RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight endangered

Support the BBMF with your vote

Photograph and Copyright Caz Caswell - Used with Permission

It has been suggested that the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) which celebrates the sacrifice of those who flew during the 2nd World War, will be part of the next round of defence cuts. This will be a travesty if it goes ahead.

The BBMF costs a mere £3m a year, less than 0.1% of the defence budget. It is a great delight for all who see their displays, and the memory of 'The Few' will be lost.
If a British Citizen (either UK Resident, Expatriate, or Crown Dependency), please vote in the E-Petition to the Prime Minister to ensure that the BBMF is not closed.

I am sorry to say that the many supporters of the BBMF who are not British Citizens cannot add their votes, but it doesn't stop you emailing HMG!

A (belated) Happy Birthday Alitalia

On the 13th January the new Alitalia celebrated one year of Operations.
Back in the summer and autumn of 2008 continuing into January 2009 I posted some blog entries which cast considerable doubt that Alitalia would have a future.

Well I was (I am pleased to say) wrong! The phoenix like new Alitalia despite a very rocky few days when re-launched has made great strides towards becoming a profitable enterprise. To reach this point there must have been a painful Journey, not just the massive job losses but the clash of cultures when Air One was merged with the remainder of the old Alitalia, However all credit to the Managers and Staff for somehow making it work.

My 'doom and gloom' laden posts can be found here:
2008:
alitalia - how long before the life support is switched off? 29 Jul 2008
alitalia - have the unions killed the only hope? 13 Sep 2008

alitalia files for bankruptcy protection 29 Aug 2008

alitalia - is the opera entering its final act? 06 OCt 2008
2009
alitalia reborn - but will it survive? 13 Jan 2009
alitalia - unions spoil first day 14 Jan 2009
strike one for alitalia 19 Jan 2009

The Soldiers Memorial to Their Fallen:

Michael Yon has been spending time with the US Army 1-17th Infantry Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division much of it at a the small base at Arghandab in Afghanistan, which sits on the bordeline of 'friendly' and 'enemy' territory.

His blog article on New years Eve 2009 entitled: Into Thine Hand I Commit My Spirit is dedicated to a Memorial Tepee that has been erected just next to the Chapel. Inside the tepee are 21 photos of 21 soldiers killed during the first months of a year-long tour of duty. Michael has illustrated his article with a series of extremely evocative photographs, most of which were taken at night. Whilst I urge you to read the Article, I could not resist including three of the Photographs (I just hope he doesn't mind):

Mostly there is silence.

Sometimes the soldiers walk by carrying lights that are red or green, or sometimes white. Tonight, Cobra Battery was firing illumination rounds from the cannons, which boom from the darkness, arcing a round into the night, where miles away a canister unsheathes, and the parachute opens, and brightness floats silently, shimmering over the valley where these soldiers died.

Soldiers put cigarettes in front of each photo, though they say that many of the fallen did not smoke.