Category Archives: Cold War

Irresponsible nuclear propaganda from London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan…

On 28/2/22, the online news service “MyLondon” reported that a spokesperson for the London mayor had told them that “… London is well prepared in the “remote” event of Russia launching a nuclear strike on the capital…” — I nearly fell off my chair when I read that. It is the latest iteration of continuousContinue reading “Irresponsible nuclear propaganda from London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan…”

Greenham Common – nuclear nightmares…

I often find that people either have little awareness of Cold War history or they just weren’t tuned into what was happening. So before I talk about my recent trip to settle some old nightmares at Greenham Common and its infamous ‘GAMA’ facility, here’s a small introduction to the dark world of the mid-1980s… SoContinue reading “Greenham Common – nuclear nightmares…”

We Are Already in a New Cold War…

One of the topics I am exploring in my (soon to be published) series of Cold War articles is the question “Are we already in a New Cold War?” That article was drafted between May – September 2020, but recent news about the expansion of Chinese ICBM silos has pushed the topic on. I believeContinue reading “We Are Already in a New Cold War…”

‘Sinister yet pathetic’: how the UK was primed for nuclear war | Books | The Guardian

I’m very interested in how propaganda was (and still is) used to influence the general population to accept nuclear weapons, even though it quickly became clear that nuclear war was not survivable in the hydrogen-bomb era. Taras Young’s “Nuclear War in the UK” is on my reading list for 2021. In the meantime, this shortContinue reading “‘Sinister yet pathetic’: how the UK was primed for nuclear war | Books | The Guardian”

Nuclear weapons treaty: Campaigners hail new era for nuclear disarmament – BBC news report…

Honduras has just ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, meaning that the minimum number required for it to come into force has been reached. There are currently 193 member states of the United Nations – 122 (63%) of them have approved the accord on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Now 50 statesContinue reading “Nuclear weapons treaty: Campaigners hail new era for nuclear disarmament – BBC news report…”

I recently visited the RAF Museum near Watford, London…

from my original blog on 14/9/19:  The RAF Museum near Watford, London, is an understated gem. Entrance is free (parking cost £5) but the range of aircraft on display is extraordinary! I found out about the museum when looking up places to visit to learn more about the UK’s Cold War history. This site isContinue reading “I recently visited the RAF Museum near Watford, London…”

I had a real “boy’s own” moment while on holiday and sat in the cockpit of a Vulcan bomber!

from my original blog on 7/7/19: This summer I achieved the dream of sitting inside the cockpit of a Vulcan bomber… and wow, what an experience! Let’s be clear, the Vulcan’s initial purpose was to deliver the Blue Danube fission bomb (yield 10-12 kt, similar to the Hiroshima bomb) against targets in the Soviet Union.Continue reading “I had a real “boy’s own” moment while on holiday and sat in the cockpit of a Vulcan bomber!”