Cell Phone Towers In Disguise (CBS News)

Here’s an interesting video that we found on Youtube.

It’s a CBS News “investigation” into disguised masts in America.

Southwick Tunnel is “secret military installation”

Such a funny story from The Argus here!  I just couldn’t resist publishing it on the blog. I mean, honestly! The only bit funnier than the story itself, are the comments which have been left.

The online story is available here

A top secret missile bunker could be located within Southwick Tunnel, it has been claimed.

The 490 metre tunnel, opened in 1996, is an entrance point to the installation, experts believe.

Some even think the closure of the tunnel during crashes or at regular periods for “maintenance” could be a cleverly constructed lie to allow senior officials access to the bunker.

The claims will be quickly dismissed by many, but there is a growing number of people who think it is true.

Worthing-based author Graham Lelliott, who has researched bunkers and military installations across Sussex, certainly believes it could be true.

He said: “It could have been kept secret.

“Inside the tunnel, in both directions are many doors – where do they go – into electrical switchrooms – or into the bunker?

“I work nearby and the amount of times the tunnel is closed at night.

“Wouldn’t this be a great chance for government personnel to change shifts or restock on food for the canteen?

“The tunnel is often closed due to an accident. The headline often reads “Two cars collide in tunnel’ but maybe it should say ‘Nuclear bunker shift change over.”

Whether the claims are true or not, what is certain is there are at least three other military bunkers near Southwick Tunnel.

All of them are now abandoned but were likely to have been used during the 1960s and 1970s, possibly as shelters in the event of a nuclear blast.

Stuart Strong remembers seeing one in use. He said: “As a ten year old playing on the Downs at the top of Kingston Lane, in Southwick, I was conscious of a secret underground bunker there.

“I would regularly with my friends see maintenance men appear from the chamber through the large hinged hatch lid in the ground in the middle of nowhere.

“Our house backed onto farm land so I would regularly be on the Downs throughout the summer holidays and late into the warm evenings and notice this odd thing going on.

“I remember asking a man there to look inside and was told in no uncertain terms that there was nothing to see as he fastened down the heavy lid with a large padlock and a deep thud.”

The MoD has refused to comment on any of its installations still in existence. But it admitted it did have bunkers in use across Sussex.

A spokesman said: “They were almost exclusively used by the Royal Observer Corps and were commonplace.”

The bunkers were built to shelter from nuclear blasts and measure the damage caused.

They have been discovered in towns and villages across Sussex and are listed on the website subbrit.org.uk.

Hello again!

Hi there, and welcome along to yet another attempt at a blog by Nick Packham. In case you didn’t know that’s me. I’m going to try and keep this one going unlike the previous attempts where I’ve got drunk and ended up breaking it.

I’ve currently got some time off work, so have to do something productive to pass the time.

So why not lets start with one of the old most popular items that I previously wrote about, my love of public transport, particularly the London Underground (Tube) and also Brighton and Hove’s wonderful buses.

I think my love of public transport comes from the fact that i’ve spent probably the last 4-5 years talking about it so much that it appeals to me. The way it works, the problems it faces and the congestion caused by people who don’t use it, and use their car instead. That’s me there, reading the travel news from my home studio for Passion Radio.

Here’s a short clip of me presenting travel news Passion Radio Travel.

Anyway I’ve kind of wandered off the point (not for the first time)

I spend so much time on the buses round here that I’ve taken a few photos to pass the time.

Here’s the moquette (or seat cover pattern) from the 5 service which I use most of the time. Don’t look at it too long or it might give you a headache. I really do think that they should make rucksacks and stuff out of this for dedicated fans of the buses. No joy yet though.

There’s a kind of standing joke with the people in the office now, that when we’re travelling in we have to text each other “I’m on the bus” or “I’m not on the bus”. Sadly this has now developed into me texting some bus driver pals “I’m on the bus and it’s great” or “I’m on the bus and it’s crap” depending on what’s going on at the time. In return I get videos and photo messages back of the bus that their on. Not while their driving you understand, that would be dangerous and illegal.

Above is part 2 of the “I’m on the bus” campaign which I’m running by myself. It’s the 5A to Patcham or wherever it goes. I never go that far.  I only get as far as the city centre. There’ll be more exciting bus stuff soon, right now I have to go out.

When I get back, I’ll write some stuff about the tube, and my exciting new tube posters which TFL sent me