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U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 prepares to lift the M777 Howitzer during a hoist lift exercise on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, May 21, 2020. HMH-463 worked with 1st Battalion, 12th Marines and Combat Logistics Battalion 3 to increase proficiency and combat readiness. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Eric Tso)
Exercise COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT 17, which took place at 4th Canadian Division Support Base Petawawa from 19 to 22 September, provided an opportunity for Canadian Army stakeholders and civilian leaders to experience a personal and in-depth understanding of Canadian Army capabilities, equipment as well as the professionalism and skill of Canadian soldiers.
Photo by: Garrison Imaging Petawawa
L’exercice COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT 2017, qui s’est tenu à la Base de soutien de la 4e Division du Canada Petawawa, du 19 au 22 septembre, a procuré à des intervenants liés à l’Armée canadienne et à des dirigeants civils une occasion de voir et de bien comprendre personnellement en quoi consistent les capacités et l’équipement de l’Armée canadienne, de même que de se rendre compte du professionnalisme et des compétences des soldats canadiens.
Photo par
Section d'imagerie Petawawa
On Tuesday 21st June 2022, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service hosted Exercise Mitchell, a large-scale training exercise at their Bury Training and Safety Centre.
The exercise focused on testing the multi-agency operational response to a CBRNE incident by working with partners and volunteers.
Volunteers were on hand to play the part of casualties following a chemical incident on a tram. Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), Transport for Greater Manchester (TFfG) and other partners responded to the incident.
The exercise commenced with joint working between emergency service control rooms in the early stages of the incident, with several calls being made on 999 calls reporting an incident had occurred on the tram.
It took the form of a multi-agency response to the incident in the morning, working with GMP and NWAS. Later in the afternoon crews also set up and tested the Mass Decontamination Unit, helping volunteers through the process.
This training helps to reinforce understanding of different agencies roles and responsibilities during the response to such an incident and validate learning from the response to previous Major Incidents in Greater Manchester. The exercise also reinforced JESIP principles and procedures to help embed multi-agency working amongst Greater Manchester and regional partners.
Further elements of the exercise will take place later in the year, focusing on the Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) and Tactical Coordinating Group (TCG) elements of a Major Incident.
The overall exercise helped to test the multi-agency response at the Strategic, Tactical and Operational levels including looking at the operational response, Local Resilience Forum procedures and interoperability between organisations.
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
Royal Navy minehunters in a Norwegian fjord during NATO exercise Trident Juncture 2018. Left to right: HMS Grimsby, HMS Hurworth, HMS Enterprise, HMS Cattistock, HMS Ramsey.
Crew from the LVNS Tālivaldis take a break on deck during BALTOPS 2020. The maritime exercise BALTOPS 2020 involved around 30 ships from 19 NATO Allies and partner nations. It's an annual exercise and it ran from 7-16 June 2020.
Pictured: Two soldiers from the Royal Artillery carry a 45kg 155mm High Explosive round between gun positions to have its fuse double-checked prior to firing.
All images remain Crown Copyright 2015.
Photo credit to read -Sgt Si Longworth RLC (Phot)
Crew from the LVNS Tālivaldis conduct a
safety patrol around ship in a rib boat at sunset.The maritime exercise BALTOPS 2020 involved around 30 ships from 19 NATO Allies and partner nations. It's an annual exercise and it ran from 7-16 June 2020.
Representatives from the 23 participating nations in Exercise TRADEWINDS 2022 march on parade during the opening ceremony in Belize City, Belize on May 7, 2022.
Photo: Corporal Mitchell Paquette, Canadian Armed Forces photo
U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Matthew Feeman, of 80th Fighter Squadron out of Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, waits for an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter to extract him from a simulated hostile area during a survive, evade, resist and escape (SERE) exercise in support of Red Flag - Alaska (RF-A) near Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Oct. 14, 2008. Feeman is role-playing a downed pilot who was shot down behind enemy lines. RF-A is a Pacific Air Forces-directed field training exercise for U.S. and coalition forces flown under simulated air-combat conditions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Snyder/Released)
Greater Manchester's emergency services and Highways England traffic officers joined forces last weekend for one of the biggest ever motorway emergency exercises.
Exercise Dark Knight saw over 100 people respond to a simulated major incident on a closed section of the M62 motorway.
Over 50 volunteers played the part of drivers and passengers involved in a major collision. Their role was to simulate a range of injuries, from cuts and bruises to fatalities.
The exercise was designed to improve responses to major road incidents and ensure coordination between the various emergency services.
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit www.gmp.police.uk
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.
A ROV (remote operated vehicle) PAP 104 is lowered into the sea during exercise BALTOPS 2020. The maritime exercise BALTOPS 2020 involved around 30 ships from 19 NATO Allies and partner nations. It's an annual exercise and it ran from 7-16 June 2020.
Master Sgt. Mark Skinner, current operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, runs on a treadmill to test his Vo2 intake at Fort Carson’s Army Wellness Center, Sept. 27, 2012. Testing an individual’s Vo2 intake will let him or her know the amount of oxygen their body can absorb during cardio respiratory fitness.
Read more: www.dvidshub.net/image/675250/running#.UHLBY1HvrUQ#ixzz28...
Crewmember from the LVNS Tālivaldis lowering an exercise mine into the Baltic Sea during mine countermeasures training. The maritime exercise BALTOPS 2020 involved around 30 ships from 19 NATO Allies and partner nations. It's an annual exercise and it ran from 7-16 June 2020.
On Tuesday 21st June 2022, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service hosted Exercise Mitchell, a large-scale training exercise at their Bury Training and Safety Centre.
The exercise focused on testing the multi-agency operational response to a CBRNE incident by working with partners and volunteers.
Volunteers were on hand to play the part of casualties following a chemical incident on a tram. Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), Transport for Greater Manchester (TFfG) and other partners responded to the incident.
The exercise commenced with joint working between emergency service control rooms in the early stages of the incident, with several calls being made on 999 calls reporting an incident had occurred on the tram.
It took the form of a multi-agency response to the incident in the morning, working with GMP and NWAS. Later in the afternoon crews also set up and tested the Mass Decontamination Unit, helping volunteers through the process.
This training helps to reinforce understanding of different agencies roles and responsibilities during the response to such an incident and validate learning from the response to previous Major Incidents in Greater Manchester. The exercise also reinforced JESIP principles and procedures to help embed multi-agency working amongst Greater Manchester and regional partners.
Further elements of the exercise will take place later in the year, focusing on the Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) and Tactical Coordinating Group (TCG) elements of a Major Incident.
The overall exercise helped to test the multi-agency response at the Strategic, Tactical and Operational levels including looking at the operational response, Local Resilience Forum procedures and interoperability between organisations.
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
On Tuesday 21st June 2022, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service hosted Exercise Mitchell, a large-scale training exercise at their Bury Training and Safety Centre.
The exercise focused on testing the multi-agency operational response to a CBRNE incident by working with partners and volunteers.
Volunteers were on hand to play the part of casualties following a chemical incident on a tram. Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), Transport for Greater Manchester (TFfG) and other partners responded to the incident.
The exercise commenced with joint working between emergency service control rooms in the early stages of the incident, with several calls being made on 999 calls reporting an incident had occurred on the tram.
It took the form of a multi-agency response to the incident in the morning, working with GMP and NWAS. Later in the afternoon crews also set up and tested the Mass Decontamination Unit, helping volunteers through the process.
This training helps to reinforce understanding of different agencies roles and responsibilities during the response to such an incident and validate learning from the response to previous Major Incidents in Greater Manchester. The exercise also reinforced JESIP principles and procedures to help embed multi-agency working amongst Greater Manchester and regional partners.
Further elements of the exercise will take place later in the year, focusing on the Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) and Tactical Coordinating Group (TCG) elements of a Major Incident.
The overall exercise helped to test the multi-agency response at the Strategic, Tactical and Operational levels including looking at the operational response, Local Resilience Forum procedures and interoperability between organisations.
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
Douglas, AZ (est. 1905, pop. ~16,500) • founded as a copper smelting site with a border crossing at Mexican sister city Agua Prieta (pop. 79,138) • "Coming and going between the two cities was 'like walking across the street.'" —Ray Borane, Douglas native & former mayor, "Border Towns Spit Asunder"
• by the end of the 20th c. the area had become the nation's busiest point for illegal crossings • Douglas hosts the annual binational Concert Without Borders [photos]
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• ~1,200-seat Classical Revival-style theater [photo] designed by Santa Monica, CA architect M. Eugene Durfee (1885-1941), who also designed the Fox in Tucson [photo] • featured a pipe organ, marble lobby, barber shop, candy store & ladies' tea room
• conductor John Philip Sousa and American modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis (1879-1968) performed here • Pavlova and Ginger Rogers also danced on the Grand's stage • actor Ethel Barrymore, band leader Paul Whiteman & tenor John McCormick are other stars who appeared at the Grand • also hosted the annual Douglas High School commencement exercise for its graduating classe
• considered the best of about a dozen theaters in the southern AZ Lyric Amusement chain, which also included the Lyric Theatre in Douglas • the company was founded by Nick Diamos, his 4 brothers & their uncle, James Xalis, the 1st manager of the Grand
• the family, Greek immigrants all, entered the movie theatre business after working their way up as laborers & street vendors in Chicago, then owners of a coffee house & a failed restaurant in California • became partners in Bakersfield CA's 1st nickelodeon • moved to Tucson where they opened their 1st AZ theater, the Lyric, advertised as "the first grind house in Arizona," a term they used because they presented continuous performances
• closed 1958 • <a href="Keeping their dream alive">restoration efforts spanned 30 yrs. • in 2016 the Grand Theatre hosted its 1st public event in nearly 60 yrs.
• Douglas Historic District, National Register # 85000146, 1985 • Grand Theatre, National Register # 76000372, 1976
A soldier from the Dutch mechanized infantry has camouflage applied during Eager Leopard 2021 near Pabrade, Lithuania on 23rd September 2021. Eager Leopard 2021 was a combined multinational exercise testing the capabilities of both enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Lithuania and US forces assigned to Lithuania in performing joint operations. The exercise also included members of eFB Battle Groups Estonia and Latvia.
BLACK SEA, July 19. 2018. FGS Rhein (SNMCMG2) conducts a boat transfer early morning, while training during Exercise BREEZE 18. BREEZE is designed to enhance the interoperability of the participating units and strengthen cooperation by practicing different warfare techniques in a multi-dimensional scenario. Multinational participating forces and their crews will be tested in a wide range of warfare tactics focusing on regional security. This year participants include 25 ships, 1 submarine, 9 aircraft, and 2340 military staff out of 11 countries (Bulgaria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherland, Poland, Turkey, Romania and the United States ). NATO Photo by WO FRAN C. Valverde.
On Tuesday 21st June 2022, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service hosted Exercise Mitchell, a large-scale training exercise at their Bury Training and Safety Centre.
The exercise focused on testing the multi-agency operational response to a CBRNE incident by working with partners and volunteers.
Volunteers were on hand to play the part of casualties following a chemical incident on a tram. Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), Transport for Greater Manchester (TFfG) and other partners responded to the incident.
The exercise commenced with joint working between emergency service control rooms in the early stages of the incident, with several calls being made on 999 calls reporting an incident had occurred on the tram.
It took the form of a multi-agency response to the incident in the morning, working with GMP and NWAS. Later in the afternoon crews also set up and tested the Mass Decontamination Unit, helping volunteers through the process.
This training helps to reinforce understanding of different agencies roles and responsibilities during the response to such an incident and validate learning from the response to previous Major Incidents in Greater Manchester. The exercise also reinforced JESIP principles and procedures to help embed multi-agency working amongst Greater Manchester and regional partners.
Further elements of the exercise will take place later in the year, focusing on the Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) and Tactical Coordinating Group (TCG) elements of a Major Incident.
The overall exercise helped to test the multi-agency response at the Strategic, Tactical and Operational levels including looking at the operational response, Local Resilience Forum procedures and interoperability between organisations.
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
On Tuesday 21st June 2022, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service hosted Exercise Mitchell, a large-scale training exercise at their Bury Training and Safety Centre.
The exercise focused on testing the multi-agency operational response to a CBRNE incident by working with partners and volunteers.
Volunteers were on hand to play the part of casualties following a chemical incident on a tram. Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), Transport for Greater Manchester (TFfG) and other partners responded to the incident.
The exercise commenced with joint working between emergency service control rooms in the early stages of the incident, with several calls being made on 999 calls reporting an incident had occurred on the tram.
It took the form of a multi-agency response to the incident in the morning, working with GMP and NWAS. Later in the afternoon crews also set up and tested the Mass Decontamination Unit, helping volunteers through the process.
This training helps to reinforce understanding of different agencies roles and responsibilities during the response to such an incident and validate learning from the response to previous Major Incidents in Greater Manchester. The exercise also reinforced JESIP principles and procedures to help embed multi-agency working amongst Greater Manchester and regional partners.
Further elements of the exercise will take place later in the year, focusing on the Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) and Tactical Coordinating Group (TCG) elements of a Major Incident.
The overall exercise helped to test the multi-agency response at the Strategic, Tactical and Operational levels including looking at the operational response, Local Resilience Forum procedures and interoperability between organisations.
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
First Seaman Vitālijs Dmitrijevs during a fire drill on board the LVNS Tālivaldis during BALTOPS 2020. The maritime exercise BALTOPS 2020 involved around 30 ships from 19 NATO Allies and partner nations. It's an annual exercise and it ran from 7-16 June 2020.
Exercise Northern Raider 2014
Cpl Kiernan Casey looks on as Cpl James Roberge, both of 37 Signals Regiment, unhooks a fish from the line of 35 Field Ambulance medic Cpl Katlyn Walton she caught another fish from Lake Melville near 5 Wing Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador on February 25 during Ex NORTHERN RAIDER.
Ex NORTHERN RAIDER 2014, taking place from February 22 to 28, is a comprehensive winter warfare training exercise involving soldiers, primarily Reservists, of 37 Canadian Brigade Group (37 CBG) from Newfoundland. The exercise aims to maintain and refine both the Canadian Army’s operational capabilities and soldiers’ ability to operate in the Arctic’s austere conditions.
Photo by WO Jerry Kean
Photo identified by LH2014-003-035
© 2014 DND-MDN Canada
Exercice Northern Raider 2014
Le Cpl Kiernan Casey, du 37e Régiment des transmissions, regarde son frère d’armes, le Cpl James Roberge, décrocher un autre poisson de la ligne du Cpl Katlyn Walton, technicienne médicale au sein de la 35e Ambulance de campagne, lors de l’activité de pêche sur glace au lac Melville, à proximité de la 5e Escadre Goose Bay (T. N. L.), le 25 février, dans le cadre de l’Ex NORTHERN RAIDER.
L’Ex NORTHERN RAIDER 2014, qui se déroule du 22 au 28 février, est un exercice complet d’entraînement à la guerre en hiver auquel participent les soldats, principalement des réservistes, du 37e Groupe brigade du Canada (37 GBC) de Terre Neuve et Labrador. Il vise le maintien et le perfectionnement des capacités opérationnelles de l’Armée canadienne et des compétences des soldats à mener des opérations dans des conditions difficiles, en Arctique.
Photo de l’adjudant Jerry Kean
Photo no LH2014-003-035
© 2014 DND-MDN Canada
Exercise Northern Raider 2014 .
MCpl Jay Wicks, a member of 1 Royal Newfoundland Regiment, relays information to his platoon as they guards a helicopter landing zone via radio during a winter exercise in the training area of 5 Wing Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador on February 27 during Ex NORTHERN RAIDER. .
Photo by WO Jerry Kean.
Photo identified by LH2014-003-052.
© 2014 DND-MDN Canada.
.
Exercice Northern Raider 2014 .
Le Cplc Jay Wicks, membre du 1er Bataillon, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, transmet de l’information par radio à son peloton, qui surveille une zone d’atterrissage d’hélicoptère durant un exercice d’entraînement à la guerre hivernale mené dans le secteur d’entraînement de la 5e Escadre Goose Bay, Terre Neuve et Labrador, le 27 février dernier, dans le cadre de l’Ex NORTHERN RAIDER. .
Photo : Adj Jerry Kean.
Photo no LH2014-003-052.
© 2014 DND-MDN Canada
I’ve been wanting to take a city break in summer, rather than in the cold months for a while, so rather than heading for the Lake District for a week of toil on the fells when Jayne could get a week off, we took off from Liverpool for Paris. Flight times were nice and sociable but it meant we were on the M62 car park at a busy time in both directions – it’s a shambles! I’ve stopped over in Paris a dozen times – on my way to cycling in the Etape du Tour in the Alps or Pyrenees – and had a few nights out there. Come to think about it and we’ve spent the day on the Champs Elysees watching the final day of the Tour de France with Mark Cavendish winning. We hadn’t been for a holiday there though and it was a bit of a spur of the moment decision. Six nights gave us five and a half days to explore Paris on foot. I had a good selection of (heavy) kit with me, not wanting to make the usual mistake of leaving something behind and regretting it. In the end I carried the kit in my backpack – an ordinary rucksack – to keep the weight down, for 103 miles, all recorded on the cycling Garmin – and took 3500 photos. The little Garmin is light and will do about 15 hours, it expired towards the end of a couple of 16 hour days but I had the info I wanted by then. This also keeps the phone battery free for research and route finding – I managed to flatten that once though.
What can I say – Paris was fantastic! The weather varied from OK to fantastic, windy for a few days, the dreaded grey white dullness for a while but I couldn’t complain really. We were out around 8.30 in shorts and tee shirt, which I would swap for a vest when it warmed up, hitting 30 degrees at times, we stayed out until around midnight most nights. It was a pretty full on trip. The security at some destinations could have been a problem as there is a bag size limit to save room in the lifts etc. I found the French to be very pragmatic about it, a bag search was a cursory glance, accepting that I was lugging camera gear, not bombs around, and they weren’t going to stop a paying customer from passing because his bag was a bit over size.
We didn’t have a plan, as usual we made it up as we went along, a loose itinerary for the day would always end up changing owing to discoveries along the way. Many times we would visit something a few times, weighing the crowds and light etc. up and deciding to come back later. I waited patiently to go up the Eiffel Tower, we arrived on Tuesday and finally went up on Friday evening. It was a late decision but the weather was good, the light was good and importantly I reckoned that we would get a sunset. Previous evenings the sun had just slid behind distant westerly clouds without any golden glory. It was a good choice. We went up the steps at 7.30 pm, short queue and cheaper – and just to say that we had. The steps are at an easy angle and were nowhere near as bad as expected, even with the heavy pack. We stayed up there, on a mad and busy Friday night, until 11.30, the light changed a lot and once we had stayed a couple of hours we decided to wait for the lights to come on. This was a downside to travelling at this time of year, to do any night photography we had to stay out late as it was light until 10.30. The Eiffel Tower is incredible and very well run, they are quite efficient at moving people around it from level to level. It was still buzzing at midnight with thousands of people around. The sunset on Saturday was probably better but we spent the evening around the base of the Tower, watching the light change, people watching and soaking the party atmosphere up.
Some days our first destination was five miles away, this is a lot of road junctions in a city, the roads in Paris are wide so you generally have to wait for the green man to cross. This made progress steady but when you are on holiday it doesn’t matter too much. Needless to say we walked through some dodgy places, with graffiti on anything that stays still long enough. We were ultra-cautious with our belongings having heard the pickpocket horror stories. At every Café/bar stop the bags were clipped to the table leg out of sight and never left alone. I carried the camera in my hand all day and everywhere I went, I only popped it in my bag to eat. I would guess that there were easier people to rob than us, some people were openly careless with phones and wallets.
We didn’t enter the big attractions, it was too nice to be in a museum or church and quite a few have a photography ban. These bans make me laugh, they are totally ignored by many ( Japanese particularly) people. Having travelled around the world to see something, no one is going to stop them getting their selfies. Selfies? Everywhere people pointed their cameras at their own face, walking around videoing – their self! I do like to have a few photos of us for posterity but these people are self-obsessed.
Paris has obviously got a problem with homeless (mostly) migrants. Walk a distance along the River Seine and you will find tented villages, there is a powerful smell of urine in every corner, with the no alcohol restrictions ignored, empty cans and bottles stacked around the bins as evidence. There are families, woman living on mattresses with as many as four small children, on the main boulevards. They beg by day and at midnight they are all huddled asleep on the pavement. The men in the tents seem to be selling plastic Eiffel Tower models to the tourists or bottled water – even bottles of wine. Love locks and selfy sticks were also top sellers. There must be millions of locks fastened to railings around the city, mostly brass, so removing them will be self-funding as brass is £2.20 a kilo.
As for the sights we saw, well if it was on the map we tried to walk to it. We crossed the Periphique ring road to get to the outer reaches of Paris. La Defense – the financial area with dozens of modern office blocks – was impressive, and still expanding. The Bois de Boulogne park, with the horse racing track and the Louis Vuitton Centre was part of a 20 mile loop that day. Another day saw us in the north east. We had the dome of the Sacre Couer to ourselves, with thousands of tourists wandering below us oblivious of the entrance and ticket office under the church. Again the light was fantastic for us. We read that Pere Lachaise Cemetery or Cimitiere du Pere Lachaise was one of the most visited destinations, a five mile walk but we went. It is massive, you need a map, but for me one massive tomb is much the same as another, it does have highlights but we didn’t stay long. Fortunately we were now closer to the Canal St Martin which would lead us to Parc de la Villette. This was a Sunday and everywhere was both buzzing and chilled at the same time. Where ever we went people were sat watching the world go by, socializing and picnicking, soaking the sun up. As ever I wanted to go up on the roof of anything I could as I love taking cityscapes. Most of these were expensive compared with many places we’ve been to before but up we went. The Tour Montparnasse, a single tower block with 59 floors, 690 foot high and extremely fast lifts has incredible views although it was a touch hazy on our ascent. The Arc de Triomphe was just up the road from our hotel, we went up it within hours of arriving, well worth the visit.
At the time of writing I have no idea how many images will make the cut but it will be a lot. If I have ten subtly different shots of something, I find it hard to consign nine to the dark depths of my hard drive never to be seen again – and I’m not very good at ruthless selection – so if the photo is OK it will get uploaded. My view is that it’s my photostream, I like to be able to browse my own work at my leisure at a later date, it’s more or less free and stats tell me these images will get looked at. I’m not aiming for single stunning shots, more of a comprehensive overview of an interesting place, presented to the best of my current capabilities. I am my own biggest critic, another reason for looking at my older stuff is to critique it and look to improve on previous mistakes. I do get regular requests from both individuals and organisations to use images and I’m obliging unless someone is taking the piss. I’m not bothered about work being published (with my permission) but it is reassuringly nice to be asked. The manipulation of Flickr favourites and views through adding thousands of contacts doesn’t interest me and I do sometimes question the whole point of the Flickr exercise. I do like having access to my own back catalogue though and it gives family and friends the chance to read about the trip and view the photos at their leisure so for the time being I’m sticking with it. I do have over 15 million views at the moment which is a far cry from showing a few people an album, let’s face it, there’s an oversupply of images, many of them superb but all being devalued by the sheer quantity available.
Don’t think that it was all walking and photography, we had a great break and spent plenty of time in pavement bistros having a glass of wine and people watching. I can certainly understand why Paris is top of the travellers list of destinations
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joe Berglund, an aircraft loadmaster from the 43rd Operations Support Squadron, conducts preflight checks on a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise on Jan. 27, 2015, on Green Ramp, Pope Army Airfield, N.C. Air Mobility Command's participation illustrates the critical partnership between Mobility Air Forces and the U.S. Army by exercising Joint Forcible Entry: the capability of rapidly introducing forces into hostile environments to conduct operations – whether combat or humanitarian support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
IMJIN PROMS 2015
In this image: The Band of the Royal Air Force College.
More than a thousand people enjoyed the first Imjin Proms on Saturday (30/05/15).
The concert and outdoor festival event raised money for three military service charity associations with entertainment ranging from a musically choreographed Spitfire display to children's activities.
Imjin Barracks, a Royal Air Force base that served for decades, has been home since 2010 to the event's other main host, NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
Lt.Gen. Tim Evans, ARRC commander, welcomed the crowd with gratitude, wishing everyone a splendid evening, and thanking Aramark and other sponsors. The general envisioned the event more than a year ago to be a way for Imjin and other nearby military communities to share a memorable evening with Gloucestershire.
The plane flew to classical music played by The Band of the Royal Air Force College, who also lit up the evening with a finale and fireworks around 10 pm. Other music included a pop-music cover set by the Adjutant Generals Corps' Band who got people up and dancing from their picnic blankets and chairs. The crowd also witnessed the precision of The Royal Marines Band and 19th Regimental Royal Artillery Pipes and Drums.
Children representing their school's talent, the Innsworth Military Wives Choir, and many others performed during the evening to the local crowd. The event succeeded in opening the gates of Imjin to the community and there is a hope to see more of these kinds of events in future.
Photographer: Sgt Mike O’Neill, RLC ABIPP, Photographer, HQ ARRC