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<strong>The</strong> Veterans’ Magazine <strong>Issue</strong> <strong>47</strong> | September 2018<br />
CRY OUT LOUD,<br />
LAUGH LOUDER!<br />
Soldier On, Jonathan<br />
Lewis' theatrical band of<br />
brothers and sisters is on<br />
parade this autumn<br />
SBT News Update<br />
Plus all <strong>The</strong> Latest National &<br />
International News from the<br />
Armed Forces & Veterans’ World<br />
Proud Sponsors of<br />
<strong>The</strong> Veterans Awards<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk<br />
Supporting #OP-WAMITS
CONTENTS<br />
SBT News<br />
4 Waterboarding Claims<br />
Investigation underway at<br />
RMA Sandhurst<br />
5 Ex RAF Officer Dies<br />
Accident in Italy claims life<br />
of climber<br />
5 US Pilot Killed in Crash<br />
Helicopter crash in Iraq<br />
claims life and injurs others<br />
6 Grandfather builds F35<br />
Simulator in shed<br />
Man builds very first<br />
simulator for iconic jet<br />
Features<br />
9 Ask Kerry<br />
Brand new advice on CV<br />
and Careers<br />
15 Rewind Technique<br />
Dr David Muss Takes Us<br />
Through His PTSD<br />
Recovery Treatment<br />
22 Soldier On<br />
Hit show hits London<br />
<strong>The</strong>atre<br />
<strong>The</strong> Invictus Games 2018<br />
All <strong>The</strong> Latest From Down Under In <strong>The</strong> Run Up<br />
To This Years Games. Page 30<br />
Regular<br />
12 Historic Tommy Atkins<br />
Shackleton Barracks<br />
27 Have Faith<br />
Stones...<br />
38 SBT Information<br />
A page dedicated to back<br />
issues, information, book<br />
reviews etc0<br />
40 Mrs Fox Goes To War<br />
All the latest gossip and<br />
letters from Little Hope<br />
<strong>The</strong> Veterans’ Magazine <strong>Issue</strong> <strong>47</strong> | September 2018<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk<br />
CRY OUT LOUD,<br />
LAUGH LOUDER!<br />
Soldier On, Jonathan<br />
Lewis' theatrical band of<br />
brothers and sisters is on<br />
parade this autumn<br />
SBT News Update<br />
Plus all <strong>The</strong> Latest National &<br />
International News from the<br />
Armed Forces & Veterans’ World<br />
Proud Sponsors of<br />
<strong>The</strong> Veterans Awards<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk<br />
Supporting #OP-WAMITS<br />
<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>47</strong><br />
Editor: Pablo Snow<br />
Magazine Manager: Matt Jarvis<br />
Patron: Matt Neal<br />
Honourary Patron:<br />
Jacqueline Hurley<br />
Additional editors:<br />
Albert ‘Robbie’ McRobb<br />
Jane Shields<br />
Peter Macey<br />
Mike Woods<br />
News Media Manager<br />
Jim Wilde<br />
Recording Engineer and PR<br />
Manager<br />
Vince Ballard<br />
Email: info@sandbagtimes.com<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
NEWS<br />
THE VETERANS’ MAGAZINE<br />
SBT NEWS September Edition info@sandbagtimes.com<br />
Investigation over 'waterboarding' at<br />
Sandhurst Military Academy Claims<br />
By Bracknell News<br />
MILITARY police are investigating claims<br />
two officer cadets "waterboarded" a fellow<br />
recruit at Sandhurst academy.<br />
Brigadier Bill Wright, commander of the<br />
Berkshire military college, ordered the<br />
probe into the alleged incident on August<br />
7. A cadet was allegedly pinned down<br />
before water was poured over a cloth covering<br />
his face, according to <strong>The</strong> Sun. Both<br />
Prince William and Prince Harry attended<br />
Sandhurst, where all officers in the British<br />
Army are trained. Brig Wright said: "I am<br />
aware of allegations about an incident at<br />
the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on<br />
August 7 involving some of our officer<br />
cadets. "I have ordered an investigation by<br />
the Royal Military Police. "<strong>The</strong> Army and I<br />
expect the highest standards of behaviour<br />
at Sandhurst; anyone found to have fallen<br />
short is dealt with robustly.<br />
GET HELP NOW: Rewind @ Tommy Atkins Centre<br />
tommyatkins@sandbagtimes.com<br />
| 4 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
NEWS<br />
THE VETERANS’ MAGAZINE<br />
SBT NEWS September Edition info@sandbagtimes.com<br />
By BBC News<br />
Ex-RAF officer killed descending mountain in Italy<br />
A former RAF officer has<br />
died in a fall while<br />
descending a mountain in<br />
Italy. Ian Atkins, who was<br />
known as Ted, is thought<br />
to have slipped on Civetta,<br />
in the Dolomites, on<br />
Monday. Mr Atkins, who<br />
grew up in<br />
<strong>No</strong>ttinghamshire, had<br />
climbed the peak with his<br />
friend Nev Taylor. His<br />
friend David Whalley said<br />
the 59-year-old was an<br />
experienced climber who<br />
had scaled mountains<br />
around the world, including<br />
Everest and the north face<br />
of the Eiger. Mr Whalley<br />
said: "He was an incredible<br />
guy. He was eccentric,<br />
funny and a pioneer. We<br />
have lost a good man." He<br />
added Mr Atkins had<br />
invented a "revolutionary"<br />
breathing system for oxygen<br />
masks at altitude.<br />
"<strong>The</strong>y used to put a mask<br />
on the face when using<br />
oxygen but it can block<br />
vision. He made it easier<br />
by making a nasal entry.<br />
"He did an awful lot of<br />
good all over the world and<br />
we are thinking of his family.<br />
"To be a free spirit in<br />
the military is quite amazing.<br />
Ted was a free spirit -<br />
that is why he achieved so<br />
much." Mr Whalley said<br />
Mr Atkins, who was born in<br />
Newcastle, had left the military<br />
but had recently been<br />
working half the year in the<br />
Himalayas, running his<br />
own business Topout<br />
Oxygen Ltd. He had been<br />
living in Alleghe, Italy, with<br />
his wife Shona and son<br />
Lewis. <strong>The</strong> funeral will be<br />
private and held in Italy.<br />
US Pilot Killed in Crash in Iraq<br />
<strong>The</strong> fallen service member’s<br />
details are being withheld,<br />
with further details<br />
regarding the incident the<br />
responsibility of “pertinent<br />
national authorities,”<br />
according to OIR.A<br />
coalition service member<br />
fighting as part of the U.S.-<br />
led campaign against ISIS in<br />
Iraq and Syria was killed<br />
and several others injured<br />
when their aircraft crashed<br />
in Iraq, Operation Inherent<br />
Resolve announced on<br />
Monday.<br />
<strong>The</strong> crash, which occurred<br />
around 10 p.m. on Sunday,<br />
occurred during a “partnered<br />
counterterrorism mission” in<br />
support of OIR, the coalition<br />
announced. <strong>The</strong>re were no<br />
indications of enemy fire, per<br />
OIR, suggesting that the crash<br />
was likely an aviation mishap<br />
resulting from a mechanical<br />
malfunction rather than a<br />
combat engagement.<br />
Newsweek reports that the<br />
aircraft involved was an MH-<br />
60 Black Hawk, with 10 U.S.<br />
military personnel from the<br />
160th Special Operations<br />
Aviation Regiment on board.<br />
Business Insider<br />
Express & Star<br />
Mercian Regiment to Train Afghan Security Forces<br />
More than 100 soldiers from<br />
the Mercian Regiment are to<br />
be deployed to Afghanistan<br />
to join an operation training<br />
local security forces.<br />
Troops from the 2nd Battalion<br />
will be sent out to the capital<br />
Kabul later this year in a noncombat<br />
capacity and have been<br />
training in Cyprus ahead of the<br />
mission. <strong>The</strong> 110 soldiers<br />
from Dragon Company will<br />
play a crucial role supporting<br />
the 1st Battalion <strong>The</strong> Welsh<br />
Guards protecting Nato<br />
advisors and members who are<br />
assisting the Afghan National<br />
Defence and security forces.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y will spend 10 weeks<br />
supporting Operation Toral,<br />
the British contribution to<br />
Nato's Resolute Support<br />
mission in Afghanistan, in the<br />
autumn. It will be the first time<br />
in five years the regiment has<br />
had a collective presence in<br />
Afghanistan, the scene of so<br />
much bloodshed in the decade<br />
following 9/11. <strong>The</strong> soldiers<br />
will work with the Welsh<br />
Guards to form part of the<br />
Kabul Security Force,<br />
providing protection and<br />
secure transport for UK and<br />
coalition mentors. More here<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 5 |
NEWS<br />
THE VETERANS’ MAGAZINE<br />
SBT NEWS September Edition info@sandbagtimes.com<br />
A FORMER<br />
Gurkha who<br />
was reduced<br />
to sleeping on<br />
a mattress on<br />
a bedroom<br />
floor has<br />
been helped<br />
out by a<br />
housing<br />
provider.<br />
Former<br />
Gurkha<br />
Gajurman Rai,<br />
74, joined the<br />
British Army<br />
in 1961 and<br />
fought for the<br />
country for<br />
nine years.<br />
Thanks to the<br />
national<br />
campaign<br />
highlighting<br />
the plight of<br />
the Gurkhas,<br />
headed and<br />
supported by<br />
actor Joanna<br />
Lumley, Mr<br />
Rai won the<br />
right to live in<br />
the UK, but<br />
he is not<br />
entitled to an<br />
Army<br />
pension. Mr<br />
Rai and his<br />
wife, Dhan<br />
Kumari, have<br />
lived in rented<br />
A NEW Memorial has been<br />
unveiled during an emotive<br />
30th anniversary service for<br />
eight soldiers murdered in the<br />
Ballygawley bus bombing.<br />
Relatives of the dead and<br />
survivors of the bombing laid<br />
wreaths and poppy crosses while<br />
the British Legion provided<br />
standard bearers and a lone piper<br />
played. Another 28 were injured<br />
after the IRA detonated a roadside<br />
200-pound Semtex bomb as the<br />
bus travelled between<br />
Ballygawley and Omagh after<br />
midnight on 20th August 1988.<br />
<strong>The</strong> unmarked bus, which was<br />
full of soldiers when the attack<br />
happened, was thrown along the<br />
road by the explosion. Members<br />
of the Light Infantry had been<br />
returning from the airport to their<br />
base near Omagh when the bomb<br />
was detonated, killing eight<br />
soldiers, all aged between 18-21.<br />
accommodatio<br />
n in Catterick<br />
Garrison since<br />
1997. <strong>The</strong><br />
couple’s story<br />
was<br />
highlighted by<br />
charity<br />
Community<br />
First<br />
Yorkshire who<br />
contacted<br />
Yorkshire<br />
Housing’s<br />
Swale home<br />
improvement<br />
agency who<br />
rehomed the<br />
pair in<br />
Catterick<br />
Garrison.<br />
Memorial unveiled to mark 30th<br />
anniversary Ballygawley bus bomb<br />
Housing provider swoops in to help Gurkha veteran<br />
By <strong>No</strong>rthern Echo<br />
At the memorial service on<br />
Sunday, Reverend Alan Irwin led<br />
the congregation in prayer and a<br />
new memorial was unveiled,<br />
which includes interpretative<br />
panels explaining what happened<br />
that night. Hundreds of veterans,<br />
as well as relatives of those killed<br />
and the civilians and some of the<br />
first responders and medical staff<br />
who treated the wounded attended<br />
the service. During Sunday's<br />
service Susan Greener, whose<br />
brother Richard Greener was<br />
among those killed, laid a poppy<br />
wreath on behalf of the Regiment.<br />
<strong>The</strong> dead were Jason Burfitt (19),<br />
Richard Greener (21), Mark<br />
Morsworthy (18), Stephen<br />
Wilkinson (18), Jason Winter<br />
(19), Blair Bishop (19),<br />
Alexander Lewis (18) and Peter<br />
Bullock (21). All had been<br />
returning to Tyrone to complete<br />
six months of a two-year tour.<br />
Story by Tyronne Courier<br />
GET HELP NOW: Text Combat Stress<br />
07537 40<strong>47</strong>19<br />
| 6 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
A GRANDFATHER has spent more than<br />
£30,000 building a home-made F-35B<br />
lightning fighter jet simulator - in his garden<br />
SHED. Kenneth Mockford, 54, shut<br />
himself away "from dawn until dusk" to<br />
construct the replica aircraft from hundreds<br />
of tiny pieces.<br />
He put it together by googling photos of<br />
the military fighter jet, which are currently<br />
being used for training by Royal Air Force<br />
and Royal Navy pilots. Mr Mockford, who<br />
stems from a line of RAF veterans built the<br />
fascinating machine, said: "I spent many<br />
late nights constructing the F-35 in my<br />
garden shed then loaded it on a truck and<br />
moved it to a warehouse for flying. "I started<br />
the plane with just a fuselage which I<br />
acquired. "All of the other components<br />
like the seats, the main instrument panel,<br />
all the switches and buttons that are in<br />
there I have made because they are not<br />
available to buy. "I am a nutty engineer,<br />
basically. Dimensions were a major issue<br />
for me when building because nobody is<br />
going to let me climb on their F-35. "So<br />
what I do is I research the internet for photographs<br />
and there are thousands of pilots<br />
sitting in cockpits. "From what I do from<br />
that is I scale the mains instrument panel<br />
of the size of the hands of the pilots that<br />
are flying in them or sitting in them. "I<br />
know how big my hand is and I know how<br />
big their hand is therefore, so I know how<br />
big the scales are. Mr Mockford, from<br />
Burwell, Cambidgeshire uses a homemade<br />
laser cutter and a Computer<br />
Numerical Controller (CNC) to cut and<br />
shape all the parts of the simulator.<br />
"Sizewize I think I have it all pretty close<br />
NEWS EXTRA<br />
Grandfather Builds world's first F-35 flight simulator<br />
By Daily Express<br />
and the dimensions are about 95% accurate,"<br />
he added. "I began building the F-<br />
35 in April, but luckily I didn't need to build<br />
the fuselage had already been built so all<br />
I had to with that is take it apart and<br />
rebuild it. "I built the main instrument<br />
panel from scratch and all the electrical<br />
switch panels I made as well.<br />
Read the full story here.<br />
Are you:<br />
A Service Veteran?<br />
Aged 65 or over?<br />
A family member or carer<br />
of the above?<br />
If so, you could bene 昀 t from the<br />
support of a DMWS Welfare O cer<br />
We are experts in the provision of Medical Welfare and have supported the<br />
Armed Forces Community during medical treatment since 1943<br />
We are here to help, contact your local Welfare O<br />
cer today:<br />
A Guide to Medical Welfare Services<br />
for Health Care Professionals, Organisations<br />
and Support Workers<br />
Caring For Those Who Serve – Frontline To Recovery<br />
www.dmws.org.uk<br />
Supported by the Aged Veterans Fund<br />
funded by the Chancellor using LIBOR Funds.<br />
DMWS Registered Charity number:<br />
England: 1087210 | Scotland: SCO45460<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 7 |
SBT NEWSDESK<br />
SBT NEWSDESK<br />
With Jim Wilde<br />
Hi Folks, Another month<br />
has just zipped by. Is it<br />
just me, or is it the older I<br />
get the quicker the days go<br />
by. It definitely seems that<br />
way to me, but then again, I am<br />
old and we'll leave that there. <strong>The</strong><br />
last month has been hectic, frantic,<br />
traumatic and many other things. <strong>The</strong> focus<br />
of many of us is on those that are no longer with<br />
us, and felt the need to depart this mortal coil for<br />
Valhalla. I am sure Pablo will have covered the<br />
plight of our Military and Veterans during this<br />
epidemic of suicides.<br />
We all have our own ideas of what should be<br />
done, and who we think is responsible, and that<br />
is fine. But we also know that there is no quick<br />
fix for this unprecedented rise in the loss of our<br />
brothers. Suggestions that we form up "parade<br />
like" outside Westminster and shout until we are<br />
heard, and write to our MP's are, to be fair, knee<br />
jerk reactions which do not directly address the<br />
issues we face. If a brother has a history of anxiety<br />
and mental anguish (PTSD), then it is documented,<br />
and various steps can be taken to try<br />
and deal with it. BUT, in many cases, there are<br />
no warning signals, and all it takes is a life<br />
event, family issue, financial problems to just tip<br />
you over the edge. We are all embroiled in our<br />
own cocoon of life these days, stuck on the<br />
phone, tablet, Internet, that we just don't see<br />
what is right in front of us. If we just look up<br />
from time to time and look around, the evidence<br />
is there.<br />
Of course, there are areas of the current system<br />
that do need a shake up, starting with those<br />
responsible for the welfare of our serving and<br />
non serving brothers and sisters. Even writing to<br />
individuals, your MP etc has not worked. I have<br />
personally seen 5 communiques to the Defence<br />
Minister, non of which has been answered by<br />
him, but farmed out to the Defence Peoples<br />
Secretariat (who knows what they do) to be<br />
answered. To top it all, when the reply arrived, it<br />
was another "cut and paste job from a similar<br />
response. It wasn't even signed, just pulled off<br />
the printer and mailed. This contempt and complete<br />
disregard for the brothers and sisters that<br />
are this countries first line of defence, is an<br />
insult.<br />
Brexit is coming, and to be fair, I really don't care<br />
a hoot about it or what it brings. My concerns<br />
are with the impact and effect this drastic and<br />
unprecedented loss of life will have on the<br />
Military community, not to mention recruiting. If I<br />
was a young guy looking to perhaps enlist into<br />
the Armed Forces, there are two things that<br />
would definitely make me think again. Firstly,<br />
the constant persecution of our troops for doing<br />
their jobs (<strong>No</strong>rthern Ireland), whilst those who<br />
bombed, maimed, and slaughtered were given<br />
amnesty. What a travesty. Secondly, the current<br />
suicide rates. Only yesterday we lost another. I<br />
would have to ask myself why are these people<br />
finding it necessary to choose the final option<br />
and way out when we profess to be a civilised<br />
country who (allegedly) take care of their own.<br />
For what its worth, my opinion is, that when<br />
troops return from an area of combat operations<br />
or conflict, it is at that point these systems<br />
should kick in. I am aware that troops are made<br />
to attend various "debriefs" and "decompression"<br />
courses, but how many are just paying lip service<br />
to that, and going through the motions just<br />
so they can go on leave.....and take all that trauma<br />
and baggage with them.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is no immediate fix, and the plasters that<br />
we are putting on gaping wounds do nothing to<br />
address the issue, and in some cases make<br />
things worse.<br />
Please feel free to drop us a line here at the<br />
<strong>Sandbag</strong>times. We would love to hear from<br />
you, and get your feed back. Sadly, only one<br />
topic this week, but it's a big topic, and deserves<br />
its own space.<br />
Wherever you are, whoever you are with, take<br />
time out to lift your head and take a look<br />
around. You never know, there might be a<br />
brother looking for help.<br />
Thank you as always for you ongoing support,<br />
and for keeping the magazine alive. Without<br />
you it could not happen.<br />
Jim<br />
Jim@<strong>Sandbag</strong>times.com<br />
GET HELP NOW: SSAFA Helpline<br />
0800 731 4880<br />
| 8 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
ASK KERRY<br />
Ask Kerry...<br />
Let her help you to open doors<br />
www.opendoortraining.co.uk<br />
Linkedin: Kerry Dedman BA PGCE<br />
kerry@sandbagtimes.com<br />
Kerry’s CV and coaching support for current<br />
and ex-military is now well known on<br />
Linkedin. She provides a range of support<br />
that is tailored to meet the needs of the individual.<br />
Her reputation as a Coach and<br />
Mentor is outstanding. For several months<br />
we have been discussing how her expertise<br />
could be included in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Sandbag</strong> <strong>Times</strong>. As<br />
we want our readers to have access to her<br />
skills, knowledge and expertise in the education,<br />
recruitment, training and management<br />
employment sectors.<br />
This is why in September 2018 we are<br />
launching a ‘Problem Page’ in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Sandbag</strong><br />
<strong>Times</strong>. <strong>The</strong> premise is simple. Kerry will<br />
read every email. A selection will be chosen<br />
to be answered in the ‘Ask Kerry’ section. A<br />
selection will be chosen to be answered in<br />
the Magazine. All published information will<br />
be only be included with the<br />
permission of the person concerned<br />
and they will be<br />
referred to by their initials and<br />
geographical region, ie ‘RT<br />
Cheshire.’<br />
So ‘Ask Kerry’ if you want<br />
impartial advice and guidance.<br />
You may well still be serving,<br />
just preparing to leave or left<br />
the Armed Forces several<br />
years ago. It doesn’t matter,<br />
everyone gets the same level of service and<br />
support.<br />
<strong>The</strong> published problems and Kerry’s responses<br />
will be there to provide advice and guidance,<br />
in a general way. Examples could be:<br />
If you have a query about how to prepare for<br />
your first civilian job interview. Or you are not<br />
sure if you have any transferable skills or<br />
even as simple a query about what to wear at<br />
a job interview then help is at hand.<br />
Let’s use ‘Our Kerry’ – she is very good at<br />
opening doors!<br />
GET HELP NOW: Combat Stress<br />
0800 138 1619<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 9 |
Bouyed by his victory in the special ‘Diamond<br />
Double’ race last time out at Snetterton, Neal<br />
found himself on the back foot going into<br />
race day after a difficult Saturday that saw the<br />
team forced to change the engine on his car<br />
ahead of qualifying.<br />
Round Seven: Rockingham<br />
Following Snetterton Success, Rockingham proves to<br />
be a round to forget<br />
Halfords Yuasa Racing pair Matt Neal and<br />
Dan Cammish battled hard on track to secure<br />
vital championship points on a challenging<br />
weekend of racing in the Dunlop MSA British<br />
Touring Car Championship at Rockingham.<br />
Both drivers showed strong pace on track at<br />
the wheel of their Honda Civic Type Rs, but<br />
found themselves unable to push for a place<br />
on the podium due to the forceful nature of<br />
racing in the midfield.<br />
Having got the triple champion out on track,<br />
Neal qualified just a second away from pole<br />
position, although the close nature of the grid<br />
meant he found himself 29th on the grid for<br />
race one.<br />
Delayed by an incident at the start, Neal<br />
fought hard in race one to finish in 18th spot,<br />
and showed top six pace in both races two<br />
and three, although plenty of contact in the<br />
midfield meant he had to settle for 14th and<br />
15th place finishes.<br />
Series rookie Cammish came close to securing<br />
a maiden pole position in qualifying for<br />
race one, where he picked up a fifth place finish<br />
despite carrying damage as a legacy of<br />
contact on the opening lap.<br />
Rain ahead of the second race created challenging<br />
conditions on track, with Cammish<br />
one of those drivers caught out by a damp<br />
Photo: Jakob Ebrey<br />
| 10 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
OFF THE GRID<br />
patch on the circuit as he ran wide at Deene whilst fighting for<br />
tenth place; an incident that left him instead outside the points<br />
in 21st spot.<br />
However, the Yorkshireman fought back well in race three<br />
despite being on the less favourable hard tyre to end his<br />
weekend with a second top ten finish.<br />
<strong>The</strong> points scored in the final race allowed the Honda teams'<br />
to top score amongst the manufacturer entries to maintain<br />
second in the Manufacturers’ Championship whilst Halfords<br />
Yuasa Racing ends the weekend just two points away from<br />
the lead of the Teams Championship.<br />
Neal sits in fifth place in the Drivers' Championship, just<br />
twelve points off the top three, with Cammish just a point<br />
away from the top ten.<br />
Cammish also retains the lead of the Jack Sears Trophy<br />
standings.<br />
Matt Neal On Rockingham<br />
“You can’t hide from the fact that it’s been a tough weekend<br />
for us and luck hasn’t been on our side. We were really on the<br />
back foot after qualifying because the margins have been so<br />
close that we found ourselves towards the rear of the field<br />
and it was always going to be tough from there. Some of the<br />
racing in the mid-pack is brutal and I found myself trying to<br />
look after the car as best I could but have still come away with<br />
quite a bit of damage. <strong>The</strong> lap times showed that the Civic<br />
Type R was a quick car this weekend and to end it with a<br />
Manufacturers win in race three is a positive. However, it’s<br />
onwards and upwards from here and we have to focus on the<br />
next round at Knockhill.”<br />
Photo: Jakob Ebrey<br />
Dan Cammish on Rockingham<br />
“I think character building is a good way to sum the weekend<br />
up for me. It’s clear to see that we had good pace in the car<br />
on Saturday and on another day we could have had pole and<br />
then would have avoided the incident at the start of race one,<br />
which just unfortunate. <strong>The</strong> field bunched up and I made contact<br />
with Sam [Tordoff], which was completely unintentional<br />
and the last thing I wanted to do. We carried some damage<br />
after that but managed to bring home some points in fifth<br />
place but the mixed conditions in race two didn’t favour us<br />
and I found myself on a damp part of the circuit fighting for<br />
position and it cost me. I feel I got the best I could from the<br />
car in race three and P21 to P10 was a good way to end what<br />
has been a tough meeting where we haven’t been able to<br />
pick up the results that our pace deserved.”<br />
Standings: Matt Neal 5th - 176pts Dan Cammish 11th - 129 pts Halfords Yuasa Racing 2nd - 298 pts Honda 2nd - 553pts<br />
Pabs On Rockingham: Hard <strong>Times</strong> Come &<br />
Go, But At Least <strong>The</strong> Bacon Was Nice...<br />
If ever I have felt for a team, it was last Sunday watching our<br />
buddies struggling at Rockingham. It was funny, I kind of<br />
had a feeling it was going to be a tough weekend after<br />
watching the qualifying on telly the day before. <strong>The</strong>re was<br />
very little time between the front and back and although,<br />
Matt didn’t have the best of it, his time was not shabby at<br />
all. Such is the fierce competition in this years BTCC.<br />
But, damn, that boy is quick! Yes, Dan managed to put his<br />
car on third in Qualies and came home a very respectable<br />
5th in race 1. Unfortunately Matt was on the back foot from<br />
the word go with 29th in Qualies. But as I said, his time<br />
was only a second behind pole. He did improve as the day<br />
progressed and managed to bring the Honda Civic R - FK8<br />
to 14th in Race 2 and 15th in Race 3. <strong>No</strong>t the best of days<br />
but not the end of the world. <strong>The</strong> title hunt is still there, Matt<br />
currently lies in 5th going to Scotland. So, Re-org, as we<br />
say in the army, look forward and fight on.<br />
attention on young Ash Suton, who is absolutely flying in<br />
the Suburu all of a suddon. Hmmm....<br />
As for the team, we polished off much bacon rolls and coffee<br />
from the Breakfast bar which I have to say was very reasonable<br />
too. Very strange, as I normally have to finance<br />
trackside burgers with a mortgage but we scoffed up, sat in<br />
the media centre keeping dry all except Vince who was like<br />
a kid with a new toy walking around the track taking photos.<br />
I have to say, you looked very dashing in your green media<br />
bib mate lol. Ah well, on to Scotland and more victories.<br />
Photo: Jokob Ebrey<br />
Knockhill promises to be a great weekend, well suited to<br />
the Honda. Mind you, I think the pack has now got it’s<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 11 |
HISTORICAL TOMMY ATKINS<br />
Shackleton Bks<br />
<strong>The</strong> History of the N. Ireland<br />
RAF & Army Base<br />
<strong>The</strong> East-West runway was extended to cross<br />
the railway line to Londonderry during 1943,<br />
so the the airfield could employ the Liberator<br />
to its maximum effect (with as much fuel and<br />
weapons as possible to provide max range and<br />
endurance). In September 1943 Liberators<br />
returned, this time with 86Sqn. <strong>The</strong>y were<br />
replaced by 120 Sqn in September 1943.<br />
Along with 120 Sqn more Liberators arrived<br />
with 59Sqn. 120 Sqn disbanded at Ballykelly<br />
on 4 June 1945. In late August 281 Sqn<br />
arrived at the airfield. 59 Sqn moved off the<br />
airfield in September and 281 Sqn disbanded<br />
on 24 October. Left without units and a<br />
mission, Ballykelly was then put on care and<br />
maintenance.<br />
In 19<strong>47</strong> Ballykelly reopened and became the<br />
home of the Joint Anti-Submarine School<br />
(JASS), operating Shackleton MR1 and MR2.<br />
Five years later it became an operational<br />
airfield again when 269 Sqn reformed on 10<br />
March with Shacketons. In June 240 Sqn<br />
followed. On 1 January 1954 204 Sqn was<br />
formed at Ballykelly. 240 was renumbered to<br />
203 Sqn on 1 november 1958, and a month<br />
later 269 was renumbered 210 Sqn. <strong>The</strong>re was<br />
also a station flight with two Lockheed<br />
Hudsons, two Douglas Dakotas and an<br />
Auster.Ballykelly airfield (also known as RAF<br />
Ballykelly and Shackleton Barracks, ICAO:<br />
EGQB)) was an airfield in the north of<br />
<strong>No</strong>rthern Ireland.<br />
Work on the airfield began in 1940 and it was<br />
opened on 1 June 1941 as an RAF station. <strong>No</strong><br />
units were based at the airfield until December<br />
1941. That month the Coastal Command<br />
Development Unit arrived at the airfield, but<br />
they left in June 1942. It remained a Coastal<br />
Command base however, although now with<br />
an operational mission. Long range maritime<br />
patrol Fortress bombers (RAF B-17 bombers)<br />
of 220 Sqn began using the airfield. On 21<br />
July 1942 they were followed by 120 Sqn with<br />
Liberators. Both squadrons (and their<br />
detachments on Iceland) began their long<br />
range missions deep into the Atlantic hunting<br />
for U-boats. Both units moved to RAF<br />
Aldergrove in February 1943. For a while the<br />
airfield was used only by visiting Fleet Air<br />
Arm aircraft while disembarked from carriers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> JASS disbanded in March 1957. In 1957<br />
and again in 1958, 240 Sqn was among the<br />
units involved in Operation Grapple, nuclear<br />
weapon testing on Christmas Island in the<br />
Pacific Ocean. <strong>The</strong> three squadrons worked<br />
side by side as part of the ASW (Anti-<br />
Submarine Warfare) force and covered search<br />
and rescue (SAR) standby duties. Some Fleet<br />
Air Arm units (such as 819 Sqn) moved onto<br />
the station in 1962, with the Royal Navy<br />
referring to it as HMS Sealion.<br />
In 1963 the E-W runway was extended a<br />
second time to enable the V-bomber force to<br />
use the airfield as a dispersal site. On the<br />
eastern end's north side of the runway bomber<br />
dispersals were built immediately to the<br />
runway.<br />
During a trans-atlantic yacht race in 1967/8 a<br />
French competitor was lost. By adopting<br />
search positions well before the expected<br />
search location, a Ballykelly Shackleton found<br />
him. <strong>The</strong>y dropped some life preserving<br />
equipment and marked his position so he<br />
could be picked up by surface vessels. A few<br />
days later President De Gaulle visited<br />
Ballykelly to personally award medals to<br />
members of the crew.<br />
In February 1969 203 Sqn moved to Malta.<br />
210 Sqn left the base in <strong>No</strong>vember 1970 for<br />
the Persian Gulf. That left 204 Sqn alone at<br />
the base until its disbandment in March 1971.<br />
Left without units and a mission again, RAF<br />
Ballykelly was to be closed and handed over<br />
to the British Army on 2 June 1972. For a<br />
while it was used for trails with the then-new<br />
Nimrods later in 1971, though.<br />
<strong>The</strong> handover to the Army did not mean the<br />
end of flying operations at the station<br />
however. It did mean a change in name, as the<br />
Army decided to rename it Shackleton<br />
Barracks, in honour of the Shackleton units<br />
that had operated at the airfield for 20 years.<br />
When the RAF left Ballykelly in 1971 there<br />
was no further use for the full length of the E-<br />
W runway. A much shorter runway was<br />
eventually laid out at about the middle of that<br />
runway to accommodate visiting Army<br />
Islander aircraft based at Aldergrove. <strong>The</strong><br />
occasional visiting Hercules used the<br />
secondary runway (02/20), which had an<br />
approach over Lough Foyle. Army helicopters<br />
and Police helicopter also used the airfield<br />
from time to time.<br />
On March 29, 2006, an Airbus A320 aircraft<br />
operated by Eirjet on behalf of Ryanair landed<br />
at Ballykelly after the pilot mistook the<br />
runway for that of nearby City of Derry<br />
Airport.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Army pulled out of the airfield in 2008.<br />
For a while it was still occasionally used by<br />
visiting army helicopters during exercises.<br />
In 2010 the former base was sold by the MoD<br />
to Merrion Property Development, of Dublin,<br />
which renamed the place as Longview and<br />
refurbished it as a housing development.<br />
Most of the base was still intact in 2011<br />
though, as only the homes in the housing area<br />
had been sold to private persons.<br />
| 12 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
BRAND NEW<br />
Patron to <strong>The</strong> Tommy Atkins Centre
<strong>The</strong> Tommy Atkins Centre<br />
Tommy Atkins Centre September<br />
Happy to say we’re still<br />
enjoying some beautiful<br />
weather here in Worcester. I<br />
don’t remember a summer<br />
quite this warm in many a<br />
year. And It’s quite a<br />
welcome relief when we<br />
see the rain occasionally to<br />
cool it down a little, at least I<br />
think so.<br />
We’ve had a fairly busy month<br />
here, seen many new faces<br />
coming through the doors.<br />
Combat Stress have been here most<br />
weeks holding courses or meetings with<br />
our veteran community, and it’s wonderful to<br />
see some happy smiling faces, and hear the<br />
banter as people come and go.<br />
It’s also fantastic to have Dr Muss here<br />
amongst us with his Rewind Technique. I’ve<br />
already witnessed some remarkable results<br />
from people using the technique with him, and<br />
am really hopeful it is the breakthrough it<br />
appears to be in helping people to cope with<br />
their own PTSD. I have nothing but praise for<br />
this approach, and can honestly say from<br />
first-hand experience that it works. If you’re<br />
interested in finding out more about it, please<br />
take a look at the article over the next few<br />
pages.<br />
I would like to say to all our veteran<br />
community, please look out for each other. If<br />
you haven’t seen or heard from a buddy for a<br />
few days give them a call, or pop round. If<br />
you notice they are a bit down then keep a<br />
close eye on them, let them know you’re there<br />
for them and don’t give up on them. Tell them<br />
about places like <strong>The</strong> Tommy Atkins Centre<br />
where they can go to for help and advice.<br />
We’re open every Tuesday and Thursday<br />
from 0930. Bring them along for a chat ,<br />
we’re here for you all.<br />
Take care, please call in if you’re passing.<br />
You’re always most welcome. x<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk/tommyatkinscentre<br />
Dr David Muss Establishes<br />
Groundbreaking Treatment at<br />
the Tommy Atkins Centre<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tommy Atkins has prided itself, since it’s opening in<br />
<strong>No</strong>vember 2017, that it has the ability to assist veterans in various<br />
ways in a rapid but effective way. Psychotherapists have<br />
volunteered along with people that have just wanted to make a<br />
difference to our veterans.<br />
launched by the Tommy Atkins Centre over the next few weeks<br />
explaining the treatment but any veteran who is in need of<br />
help is encouraged to give the Tommy Atkins Centre a call,<br />
book an appointment and get treated. To find out more or to<br />
book an appointment call 01905 27825 Tuesdays or Thursdays<br />
<strong>No</strong>w, the centres has added a jewel in the crown as far as veterans<br />
treatment is concerned, Dr David Muss is the founder of<br />
the Rewind Trauma <strong>The</strong>rapy. A system which has been successfully<br />
treating PTSD sufferers for years. David’s treatment<br />
programme is now being introduced to the centre in order to<br />
ensure veterans can be treated quickly, effectively and for free.<br />
In short, veterans will no longer have to wait months to be<br />
seen, nor will they be required to speak about the traumas that<br />
affect them. Indeed, David prides his thereapy as ‘Closure<br />
without Disclosure’. Rewind can be effective in only two sessions<br />
and has a success rate of around 90%. In addition to<br />
providing free treatment to veterans, David also trains therapists<br />
around the country in the Rewind technique stating that<br />
veterans who are treated, are treated for free.<br />
<strong>The</strong> following pages include the leaflet which is about to be<br />
GET HELP NOW: Tommy Atkins Centre<br />
01905 27825<br />
| 14 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
<strong>The</strong> Tommy Atkins Centre<br />
Veterans Support<br />
Worcester<br />
IARTT<br />
International Association<br />
For Rewind Trauma <strong>The</strong>rapy<br />
Rewind Trauma <strong>The</strong>rapy<br />
For All Veterans
Closure without Disclosure<br />
THE REWIND THERAPY (RT) HAS BECOME<br />
INDISPENSABLE TREATMENT FOR PROVID<br />
It is applicable to survivors trans culturally and<br />
usually requires no more than two sessions to<br />
bring about closure for single traumas. <strong>The</strong><br />
results are enduring** - a follow up of two years<br />
showed no relapses in that period of time. (RT)<br />
was first introduced into the literature of Post<br />
Traumatic Stress Disorder by Dr.David Muss<br />
(founder of this association) back in 1991; ** "A<br />
new technique for treating Posttraumatic Stress<br />
DR DAVID MUSS<br />
Rewind was founded by Dr<br />
David Muss, : Licentiate<br />
Memeber of the Society of<br />
Apothecaries (LMSSA) UK;<br />
Laurea Medicina e Chirugia<br />
(University of Rome. Italy).<br />
David is now bringing<br />
Rewind to <strong>The</strong> Tommy<br />
Atkins Centre, Worcester to<br />
help veterans with service<br />
related trauma injuries,<br />
ensuring they receive effective<br />
and rapid treatment in<br />
a comfortable, stress free<br />
environment.<br />
"I am so much better since I s<br />
am surprised at how well the<br />
<strong>No</strong>w that you are a veteran do you have PTSD?<br />
Are you admitting it to yourself? Is your family suffering.<br />
Drinking to survive? Can’t get back to work?<br />
Why do you continue like this?<br />
Is it because you have lost faith in the help (or lack of<br />
help) provided to date?<br />
If you haven’t found any real help to give you peace of<br />
mind it is because treatments so far approved in the<br />
NHS aim only to help you cope rather than file the traumatic<br />
recall of events which you have no control over.<br />
Rewind Trauma <strong>The</strong>rapy has been in clinical use for 25<br />
years. 90% of veterans gain sufficient control of their<br />
mind to return to being loved by their family, return to<br />
work and become once again a valuable social member<br />
AT LAST In JUST TWO TO THREE SESSIONS .<br />
We are privileged to have working for us pro bono<br />
Dr. Muss originator of the Rewind Trauma <strong>The</strong>rapy.
INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED AS AN<br />
ING CLOSURE TO THOSE WITH PTSD<br />
Disorder". British Journal of Clinical Psychology,<br />
1991, 30,91-92. 19 policeman with PTSD were<br />
treated with the Rewind and followed for two<br />
years. All reported being well, returned to work<br />
and there wasn't a single relapse. <strong>The</strong> Rewind is<br />
different from other imaginal exposure therapies<br />
because no details are disclosed to the therapist<br />
hence the treatment is known as "closure without<br />
disclosure"<br />
aw you a few weeks ago, and<br />
rewind therapy has worked. “<br />
DAVE, VETERAN OF AFGHANISTAN<br />
Visit our<br />
website<br />
www.iartt.com<br />
THE<br />
TOMMY ATKINS<br />
CENTRE<br />
26 Sansome Walk<br />
Worcester,<br />
WR1 1LX<br />
Tel: 01905 27825<br />
Don’t give in, give us a call, book your appointment,<br />
no waiting list, no exclusions.
Atrocities constantly<br />
recalled after 1990's<br />
Bosnia and Kosovo<br />
conflict "put to bed"<br />
Dear David,<br />
I would like to thank you<br />
for your assistance in<br />
treating me with the<br />
Rewind technique for<br />
post traumatic stress<br />
disorder that I was diagnosed<br />
with in <strong>No</strong>vember<br />
2011. This has been a<br />
number of traumatic<br />
experience’s in my life<br />
that I have been living<br />
with for 12 years<br />
because of the atrocities<br />
that I was exposed to in<br />
Bosnia and Kosovo in<br />
the 1990s serving as a<br />
Soldier in the British<br />
army,<br />
You have helped me gain<br />
my life back and get the<br />
ghosts put to bed<br />
Many thanks.<br />
Former Sgt JP McClay<br />
Irish Guards/ Royal Military Police.<br />
IARTT<br />
International Association<br />
For Rewind Trauma <strong>The</strong>rapy<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tommy Atkins Centre<br />
26 Sansome Walk<br />
Worcester<br />
WR1 1LX<br />
01905 27825<br />
info@www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
SBT Remembrance<br />
100 Special Set To<br />
Be A Sell Out<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Sandbag</strong> <strong>Times</strong> is<br />
preparing to release a<br />
Remembrance 100 Special<br />
printed edition. <strong>The</strong> magazine<br />
will cover the last 100<br />
years since the end of the<br />
First World War. <strong>The</strong> journey<br />
will follow the Tale of<br />
Remembrance including<br />
many of the conflicts that the<br />
British Forces have been<br />
involved in.<br />
<strong>The</strong> issue features the incredible<br />
‘Remember and Reflect’<br />
painting on the cover by War<br />
Poppy Artist Jacqueline<br />
Hurley. Jacqueline has also<br />
written an article to commemorate<br />
the occasion<br />
along with other regular writers<br />
such as Mrs Fox, Mike<br />
Woods, our resident poet,<br />
Peter Macey, our historian<br />
plus a special editorial by<br />
your truly.<br />
Only 1000 copies will be produced<br />
and will be on a first<br />
come, first served basis.<br />
Since the first announcement<br />
of the magazine, many have<br />
reserved their issues including<br />
Veterans Breakfast Clubs<br />
and many new subscribers<br />
from the Port Out, Starboard<br />
Home website.<br />
If you would like to reserve<br />
your issue, simply email us at<br />
info@sandbagtimes.com.<br />
Each issue will cost £4.00<br />
including P&P. Proceeds will<br />
be donated to military charities<br />
including the Tommy<br />
Atkins Veterans Centre.<br />
REMEMBRANCE SPECIAL<br />
URBAN PRINTS<br />
Proud Sponsors of<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Sandbag</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> SBT would like to<br />
welcome Urban Prints,<br />
Worcester as an official sponsor<br />
for our magazine.<br />
Urban Prints<br />
Unit 7 <strong>The</strong> Gallery,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Shambles,<br />
Worcester<br />
WR1 2RA<br />
GET HELP NOW: NHS England S/West<br />
0300 365 0300<br />
| 20 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
SOLDIER ON<br />
Transfer of the play Soldier On to <strong>The</strong> Other<br />
Palace is a fairy tale come true for serving and<br />
veteran personnel by Amanda Faber<br />
extremely funny…Soldier On is very, very<br />
funny, especially in the riotous workshops<br />
when the whole bunch get together to<br />
rehearse under the benevolent but exasperated<br />
tutelage of their director, Harry (David<br />
Solomon). <strong>The</strong>re’s a constant threat of fistfights<br />
breaking out, inter-regimental insults flying,<br />
and reproducing any of the machinegun<br />
dialogue would involve a lot more asterisks —<br />
but f*** me, it’s funny.”<br />
Photographs:<br />
Harry Parker<br />
Front Cover & Main Hand Photos<br />
Harry Burton<br />
Matteo di Cugno<br />
Article Photos<br />
Steve Morgan<br />
Hand in main pictures<br />
It is the sort of thing that happens in a film<br />
script. <strong>The</strong> kind of ending to a story that just<br />
doesn’t happen in real life. Except it has. <strong>The</strong><br />
play Soldier On by the award winning writer,<br />
director and veteran, Jonathan Lewis, will run<br />
from 24th October to 24th <strong>No</strong>vember in <strong>The</strong><br />
Other Palace, brushing shoulders with theatres<br />
housing Hamilton and Wicked and next door<br />
to Buckingham Palace. Remarkably unique,<br />
the cast and crew of Soldier On includes serving<br />
and veteran military personnel and their<br />
families. <strong>The</strong>ir roles include everything from<br />
acting and dancing to props and makeup.<br />
Soldier On is a heartwarming story about surviving<br />
the forces and PTSD and what happens<br />
when you leave the ‘military family’. It's a play<br />
about a group of veterans putting on a play -<br />
in effect a play within a play. <strong>The</strong> plot follows<br />
the veterans, many with mental or physical<br />
injuries, as they meet to put together a play<br />
about their own experiences. <strong>The</strong>y begin to<br />
recover and to reconnect, to become a company<br />
of actors – a theatrical band of brother<br />
and sisters. Through the sense of community,<br />
the humour and the support they start to offer<br />
each other, the ‘theatre of war’ starts to bring<br />
them back together. <strong>The</strong>y begin to realise that<br />
there are more similarities between military life<br />
and the theatre than they had first though.<br />
Acting creates a safe space where they can<br />
explore their feelings<br />
Lewis was an army scholar who was invalided<br />
out after a back injury. His play is inspired by<br />
true stories which he has workshopped with<br />
British servicemen and women and their families<br />
over the last five years. <strong>The</strong> play has won<br />
many standing ovations and much critical<br />
acclaim. It follows Lewis’s multi-award-winning<br />
West End hit, "Our Boys".<br />
Lewis says ‘Soldier On is dedicated to all<br />
those who come home after war, but don’t<br />
really come back. And to all their loved ones<br />
and friends who know what it’s like to live with<br />
the thousand-yard stare.…This <strong>No</strong>vember we<br />
will be remembering the end of <strong>The</strong> Great War<br />
a hundred years ago, and there will be many<br />
poignant and moving tributes to the fallen. It<br />
should then be time to focus on those who<br />
returned.’<br />
Soldier On tackles heavy subject matter with<br />
military bearing. According to a recent 4-star<br />
review in the Sunday <strong>Times</strong>, “<strong>The</strong>re is a lot<br />
of… military humor: dark and cynical but also<br />
(https://www.thetimes.co.uk/magazine/culture/t<br />
heatre-review-soldier-on-playground-theatretgcd27770)<br />
<strong>The</strong> play is performed by the theatre company<br />
of <strong>The</strong> Soldiers Arts Academy (SAA), an organization<br />
that provides a platform for the arts for<br />
serving and veteran members of the armed<br />
forces and their families. SAA enables them to<br />
recover, to train in the arts including performance<br />
skills and to transition back into work<br />
both in the performing arts and elsewhere.<br />
Working<br />
closely with<br />
actors, directors,<br />
producers,<br />
dancers,<br />
writers, poets<br />
and artists,<br />
and alongside<br />
members of<br />
the local community,<br />
SAA<br />
creates<br />
opportunities<br />
that enable<br />
participants to<br />
fulfill their<br />
artistic potential.<br />
<strong>The</strong><br />
Academy was<br />
set up to<br />
bring the<br />
activities in a<br />
number of companies running at that time<br />
under one banner. <strong>The</strong>y included <strong>The</strong> Charlie<br />
F Project (UK) Ltd, Combat Veteran Players<br />
and Shakespeare’s soldiers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> exciting call to bring the play into a West<br />
End theatre came from Lord Lloyd Webber’s<br />
theatre <strong>The</strong> Other Palace. ‘ Veteran and actor<br />
Shaun Johnson commented “After a sell-out<br />
UK tour, it’s an absolute pleasure for me to be<br />
invited to perform the part of Flaps again.<br />
We’re taking this production up a notch to the<br />
superb <strong>The</strong> Other Place <strong>The</strong>atre in the heart of<br />
London. What a privilege and fitting tribute as<br />
a former soldier to acknowledge the sacrifice<br />
and the ending of the Great War by performing<br />
Soldier On around the 100th anniversary of<br />
Armistice Day".<br />
<strong>The</strong> true value of this play lies in its power to<br />
create conversations about the next steps in<br />
recovery for serving and veteran military personnel.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is limited evidence about what<br />
actually happens for veterans through theatre<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
SOLDIERING ON<br />
but there is now recognition of the possibilities.<br />
In 2017 an all party inquiry co chaired by<br />
Lord Howarth and Ed Vaisey concluded that<br />
the arts can help recovery from illness and<br />
keep people well. Lord Howarth said “<strong>The</strong> arts<br />
can help people take responsibility for their<br />
own health and wellbeing in ways that will be<br />
crucial to the health of the nation.”<br />
Playing the role of Woody, Cassidy Little<br />
@Bears_eat_oats, was a dancer before he<br />
joined the Royal Marines, where he lost his left<br />
leg to an IED in Afghanistan on his second<br />
tour of duty. Prior to the initial run of Soldier<br />
On he had gone on to perform in both tours of<br />
the multiple-award nominated <strong>The</strong> Two Worlds<br />
of Charlie F by Owen Sheers, won the<br />
People’s Strictly for Comic relief, has worked<br />
in film and has his own show ‘Rated’ on BFBS.<br />
He says, ‘Had it not been for acting, dancing<br />
and performing then I have no idea where my<br />
life would be”.<br />
<strong>The</strong> impact for<br />
those on stage<br />
and behind<br />
the stage is<br />
also mirrored<br />
by the<br />
changes that<br />
take place in<br />
audience<br />
members,<br />
whether serving<br />
and veteran<br />
personnel<br />
and their families<br />
or members<br />
of the<br />
wider community.<br />
One audience member<br />
said, ‘ it helps to put you in<br />
touch with emotions that are<br />
sometimes difficult to face’<br />
and another said ‘Acting is<br />
somewhere you can pretend<br />
to be someone else but actually<br />
be yourself without being<br />
judged’.<br />
<strong>The</strong> military charities have<br />
done a superb job of making<br />
everyone aware of the issues<br />
faced by veterans and serving<br />
personnel. Events like the<br />
Invictus games have provided<br />
a brilliant focus for sport but<br />
this is not for everyone. It's the<br />
turn of those involved in the<br />
arts now. This is the first time<br />
that veterans have performed<br />
a major run of a play about<br />
their experiences in the West<br />
End. Writer Lewis feels passionate<br />
about the subject matter. ‘Soldier On<br />
celebrates the power of Story in the healing<br />
process. Soldier On is here to say ‘You are not<br />
alone.’’<br />
Tickets are available from the Other Palace<br />
website<br />
https://www.theotherpalace.co.uk/whatson/soldier-on<br />
or by phoning their booking line 0207 087<br />
7900. <strong>The</strong>re is £10 off every ticket band for<br />
serving and veteran military personnel and<br />
their families and members of the emergency<br />
services by using the code SOLDIERONFAM.<br />
Find us:<br />
Twitter:<br />
@soldieronstage<br />
@soldiersArtsA<br />
Website:<br />
Soldierontheplay.com
WIN!!<br />
A pair of tickets to ‘Soldier On’ at<br />
the Other Palace <strong>The</strong>atre, London<br />
for 30th October 2018<br />
To be in with a chance of winning<br />
simply answer the following question<br />
and email your answer to<br />
info@sandbagtimes.com.<br />
Q. Who is the famous West End<br />
lyracist and owner of the Other<br />
Palace <strong>The</strong>atre?<br />
Entries close Friday 14th September 2018<br />
| 24 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
Fortune knocks twice for lucky Worthing couple<br />
A lucky couple have each won a prize in the new Veterans Raffle, promoted by YES Society. It supports the specialist<br />
UK Armed Forces and Emergency Services charities desperately in need of additional funding, and it’s the<br />
only UK raffle or lottery to apportion 95% of your donations to charity & prizes.<br />
Mark, a self-confessed petrol head and lover of military aviation, said “I had already pre-registered for the Veterans<br />
Raffle launch in May this year and when I won a £100 prize in my very first draw, I encouraged my wife Catherine to<br />
enter too. We were both absolutely amazed when she also won a £100 prize in her first draw, which was just 2<br />
months after my win!”<br />
Why did you choose to support the Veterans Raffle?<br />
NHS nurse, Catherine said “We saw the Veterans Raffle advertised locally and upon visiting their website we<br />
instantly became aware of just how little we knew about lotteries in general, including those we had been supporting<br />
for years. With such compelling facts right before my eyes it became a ‘<strong>No</strong>-Brainer’ to switch my support to the<br />
Veterans Raffle.”<br />
A beneficiary of the Veterans Raffle, Tony Hayes, CEO & Founder of the Veterans Association UK said: “We’re<br />
extremely grateful for the Veterans Raffle support. <strong>The</strong> Veterans Raffle provides crucial funds for the valuable work<br />
that we do. I’m particularly impressed with the percentage that is given to charities like us and also ‘Gobsmacked’<br />
how generous the prizes are too. I don’t know of any other lottery that comes even close to being so transparent<br />
about what goes where and who gets what. <strong>The</strong>y’ve really put a lot of thought and planning into the Veterans Raffle<br />
and I can see it really taking-off once word gets around. We’re doing all we can to help them to help us.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Veterans Raffle– Enter today to support our ex-servicemen & women<br />
www.veteransraffle.uk<br />
Every month there are guaranteed Winners for every prize drawn, from no less than £100 right up to a potential<br />
£25,000<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 25|
CANADA CALLING<br />
Canada Calling<br />
<strong>The</strong> Canuck Connection<br />
In just over 3 months<br />
we will once again<br />
form up on Npvember<br />
11th. This year it will<br />
be extraordinary in<br />
that it is the 100th<br />
Anniversary of WW1.<br />
11-11-11 yes the 11th<br />
day of the 11th month<br />
at 11 hundred hours.<br />
Heads will be bowed<br />
in prayer, the last post<br />
and Reveille will sound<br />
after 2 minutes of<br />
silence.<br />
World leaders of both sides of the war will be attending<br />
services in their Nations Capital. That is except for the<br />
Commander in Chief of the USA. He has invited himself<br />
to Paris to watch the military parade as he cannot afford<br />
one. This in its self is a slap in the face from the Orange<br />
President to Veterans and serving soldiers.<br />
I hope that some one in the White House sees this issue<br />
and this Video in particular. https://binged.it/2BCNVgt<br />
Created by a Canadian Veteran a dozen or more years<br />
ago.<br />
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-attendnovember-wwi-parade-paris-004334345.html<br />
On that note thus endeth the lesson of a C in C who<br />
disrespects his military. As a DRAFT DODGER would.<br />
Till next month stay safe.<br />
Nil Sine Labore<br />
Robby<br />
Have You Walked A Mile Yet?<br />
OP WAMITS<br />
GET HELP NOW: NHS England South East<br />
020 3317 6818<br />
| 26 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
HAVE FAITH<br />
Stones...<br />
I remember, as a child, scrambling over the prehistoric cliffs of<br />
Highcliffe-on-sea on the south coast. <strong>The</strong> cliffs were forever crumbling<br />
that would unearth thousands of fossils of tiny shell fish and<br />
animals. My friend and I would spend hours searching through the<br />
clay and mud in the hope of finding something that nobody had<br />
ever seen before. What an adventure that was. I also remember,<br />
scattered all over the beach were rocks and stones with amazing<br />
crystal formations. <strong>The</strong>se formations had been formed by thousands<br />
of years of exposure to the sand and salty seawater leaving<br />
a multitude of sparkling colours. I used to wonder what if I could<br />
break one of these rocks open? Would it look like the precious<br />
stones in the gem shops? Could I get rich from them? <strong>The</strong> problem<br />
"<strong>The</strong> stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone".<br />
<strong>The</strong> more I think about this, the more impact it has on me. <strong>The</strong><br />
more imperfect we are, the more God wants to use us. Wow, how<br />
powerful is that? I find it really reassuring that no matter I much I<br />
feel rejected from those around me, the more God wants to use<br />
me. <strong>No</strong> matter how damaged or rough I may be, God has a purpose<br />
for me. Sometimes, it is only by getting damaged and taking<br />
the knocks can we be truly ready to be used. As I write this,<br />
I have another passage in the bible fighting to come out. It is at<br />
Mark 2:17 "When Jesus heard this, he told them, "Healthy people<br />
don't need a doctor--sick people do. I have come to call not those<br />
who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."<br />
<strong>The</strong>se two passages, for me, have become so important in my life.<br />
Take some time, if you can, to just mull over these thoughts today.<br />
I do hope they give you the peace that I found in them.<br />
Oh yes, I never did break that rock!!<br />
was how to break these stones open. Hmm. A child's mind is a wonderful<br />
place. Full of dreams and wonder... Its funny, because years<br />
later, whenever I hear the phrase "He/she is my rock" my mind<br />
wanders back to those rocks on the beach and their sheer strength.<br />
<strong>No</strong> matter how I smashed at them with my dad's hammer, I wasn't<br />
strong enough to break them.<br />
Until next time, take care and God bless. Px<br />
<strong>The</strong>re was one lesson for life. A good rock can be relied upon to<br />
stand strong for you. How many rocks do you have in your life?<br />
Stones and rocks appear all over the place in the Bible. From the<br />
stones that bore the Ten Commandments, the stone that David<br />
killed Goliath with, the rock that Moses struck in the desert with his<br />
staff to quench the thirst of the Israelite's, there are so many. But<br />
the most impacting passage, for me bar none, can be found in 1<br />
Peter 2, Psalm 118: 22, Matthew 21: 42, Acts 4: 11, Luke 20: 17-<br />
18, Mark 12: 10, to name just a few. It is simple,<br />
GET HELP NOW: NHS England <strong>No</strong>rth<br />
0191 441 5974<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 27 |
OUR MISSION IS TO CHANGE<br />
THE LIVES OF OUR HEROES<br />
RECRUIT THE BEST<br />
RECRUIT EX-MILITARY<br />
@ForcesRecruits<br />
Forces Recruitment Services<br />
Tel: +44 (0)1353 645004<br />
www.forcesrecruitment.co.uk
Prince Harry teams up with<br />
Hamish Blake for special project<br />
Invictus News<br />
David Beckham Announced As<br />
2018 Invictus Games Ambassador<br />
Former England football captain David<br />
Beckham has announced that he will be taking<br />
on a role as Invictus Games Ambassador.<br />
In a post on his personal Instagram page, he<br />
said:<br />
"I’ve been lucky enough to meet and work<br />
with many serving, veteran and wounded<br />
British armed forces personnel over the years<br />
and I’ve been humbled by the courage,<br />
resilience and spirit shown by each and every<br />
one of them.<br />
Read More Here...<br />
Former digger Craig McGrath to<br />
compete in yacht race<br />
COMMANDO Craig McGrath’s life changed<br />
when he walked into an abandoned building<br />
in Afghanistan in 2012.<br />
<strong>The</strong> wall next to him was about to explode<br />
and riddle his body with shrapnel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> force of the debris that burst from the<br />
hidden improvised explosive device tore<br />
through one of Mr McGrath’s knuckles, broke<br />
his right leg and tore a femoral vein.<br />
Read More Here<br />
<strong>The</strong> countdown is on with just over<br />
two months to go until Prince Harry<br />
and Meghan Markle arrive in<br />
Sydney for the Invictus Games.<br />
And now there's another reason to<br />
get excited for the October event,<br />
not that we really needed it.<br />
Hamish Blake has been announced<br />
as ambassador for the Invictus<br />
Games and it turns out he has a lot<br />
in common with its creator.<br />
"I was profoundly changed by a trip<br />
we took to Afghanistan in 2008,"<br />
Blake says on the Games' official<br />
website.<br />
"It was my first real experience<br />
properly interacting with defence<br />
personnel and saw first-hand the<br />
incredible work they do."<br />
In 2008, Blake and comedy partner<br />
Andy Lee broadcast their radio<br />
show from the Australian base at<br />
Tarin Kowt as during their mission<br />
to entertain the troops.<br />
Prince Harry established the<br />
Invictus Games in 2014 after seeing<br />
the positive impact sport could<br />
have on the recovery of wounded,<br />
injured and ill servicemen and<br />
women.<br />
<strong>The</strong> event has been held in<br />
London, Florida and Toronto with<br />
Sydney next in line. It'll involve 500<br />
competitors from 18 nations.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 33-year-old has a deep connection<br />
to those who have served.<br />
Harry was in the army for 10 years<br />
and undertook two tours of<br />
Afghanistan.<br />
He was known as Captain Wales<br />
and piloted an Apache helicopter.<br />
Blake, too, says the Invictus Games<br />
can be a force for change.<br />
"I think it’s an awesome movement<br />
that not only provides a great experience<br />
for defence personnel and<br />
veterans but allows the public to<br />
show tangible support for veterans<br />
which I think there is a real want to<br />
do, we just often don’t know how,"<br />
the 36-year-old comedian says.<br />
"It’s an awesome chance to show<br />
our appreciation and support to<br />
people who, quite frankly, have<br />
risked their lives to support our<br />
country."<br />
As for which sport he's most looking<br />
forward to watching during the<br />
Games Blake says, "I’m secretly an<br />
indoor rowing nerd.<br />
"I’m pumped that it’s an actual<br />
event."<br />
Prince Harry chose the Toronto<br />
Games to introduce Meghan Markle<br />
to the world, stepping out for the<br />
first time together at the tennis.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w the couple are married, excitement<br />
is expected to reach fever<br />
pitch in Sydney with thousands of<br />
fans no doubt hanging out to catch<br />
a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess<br />
of Sussex.<br />
Read More Here...<br />
GET HELP NOW: NHS England Midlands<br />
0300 323 0137<br />
| 30<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
INVICTUS GAMES 2018<br />
<strong>The</strong> Archers Targeting Success At Invictus Games 2018 - www.forces.net<br />
With the Invictus Games 2018 drawing<br />
ever closer, Forces News went to see<br />
how the archers at Team UK are preparing.<br />
10 archers have been selected to represent<br />
the UK at the games which kicks off<br />
on 20 October in Sydney, Australia.<br />
<strong>The</strong> group have been upping their training<br />
programme recently and have been<br />
to Bath for an intense training camp.<br />
This year the UK Invictus team are made<br />
up of more than 60 per cent new athletes.<br />
One new athlete is Daniel Phillips, he<br />
said: "I don't know what words to<br />
describe [being selected].<br />
"Such an amazing feeling...yeah me, little<br />
old me - how can they pick little old<br />
me?! It was incredible!"<br />
Joe Dillnutt will also be competing for<br />
the first time and is itching to get started<br />
down under.<br />
"If I could go out there tomorrow and do<br />
it, I would - I suppose that's a little bit of<br />
nerves as well where I just want to get it<br />
done but at the same time, I want to be<br />
in the best shape I can before going out<br />
there," he explained.<br />
Two Team GB coaches were leading the<br />
training camp, hoping to guide the athletes<br />
to a potential podium place.<br />
Coach Andy Rikukenko said it's about<br />
getting the best out of each athlete<br />
regardless of any disabilities: "If somebody<br />
can't use one of their arms then<br />
we have to start thinking about shooting<br />
with a mouth tab like one of the guys<br />
here today, then yeah that brings in a<br />
few interesting challenges.<br />
Read Full Story...<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 31 |
Russell Perks Martial Arts Academy in<br />
Kidderminster has been helping ex-servicemen<br />
and women to resolve the pain of PTSD<br />
through martial arts training.<br />
Everyone needs some form of discipline in<br />
their life, some people need it more than others.<br />
This is often the case for ex-military personnel<br />
in particular. <strong>The</strong>y are very much used<br />
to the day-to-day routine of a military life, and<br />
once out of the forces they are left at a loose<br />
end, missing the sense of belonging, discipline<br />
and structure of that way of life.<br />
MARTIAL ARTS<br />
Veterans Find a New Focus Through Martial Arts<br />
Focusing <strong>The</strong> Mind, Body & Spirit Through Dedication & Self Discipline Aids<br />
Veterans in Tackling Mental Health <strong>Issue</strong>s and Assits in Resettlement<br />
back, “Martial arts have given me discipline,<br />
new friends who support me in what I do and<br />
a social circle outside of the Academy. I now<br />
have a complete new focus and something to<br />
look forward to, plus a way of getting fit. It<br />
has given me a new lease of life!!”.<br />
Martin goes on to say” It really has given me<br />
a new way to look at life, although I still have<br />
down days from time to time, I know that my<br />
martial arts instructor team and members are<br />
there to support and encourage me. <strong>The</strong> only<br />
bad moment for me is when they close on a<br />
bank holiday as I miss it that much”.<br />
For those individuals who have been on the<br />
front line and now suffer with PTSD, there is<br />
medication plus many clinics and groups set<br />
up to support them, however some people<br />
just need something more!<br />
At Russell Perks Martial Arts Academy, we<br />
have found that martial arts training with the<br />
right teaching methods, really can be a successful<br />
therapy for those suffering. Owner<br />
and chief instructor Russell Perks was first<br />
approached by his first military veteran,<br />
Martin Woodnutt, about starting martial arts. It<br />
took him over 3 weeks just to come through<br />
the front door. Once he took that first step<br />
Martin says that there really was no turning<br />
Chief instructor Russell Perks says “Martin is<br />
a pleasure to teach, people always take a<br />
while to adapt to new situation. When Martin<br />
first came to me, he was lacking confidence<br />
and was so unsure of everything. However,<br />
we worked hard with him, as we do with all of<br />
our students to make them feel comfortable,<br />
by having fun, challenging and supporting<br />
each other along the way. I can’t recommend<br />
martial arts enough” If you are that person<br />
struggling with PTSD and feel that there is<br />
nothing left for you then I urge you to give<br />
martial arts a try, choose the right club and<br />
you won’t look back. For anyone seeking<br />
advice regarding martial arts then please contact<br />
Russell Perks on info@rpmaa.com.<br />
| 32 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
WRAF<br />
WRAF Sailing With Turn To Starboard<br />
<strong>The</strong> WRAF Branch of RAFA were delighted<br />
to be offered the use of a Beneteau<br />
40’ yacht by Turn to Starboard, <strong>The</strong><br />
Forces’ Sailing Charity (T2S was established<br />
retired Sqn Ldr Shaun Pascoe) together with<br />
an amazing skipper Sir Dusty Millar, former<br />
President of RAFA and a Patron of T2S, for<br />
the first week of July.<br />
Sir Dusty and his six Ex WRAF crew, only<br />
three of whom had sailed before, met up in<br />
Falmouth where T2S are based and took over<br />
the boat that would be ours for the week.<br />
Following safety briefings and familiarity (military<br />
ethos never far away) and stocking up<br />
with rations, we slipped for Carrick Roads<br />
and man overboard drills. <strong>The</strong> ladies<br />
deemed the skipper essential so paid due<br />
attention!<br />
Days followed of learning the drills for putting<br />
up, taking down and flaking of sails and<br />
helming the boat; we were fortunate to have<br />
amazing weather for all bar one day - which<br />
taught us the vagaries of weather forecasting<br />
and being prepared. An 8-knot wind that<br />
rapidly turned into 32 knots and 10’ waves<br />
was an experience none of us will forget,<br />
exhilarating and very mind focusing at the<br />
same time! An abiding memory for all being<br />
Sir Dusty making us all lunch one day, sandwiches<br />
and drinks as we sailed – WE DID IT!<br />
A passage to, and overnight moored off<br />
Fowey with a trip ashore to the Legion and<br />
for dinner was another highlight.<br />
In typical military fashion a largely unfamiliar<br />
group of veterans came together as individuals<br />
and left as a team. Sharing close quarters,<br />
meals, laughs and some hard moments,<br />
creating memories that will never fade. <strong>The</strong><br />
end of our week was rounded<br />
off by a move to the T2S<br />
tall ship Spirit of Falmouth, a<br />
91’ wooden gaff rig replica!<br />
One of our group had sailed<br />
the boat many years prior<br />
so it was a lovely home<br />
coming. Our final 2 days<br />
was spent on Spirit exploring<br />
the coast around<br />
Falmouth and up the River<br />
Fal with amazing weather<br />
but sadly not enough wind<br />
to put up sail.<br />
Turn to Starboard and Sir<br />
Dusty gave us all an amazing<br />
week for which we are<br />
very grateful, recognized by<br />
a donation from the ladies.<br />
For more information on the<br />
charity and all they offer to<br />
those serving and retired<br />
www.turntostarboard.co.uk/<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 33 |
Veterans Breakfast Clubs<br />
Armed Forces &<br />
Veterans Breakfast Clubs<br />
www.afvbc.net<br />
WEBSITE<br />
<strong>The</strong> VBC Website has now been revamped/redesigned and is now live. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
several new features including a Post Code search facility that brings up the five<br />
nearest Breakfast Clubs to your Post Code, and we now have a News feature and<br />
links to the current issues of the <strong>Sandbag</strong> <strong>Times</strong> and much more. To make it easier<br />
for people to get to it, funds have been made available to allow the acquisition of<br />
more domain names.<br />
<strong>The</strong> new address is www.afvbc.co.uk and the old address is pointed at the new site.<br />
<strong>The</strong> main alteration is that the email addresses have changed from:<br />
Support@VeteransBreakfastClubs.co.uk<br />
to<br />
Support@AFVBC.co.uk<br />
SANDBAG TIMES AFVBC OFFER<br />
As many of you, in the AFVBC world may know,<br />
the <strong>Sandbag</strong> <strong>Times</strong> is now available as a printed<br />
edition. Unlike the online edition, we cannot<br />
offer the printed copies for free as we have to<br />
pay for expensive printing costs and obviously,<br />
the postage. However, we have done some<br />
number crunching and we are pleased to say we<br />
can send out packs of 5 magazines for £20.00.<br />
Unfortunately, we regret that we cannot send out<br />
single copies at this time, hopefully that will<br />
change in the near future as the SBT grows.<br />
<strong>The</strong> prints are of excellent and professional<br />
standard with 250gsm covers and 130gsm<br />
pages with stunning colour and graphics. If you<br />
would like to order monthly magazines for your<br />
club or send in entries, then please email us at<br />
info@sandbagtimes.com This printed copy will<br />
be used to support the Tommy Atkins Veterans<br />
Centre in Worcester.<br />
GET HELP NOW: Return To <strong>The</strong> Tribe<br />
AFVBC.net<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk<br />
35|
Armed Forces &<br />
Veterans Breakfast Clubs<br />
www.afvbc.net<br />
WEBSITE<br />
Uxbridge AFVBC Raises Awareness For Veterans Suicide<br />
Do you tweet?<br />
Iain Henderson of the Uxbridge Armed Forces<br />
& Veterans Breakfast Club is trying to boost<br />
awareness of Veterans’ suicide.<br />
<strong>The</strong> proposal is to have a #TwitterStorm next<br />
Charity Tuesday 21 August 2018 from 8am.<br />
Iain says “I am trying to boost the message<br />
about #VeteranSuicide #VeteransSuicides “<br />
All you have to do is include those hashtags<br />
as above in posts on Twitter and all social<br />
media.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is also a petition you can find on Iain’s<br />
Twitter @VCTrustee<br />
It asks that in all deaths the coroners have to<br />
consider if the victim was a veteran and if it<br />
was a case of suicide. So we can establish<br />
better the scale of the problem.<br />
Please share far and wide<br />
You can also of course contact your MP and<br />
get them motivated.<br />
First Oakham AFVBC Club A Great Success<br />
Local residents Mark & Tracey Taylor hosted<br />
the first Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast<br />
Club on Saturday 11th August 2018 at the<br />
Grainstore Brewery in Oakham.<br />
Mark an Armed Forces Veteran himself has<br />
only been out of the Army less than 3 years<br />
having completed 26 years’ service and<br />
decided on settling down with Tracey and<br />
his family in Oakham on completion of his<br />
full service. Tracey who currently works in<br />
Adult Services within the local area remarked<br />
that It is evident that there really is a large<br />
service and veteran community within<br />
Oakham and it was too good an opportunity<br />
to miss to try and acquaint likeminded folk<br />
together in a formal meet within the community.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are no subs or joining fees. All<br />
veteran or service personnel will ever have to<br />
pay for is their own breakfast.<br />
Mark & Tracey decided that this would be a<br />
good opportunity and spoke to the<br />
Grainstore Brewery who kindly agreed to<br />
host the Breakfast and the rest was then<br />
simply down to word of mouth via various<br />
social media platforms and Rutland Radio<br />
which then gathered real interest from then<br />
on in. Read more here...<br />
| 38 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk<br />
| 36 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
Veterans Breakfast Clubs<br />
Tickets to Award winning Ballet “Lest We Forget”<br />
<strong>The</strong> network of the Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Clubs are delighted<br />
to receive an allocation of tickets (in pairs) to this award winning Ballet<br />
‘Lest We Forget’. If you would like to apply for a pair of tickets, please<br />
contact Elaine Forman at liaison@afvbc.net Read more...<br />
New veterans breakfast in New Mills brings community together<br />
Veterans and armed service personnel<br />
can now come together and support<br />
each other with bacon butties, brews<br />
and banter.<br />
On Saturday, the newest Armed Forces<br />
and Veterans Breakfast Club opened in<br />
New Mills and more than 50 people<br />
came out to support the event. <strong>The</strong><br />
meeting was held at <strong>The</strong> Pride of the<br />
Peaks, on Market Street. Landlady<br />
Shelley Hagen said: “It was busier than I<br />
thought it would be which means it must<br />
be needed around here. “It was a lovely<br />
morning and everyone was chatting<br />
about where they had served. <strong>The</strong>re was<br />
a great mix of young and old all together,<br />
and a real sense of community.” To<br />
celebrate the launch, all the breakfasts<br />
were served-up free of charge with support<br />
from Booker’s. Shelley said: “<strong>The</strong>y<br />
heard about what we were doing and<br />
contacted us. <strong>The</strong>y said they wanted to<br />
help make a difference and offered to<br />
foot the bill, which was just lovely.” <strong>The</strong><br />
breakfast meetings are now popping up<br />
all over the country, with the first being<br />
launched in Hull by Dereck Hardman.<br />
Speaking about the New Mills launch, he<br />
said: “When you leave the Armed Forces<br />
you lose not just a job, your income,<br />
your home, your work clothes; usually<br />
around 1,500 friends and you lose your<br />
identity in many respects. In short, your<br />
entire way of life has to change.<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 39 |<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 37 |
Information<br />
A word from the Ed<br />
Ways to find us<br />
It’s something of a tradition for<br />
me to start these blogs with the<br />
line ‘Wow, what a Month’. As<br />
much as I want to use it this<br />
month it just doesn’t feel<br />
appropriate. Six veterans<br />
confirmed dead within a week<br />
from suicide (a seventh is being<br />
investigated). It is absolutely<br />
heartbreaking. Unfortunately the<br />
big question still remains, Why?<br />
But you know what, I’m sick of<br />
asking the question and sitting by<br />
while more veterans die<br />
needlessly. I’ve said on numerous<br />
occasions recently that we all<br />
have to get involved to help.<br />
Well, over here at the Tommy<br />
Atkins Centre we are launching<br />
our treatment service through our<br />
own GP and Trauma specialist Dr<br />
David Muss and the Rewind<br />
<strong>The</strong>rapy. This is simple. You<br />
don’t need to wait, just call us.<br />
You do not need to go through<br />
GP’s, jump through hoops or wait<br />
for months on end. Call the<br />
centre and you will be seen within<br />
a week. Regardless of age,<br />
severity, condition, or weather<br />
you still have substance misuse as<br />
an issue, the centre can and will<br />
help. Please let us know.<br />
In other news, we are very thrilled<br />
to be associated with Team<br />
Dynamics Motorsport in<br />
becoming an offial sponsor for the<br />
Veterans Awards. We are all very<br />
excited at this and are looking<br />
forward to our Patron Matt, taking<br />
a big part in this. Talking of<br />
Matt, we are looking forward to<br />
watching the action at Knockhill<br />
in Scotland this weekend when<br />
Matt and Dan will be fighting<br />
back from not their best weekend<br />
at Rockingham. You can watch it<br />
this Sunday on ITV 4 from midmorning.<br />
Have a great month until <strong>Issue</strong> 48<br />
and remember to get your orders<br />
in for the Remembrance Special<br />
out in October.. <strong>The</strong>y’re going<br />
quick. Take care for now, Pabs x<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Sandbag</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
www.sandbagtimes.com<br />
thesandbagtimes<br />
@thesandbagtimes<br />
info@sandbagtimes.com<br />
Caption Competition<br />
Come up with a funny caption for the picture<br />
above and win an autographed card from our<br />
two Team Dynamics drivers, Matt Neal and<br />
Dan Cammish. Just email us your funnies on<br />
info@sandbagtimes.com.<br />
| 38 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
Information<br />
<strong>The</strong> Trauma Trap<br />
By Dr David Muss<br />
Post-traumatic<br />
stress disorder is<br />
a little-recognized<br />
but debilitating<br />
psychological<br />
condition.<br />
It affects thousands<br />
of people across the<br />
world, from<br />
servicemen and<br />
women returning from<br />
war, to victims of rape,<br />
assault or industrial<br />
accident.<br />
Common symptoms,<br />
such as hallucinations,<br />
nightmares, flashbacks<br />
and chronic anxiety, can<br />
recur for years after the<br />
event.<br />
Treatment, if available at all, has<br />
tended to be slow and often<br />
distressing, and the results<br />
frequently disappointing.<br />
This book outlines a programme<br />
which aims to be straightforward<br />
and comprehensible in restoring<br />
normality and tranquillity to the<br />
lives of people suffering from the<br />
effects of both natural and manmade<br />
disasters<br />
All or <strong>No</strong>thing<br />
Chalky Martin<br />
If your music tastes lie with Mods, Ska and<br />
Soul then this album from Chalky Martin is<br />
the album to buy. Available soon, watch this<br />
space.<br />
Talladega Nights<br />
Here’s a little bit of light-hearted<br />
madness for your quiet<br />
evenings viewing. I only<br />
include this because we watched it on<br />
Netflix this month and I found it very<br />
funny. Don’t take this seriously as it<br />
really goes a little far in places but I will<br />
say that Will Ferrell is hilarious. Worth a<br />
watch and as I said, available on Netflix.<br />
Back issues of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Sandbag</strong> <strong>Times</strong> are available to download here<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 39 |
MRS FOX GOES TO WAR<br />
Mrs Fox Goes<br />
To War...<br />
<strong>The</strong> Chronicles of Little Hope<br />
1939 - 1945<br />
Villager of the month:<br />
Little Fanny Fuller<br />
Hilda Ffinch:<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bird With All <strong>The</strong> Answers<br />
Hilda Ffinch, Little Hope's very own Agony<br />
Aunt (page 5 of the Little Hope Herald) was<br />
easily bored and terribly rich. She loved nothing<br />
better than taking on the problems of others<br />
and either sorting them out or claiming<br />
that she'd never heard of them if it all went tits<br />
up and they had to leave the district under<br />
cover of darkness having followed her sage<br />
advice.<br />
“Whatever had gone on in that potting shed, little<br />
Fanny Fuller was certainly living up to her<br />
name...”<br />
You can catch up with the adventures of Fanny<br />
Fuller at<br />
https://www.mrsfoxgoestowar.co.uk/may-day<br />
This month’s letter comes from Ethel, and<br />
she’s after borrowing Hilda’s lame gamekeeper...<br />
Little Fanny Fuller was the vicar's housemaid,<br />
an honest, decent sort with the world - and the<br />
vicar's nephew, young Percy Fishwick - at her<br />
feet. <strong>The</strong> Reverend Fishwick had voiced his<br />
concerns to Mrs Fox however about the meagre<br />
amount of pigeon in his pies of late and was a<br />
bit suspicious of Fanny's increasing girth.<br />
Mrs Fox was pretty certain that pies had nothing<br />
whatsoever to do with it...<br />
| 40 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
THE CHRONICLES OF LITTLE HOPE<br />
Letter of the Month<br />
Dear Hilda<br />
I was wondering if you would take it upon<br />
yourself to manage your Dick?<br />
With most of the men in the village being<br />
away fighting Jerry it is left to us women to<br />
tend our own patches and it’s all well and<br />
good being asked to dig for victory, but I for<br />
one struggle with a dibber. <strong>No</strong>w I know that<br />
Dick Scratcher helps out with your patch and I<br />
was thinking that a woman of your formidable<br />
talents would be just the person to manage<br />
Dick and arrange for all the ladies on the village<br />
to have him for a bit on a rota? After all<br />
there is a war on and I think that with our<br />
men away it’s only fair that all us ladies get<br />
our fair share of Dick to ease the frustration<br />
of having to manage our own patches.<br />
Thank you in advance dear Mrs Finch .<br />
bean amongst the lettuce, as it were? Heaven<br />
knows, Dick’s a dab hand at it but he can’t be<br />
everywhere.<br />
Might you consider perhaps banding together<br />
with another lady (or two) in the village and going<br />
at it en masse, as it were? <strong>The</strong>y do say that many<br />
hands make light work, and I’m sure that Fanny<br />
Cox and Dotty Fishburn from the WI would jump<br />
at the chance to help out, Lord knows they<br />
spend enough time fiddling about in one another’s<br />
foliage and one imagines that a change of<br />
frondescence might be just the ticket for all three<br />
of you.<br />
In short then, Ethel, you really don’t need a Dick to<br />
keep on top of things in your lonely patch, a<br />
Fanny’s just as good and she’ll bring her own kippers.<br />
Yours,<br />
Hilda Ffinch,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bird With All <strong>The</strong> Answers<br />
Yours expectantly,<br />
Ethel<br />
Dear Ethel,<br />
Managing the Dick in question, my dear, isn’t<br />
as easy as it sounds. For one thing, my<br />
undergrowth is extensive and requires constant<br />
attention if Colonel Ffinch’s rhubarb is to<br />
come up at all this year, and for another Dick<br />
needs to be constantly on hand here to<br />
encourage the Colonel’s gourds to come<br />
good, if they are to come at all. I’ve tried<br />
everything, but clearly I don’t have the special<br />
touch that Dick Scratcher does. <strong>The</strong> Colonel<br />
swears by him, even going so far as to invite<br />
him round for the occasional stiff one on the<br />
terrace (providing that we don’t have any<br />
house guests of note, obviously) and maintains<br />
that he’s a far better sower of seed than<br />
any he’s come across this side of Kew<br />
Gardens, and to be entirely fair, he’s come<br />
across a few.<br />
I do appreciate that the shortage of men in<br />
Little Hope and the surrounding villages has<br />
led to a surge in the growth rate of ladies’ gardens<br />
and that obviously it’s nigh on impossible<br />
(not to mention terribly tiresome) having<br />
to go at it constantly on one’s own, but perhaps<br />
a raised bed might help your endeavours<br />
and make it easier to find the odd broad<br />
If you’d like Hilda Ffinch, <strong>The</strong> Bird With All <strong>The</strong><br />
Answers to address your own wartime problem,<br />
then pop along to https://www.mrsfoxgoestowar.co.uk/hilda-finch-agony-aunt<br />
to subject your<br />
personal crisis to her (hopefully) sober scrutiny.<br />
Remember to give yourself a suitable wartime<br />
alias! Letters will be answered online and a selection<br />
of them published in next month’s <strong>Sandbag</strong><br />
<strong>Times</strong>.<br />
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 41 |
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