected drug dealers as part of Challenger.
Agencies across Greater Manchester have joined forces to declare war on organised criminal gangs across the region.
This week has seen the launch of Challenger, the largest ever multi-agency response to tackling organised criminal gangs (OCGS) in Manchester's history.
Over the past five days, more than 100 warrants have been carried out by numerous agencies to root out the drug dealers, loan sharks, rogue landlords and counterfeit good suppliers who are the lynchpins of these criminal networks.
The aim of Challenger is to identify every single organised crime group in existence and use all the weapons available to agencies across both Manchester and the UK to disrupt, dismantle and destroy these gangs.
This week alone, more than 50 suspected members of criminal gangs have been arrested for a variety of offences including drugs, firearms and money laundering.
More than £330,000 worth of drugs were recovered, £25,000 in cash seized along with weapons such as high-powered air rifles, a BB gun, a Taser and a baton. Seven high powered cars were also seized.
Up to 50 tonnes worth of counterfeit goods - worth at least £2m - including fake trainers, watches and clothing, were also seized from three properties in the Strangeways area, all of which were stocked to the brim across several different floors with fake goods.
Detective Chief Superintendent Rebekah Sutcliffe, who heads Challenger for Greater Manchester Police, said: "Organised crime groups have a corrosive and insidious effect on our communities. These sorts of people mistakenly believe they 'own their turf' and use violence and intimidation to make people's lives a misery.
"However, this week we have brought the fight to these gangs and through Challenger we are now declaring war on these criminal networks who for too long have been bullying communities and enjoying a lavish lifestyle.
"Challenger is not about cutting off the head of a monster - it is about systematically dismantling these gangs member by member and making it impossible for them to operate. To do that, we need to get into the ribs of these people and hit them where it hurts.
"By working in partnership with so many other agencies, we can attack these gangs from every angle. We can expose benefit scams and leave these people penniless; we can seize their flash motors which are often not insured or taxed; we can shut down nail bars, takeaways and pubs where organised criminals often launder their dirty cash and we stop loan sharks from bullying victims into taking out exorbitant loans which fund their criminality.
"Through this partnership approach, Challenger will unmask every single organised crime group in Manchester and use every available tool to bring them crashing down."
There are currently more than 160 known organised criminal gangs in Greater Manchester, costing the local economy between 850m and 1.7bn each year.
However, it is thought they may be up to 500 of these networks in operation.
Thanks to Challenger, a central taskforce has been set up which will gather intelligence and build up an accurate picture of every single criminal gang in Manchester.
The taskforce will then work with partners from the local community, including neighbourhood policing teams, local authorities, Immigration Enforcement, the England Illegal Money Lending Team, housing providers, the Department for Work and Pensions, the DVLA, HMRC and other agencies to draw up bespoke plans for how best to dismantle these gangs.
In addition to this important local approach, Challenger is also being supported by the Home Office and the National Crime Agency (NCA). Officers from these national agencies are providing regular support and expertise about how best to tackle organised criminality.
But central to the success of Challenger will be the support of the local community and people coming forward with information about criminality in their area.
Detective Chief Superintendent Sutcliffe said: "There may be a misconception among people that organised criminality is all about drugs and guns and that it does not affect their lives. They could not be more wrong.
"Organised criminality is not just about firearms and drug dealing - it is happening on people's doorsteps every day without them realising it.
"The way these gangs fund their criminal empires is through the sale of counterfeit goods, loan sharking, electricity, housing and benefit scams, human trafficking and rogue landlords.
"If you suspect any of this is happening in your community, you need to report it because the endgame of these sorts of offences are the brutal shootings we saw last year that resulted in innocent people being killed.
"But, with your help, we can break this chain. If you don't buy counterfeit goods or turn to loan sharks you are cutting off the funds for these criminals to buy guns and drugs. If you report housing scams you will be making it impossible for these gangs to have bases from which to operate. If you report someone who is driving around in a flash motor you know is not insured, you will be stopping these cars from being used as getaway vehicle during serious crime.
"This is a war we can win with the public's help. We can give communities back to law-abiding people. If you help us to identify the foundations these empires are built on, we will bring them crashing down. And if you wish to report anything anonymously, you can do so by contacting Crimestoppers."
National Crime Agency regional head of investigations, Steve Baldwin, said: "Organised crime deprives people of their security and prosperity, leads to loss of life and costs the UK well over £20billion each year. It directly affects all of our communities. The NCA's role is to lead the UK's fight against organised crime. But to do that we need to work closely with our law enforcement partners like Greater Manchester Police, as we have done in supporting this operation. Together we will use every technique available to relentlessly and continuously disrupt serious organised criminals and make their lives as difficult as possible."
Jim Battle, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner said: "These so-called 'Mr Bigs' think they can control our communities with a grip of fear. But the action taken by police, local councils and other agencies this week sends a clear message to these abhorrent individuals that there is no place for you in our communities - you will be hunted down and you will be brought to justice.
"The fight is ongoing and we can only keep up the pressure on these criminal gangs with the support of our communities across Greater Manchester. I thank the decent, law-abiding people for their continued help and urge you all to stand with us so together we can bring down these criminals and build safer communities."
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website.
You should call 101, the new national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
Vikings raid a village.
My biggest ever creation, and a pain to photograph.
The skateboard ramp houses are based off Lord of the Lego's designs.
Gallery, when public: www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=311824
Depuis sa création en 1985, le RAID (Recherche, Assistance, Intervention et Dissuasion) participe sur l’ensemble du territoire à la lutte contre toutes les formes de terrorisme et de criminalité organisée dont certaines opérations ont fait l’objet d’un important retentissement médiatique.
Sa devise : "Servir, sans Faillir"
Plus d'infos : ick.li/1zb8gO
Depuis sa création en 1985, le RAID (Recherche, Assistance, Intervention et Dissuasion) participe sur l’ensemble du territoire à la lutte contre toutes les formes de terrorisme et de criminalité organisée dont certaines opérations ont fait l’objet d’un important retentissement médiatique.
Sa devise : "Servir, sans Faillir"
Plus d'infos : ick.li/1zb8gO
Dawn raids saw officers in Oldham execute six drugs warrants as part of a crackdown on drug dealing in the district.
At around 6.15am this morning (Thursday 2 July 2020), officers from GMP’s Oldham division raided an address on Chamber Road, Coppice, and at five properties in the Glodwick area.
The action comes after concerns were raised in the community regarding the dealing of drugs in the area.
Neighbourhood Inspector Steve Prescott, of GMP’s Oldham division, said: “We hope that today’s operation demonstrates not only how keen we are to tackle drugs across the district and the Force, but also our endeavours to listen to community concerns and to act upon them.
“Today’s action is a significant part of tackling the issues around drugs that we see too often in our societies and the devastating impact they can have on individuals, their families and loved ones as well as the wider community.
“This action will have caused a huge amount of disruption for the criminals who seek to infiltrate these substances onto our streets and degrade the quality of life for so many.
“Anyone with concerns about the dealing of such drugs in their area should not hesitate to contact police; safe in the knowledge that we are prepared to strike back against those who operate in this destructive and illegal industry.”
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk