Trowbridge - just for example. 

US removes all bombers from RAF Fairford base


A Rockwell B1 Lancer heavy bomber takes off to depart for home at RAF Fairford on Sunday - Image © Getty Images

The US has withdrawn all of its bombers from RAF Fairford, the British military base at the centre of an incident being investigated by counter terror police.

A statement from a US department official confirmed on Sunday it had removed all of its bombers from the base back to their home stations in America.

The US did not give a reason for the withdrawal, but it follows a major incident on 27 September when police were alerted to three "suspicious vehicles" near the airbase in Gloucestershire.

Five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terror offences near the base and subsequently released on police bail. A sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, was also later arrested and released on bail.

Whitehall sources have not disputed the decision from Washington was in response to the incident at RAF Fairford.

The BBC has also been told it was a military rather than a political decision - taken at an operational level - and communicated from the US military to its British counterparts.

The UK's Ministry of Defence has not commented.

Days after the incident, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were "strong indications" that Iran had played a part in the incident but did not provide further details. Tehran has strongly denied any involvement.

Initially, five men aged between 23 and 25 were arrested in the early hours of the morning after vehicles were reported to be travelling towards the base operated by the US Air Force (USAF). All five were UK nationals from London.

They were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, before being released on bail in what police called an "investigative decision" that was "grounded in experience and strategy".

The sixth man, aged 25, was arrested in London on Thursday on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts. Counter terror police confirmed on Saturday he had also been released on bail.

RAF Fairford has been used as a forward operating location by the US Air Force (USAF) for decades.  In recent months, US bombers have taken off from the base for the Middle East, after the UK approved a US request to use it for defensive strikes on Iran.

In July, Iran said "any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces".

Days after the incident, and before the arrest of the sixth man, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Fox News that it "clearly involve[d] the hands of a foreign actor".  Rubio did not provide further details - saying at the time he was limited on what he could say on air.

US President Donald Trump separately said he was "surprised" the five men had been released on bail.  "We know everything about them, we would not have released them," he said, adding that the UK had worked with the US "very closely" on this.

Argh! Grahame clickbaited me into visiting F***book - again! I must be more careful.

When I find out the right way to condense the long-winded Streetview URLs into something neat for a message on this forum, I will post a few examples of what (for me, anyway) makes or breaks a potential destination.

All the suggested place you could walk round on GoogleEarth.

...
Good transport links help all kinds of businesses, those hoping to attract customers to buy their goods and services and those looking to recruit good staff.

Train station returning to village after more than 100 years

Simply shocking

You have to wonder why the more "anti violence" measures and response policing we have, the worse the situation becomes.  Some people's willingness to be violent in an an attempt to get their way is simply startling.

<snip>

We would be grateful if you were able to cascade this to your networks and, if you have any questions, please do get in touch.
 
Best wishes,  Olivia & Heledd

Olivia Willett | Deputy Head of Public Affairs | Great Western Railway
E: olivia.willett@GWR.com

Heledd Iolo | Senior Public Affairs Manager | Network Rail
E: heledd.iolo@networkrail.co.uk

I add to my intelligence on these pages and I am very much real.  (Quiet at the back. )

Train station returning to village after more than 100 years


A computer generated image shows how the new station in the village of Cheadle will look - Image © Pell Frischmann

Work is beginning on bringing a train station back to the heart of a Greater Manchester village more than a century after its original station closed.

Cheadle in Stockport had a station just off the high street up until 1917.

Funding for a new hub, which would be built next to Alexandra Hospital, was given the green light in 2022, with planning permission granted in 2023 but concerns about its effect on the timetabling of trains elsewhere on the network led to delays.

Stockport Council said the issue had now been resolved and council leader Mark Roberts said it was "a hugely significant moment for Cheadle and for Stockport.  For years we've fought for this station because we know the difference it will make to residents, businesses and the future prosperity of the area," he added.

Roberts said he was delighted that the initial highways work could now start on site thanks to the persistence and partnership of all involved.

Services are expected to run from Cheadle into Stockport town, Manchester Piccadilly and Chester, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The project had been held up by an unresolved timetabling issue over concerns the new station could impact trains elsewhere on the network, with a previous proposal made to remove services at Ashley and Plumley.

Stockport Council said the latest assessment by Network Rail and Northern Trains concluded that Cheadle Station could be introduced without removing a significant barrier that had put the project at risk and these plans have now been dropped.


A computer generated image shows the aerial view of the new station - Image © Pell Frischmann

Brian Bradley, chair of the Cheadle Towns Fund Board, said it was "a fantastic milestone for Cheadle and a moment that many people have worked hard to achieve over a number of years".

Cheadle MP Tom Morrison said getting to this point had been a real team effort, adding: "Cheadle has waited more than 100 years for a station, and now it's finally happening.  It will connect our 23,000 residents to jobs, schools and opportunities across Greater Manchester, and take traffic off our busy roads."

Cheadle Hulme North councillor David Meller, who helped kickstart the plans for the new station, said: "To see that we're finally there is incredible."