Coracles on the Kaveri
July 15, 2009 at 10:53am Comments
March 18, 2009 at 1:11pm Comments
March 18, 2009 at 1:10pm Comments
March 13, 2009 at 4:41am Comments
The Scotsman
By Jerome StarkeyABDUL Tawab flies helicopters to some of the most dangerous places in the world. In an air force without any fighter jets, he is the closest Afghanistan gets to a Top Gun. He has flown countless combat missions over the past 23 years, accruing thousands of hours in the cockpit.
That is his day job. By night, he drives a taxi.
Like most of the men in his squadron, the father of six has had to find a second wage as he struggles to survive on 10,000 Afghanis (£100) a month flying Mi-17 choppers out of Kabul International airport.
While the United States spends £30 million a month rebuilding Afghanistan’s decrepit air force, Mr Tawab gets less than a fiver for flying to the front line. “If I didn’t drive a taxi, my wife and our six young children wouldn’t eat and we could not afford the rent,” he said.
March 6, 2009 at 4:46am Comments
The fountain at the King’s Palace in Jalallabad, surrounded by palm trees, a pavilion, rose gardens, lawns and orange trees. Hardly the image of a war-torn Afghanistan we’re used to. It’s now home to Gul Agha Sherzai, the governor of Nangahar province with presidential ambitions. Click here to see more pictures.
February 4, 2009 at 12:34pm Comments
Helping a hero
A few months ago, purely by chance, I came across a website that really impressed me. Major Phil Packer was serving with the British Army in Iraq when he was injured, paralyzed below the waist, and told he would never walk again.
As well as being determined to prove the doctors wrong and to walk again, Phil has also decided to try to raise £1 million for the Help for Heroes charity through a series of sporting challenges. This will culminate with the London Marathon in April. Phil will attempt to walk the Marathon with crutches/calipers/leg supports. With planned continued rehabilitation in Headley Court, he believes it will take him three weeks to complete.
As if the marathon was not challenge enough, Phil has also taken on a series of other challenges. I sent him an email to offer to join him for a challenge, should he feel that I could help. Phil replied to my email within about 10 minutes and, before I had time to think, he had persuaded me to row to France with him!
So I have spent the last couple of months enduring the tedium of the rowing machine in the gym. Today we take to the water together for the first time. I’m really looking forward to it (apart from the snow!), and feel honoured to be involved.
You can learn more about Phil’s challenges here, and make a donation to Help for Heroes here to help towards Phil’s £1 million target. I’ll let you know how we get on later.
February 4, 2009 at 11:58am Comments
Dreaming of getting away from here…
February 4, 2009 at 11:57am Comments
February 4, 2009 at 11:56am Comments
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