Posted by Tom Sykes on Tuesday, July 27, 2010,
In :
General
I am pleased to say we have started the ball rolling on our new CART website.
Pending trials it looks like we will be using York based companyStep Onlineto re design the site.
The new changes will mean navigation is much clearer on the site. We will be removing the black background and white text and the site will be more accessible, complying with theW3c regulations.
A new blog will replace the current one and there will me much more scope for more interactive content in the future.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Thursday, July 22, 2010,
In :
General
It's not too late to join CART.
The most cost effective way is to become and Associate Member.
This membership level is
designed for people who have an interest in the Aux Units but do not
want to participate in events and the running of CART etc.
You get the following;
• 12 emailed newsletters. • Opportunities to attend CART organised events and day trips. At only £8 a year or approx 66 pence a month we think it is worth it.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Tuesday, April 27, 2010,
In :
General
Today we are sending our new double sided flyer off to the printers.
We have 5,000 being printed.
We would encourage all CART members as well as any keen members of the public to request some so they can promote the site locally to them.
Pleaseemail uswith the amount you would like and where you will use them and we will post them to you.
Please remember these cost us to produce so only request what you think you can shift to the right potential viewers etc. Maybe your local library will ta... Continue reading ...
Posted by Tom Sykes on Wednesday, April 21, 2010,
In :
General
The British Government and MOD have never issued a medal to
members of the Auxiliary Units to acknowledge the brave training
conducted and time served in the Unit.
We think it is time this is changed. Please click here to to show your support.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Thursday, April 8, 2010,
In :
General
Alan Watkins at theHalfpenny Breweryat Lechlade has seen a recent appeal for funding made by CART and has come running to the rescue.
He is going to brew a special Ale for CART to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Auxiliary Units.
This will then go on sale all over this area in pubs and local shops as well as online through their website. A small percentage of each bottle or pint sold will be donated to CART to help us go on running.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Thursday, April 1, 2010,
In :
General
My plans for July 4th are going to use up nearly all our funds. Up to now our only income stream has been through selling copies of the Countryman's Diary etc.
Sales of these guides have now all but dropped off. In order to develop the website and add more functionality we need to give it a complete overhaul. This is not something that I or Goldeneye Creative can do.
I am estimating the work will cost approx £1,000 and this will give us the complete set up for digital archiving etc.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Tuesday, March 16, 2010,
In :
General
I have just added a function to the home page that will now search the whole website for any keyword you enter. A handy and fast way to search the site. It doesn't include words or content from any of our forums as these are hosted on another website.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Monday, March 8, 2010,
In :
General
We are pleased to say the Writer and Poet Owen Sheers has joined our team.
Owen is best known in our circle for writing the novel "Resistance" an amazing book set in Wales post invasion by Germany in WW2. I strongly suggest you get a copy and read it. It can be bought through our sitehere.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Tuesday, January 19, 2010,
In :
General
Today Tom has been editing the weapons display that was shot in August last year at Coleshill.
It is shaping up to be a one hour programme and then I will start to edit the tour of the OB and shots around the grounds which I am guessing will be between 30 - 45 mins as well.
Here are some stills from the weapons display film.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Friday, January 15, 2010,
In :
General
Some of you may remember we filmed at Coleshill in August last year.
It was a great day. We shot a weapons display by Bob Millard and Richard Ashley and then a detailed tour of the OB with Keith Blaxhall and other members.
We are pleased to say that after much waiting around we now have the raw footage ready to edit and plan to make a DVD of the footage for sale in our shop.
All people who took part in the filming will get a free copy and clips from the filming will be posted on the site for ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Tom Sykes on Thursday, January 7, 2010,
In :
General
Good Afternoon All,
Swindon Library have emailed me with the following request
Dear all,
We are writing to announce a confirmed date for a 2010 local history event:
Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th June 2010
This event will be held at Swindon Central Library.
We are inviting local groups, societies and clubs to join us in a weekend event commemorating those Swindon men and women of all nationalities who have served in the armed forces. Furthermore, it would celebrate those from overseas who served and late... Continue reading ...
Posted by Tom Sykes on Monday, January 4, 2010,
In :
General
Happy New Year.
We am pleased to announce the following news.
21 of our members voted on our new name and I am pleased to say the new name for the group is Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team (CART)
We have now added anAux Related Events pageon the website. Please let us know all events you are aware of in 2010 from open days to trips etc and we will add the info. We will be organising our own trips this year, starting with a trip to Parham in March.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Wednesday, December 23, 2009,
In :
General
We have added a new page thanks to Paul Thompson all about the Anti Aircraft battery located a stones through from Coleshill. Was it put there to protect Coleshill?
Anything you buy from Amazon through our shop helps us make money and stay online. We have just added a great range of WWII merchandise near the bottom of the page. They would make a great gift for a loved one or child.
Even if you don't fancy anything in our shop, if you use the Amazon search box at the top of theShop pageto find what you do want, we still make a small amount on the sale.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Monday, November 16, 2009,
In :
General
Members can now download the "Art of Guerilla Warfare" by Colin Gubbins and "The Partisan Leader's Handbook" for the next 5 days FREE before they go on sale in our shop.
Login to theSecret Page, now found at the top of the members page and download the PDF files.
Both
these guides were written when Colin Gubbins was in charge of the
Auxiliaries, prior to his move over to SOE.
I am sure many of you will not have used a Forum, but please let me
assure you it is the best way forward with a group our size. You can
post messages quickly and easily for all to see and respond to other
peoples messages. Ask questions of others and you get an email when
each person responds. All your Auxiliary Unit chat in one simple place.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Thursday, October 8, 2009,
In :
General
As you know we have this blog / news page on the site.
It's a perfect tool for me to keep you all informed of progress but why don't you use it as well?
It is great way to share news or findings you have relating to the Auxiliary unit or even publish requests for information. The blog is seen well by Google meaning that your appeal or post will be visable in the search engines. For example; type into Google "the highworth boy scout" and do a general web search rather than just UK. You will see ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Tom Sykes on Wednesday, October 7, 2009,
In :
General
One of our new members is Phil Matthews. Phil is a combative historical researcher with a particular interest in WW2 Training and Techniques
On his site he has amassed a terrific collection of historical,
biographical and technical material on WW-2 Combatives. With many articles in one section for easy reference.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Tuesday, September 29, 2009,
In :
General
Good Evening,
You may have noticed I have not posted for a while. This is not because things are not happening but because things are happening far more slowly than they were.
I am still getting the odd email from people offering info for the project and I am in talks with the National Trust about a possible room at Coleshill to have meetings in etc.
I am also busy in my personal life and work life which reduces the amount of hours I can donate to the project.
Not directly related to Coleshill or the Aux Unit I know but thought
Richard and Bob could get excited by some of the weapons at least !!!! Continue reading ...
Posted by Tom Sykes on Friday, September 11, 2009,
In :
General
Today we are working on a new page for the site about Ted Jefferies.
Ted Jefferies was a Boy Scout during WW2. Too young to enlist, his war
was spent in the rural market town of Highworth. Nothing much of
interest there then, you might say. No daring or constant exposure to
the horrors of war, except that Ted was a Boy Scout with a secretive
and vital war time role that, fortunately, was never required. We are
hoping to film Ted's story over the next few weeks and interviewing him
in his car... Continue reading ...
Posted by Tom Sykes on Wednesday, September 9, 2009,
In :
General
Many people has asked me why I am running this site and what is my goal.
Firstly I want to raise awareness of the Aux Units and keep their brave training alive and in the public eye.
Secondly I want to set up a local visitors centre or museum at Coleshill itself. Ideally this would be situated in the stable block, upstairs in the old WW2 admin offices. This will not happen without considerable funding and help from the National Trust....
Thirdly I want to produce a series for television which ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Tom Sykes on Thursday, September 3, 2009,
In :
General
We
are now selling copies of "The Countryman's Diary 1939" in order to try
and raise funds for the group. If you would like a copy please see the bottom of ourSHOPpage.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Friday, August 21, 2009,
In :
General
You can now comment on our diary and blog pages.
If you read a blog you like and want to contribute to then click on the title of the blog and scroll down to the white box below "Add New Comment".
You can leave a message as a guest or sign up so you get notified when others respond to your posts. If you don't register (free by the way) it will ask you if you want to. Below this it says "Click this step and post my comment as a guest" so click there.
Posted by Tom Sykes on Wednesday, August 19, 2009,
In :
General
Hello,
As you all know this site is run without any funding. As a web designer
and working from home, I am able to do the updates and dedicate time to
it around my normal paid work.
The National Trust at Coleshill do offer guided walks around the site a
few times a year and I would like to produce a postcard sized flyer
that they can give to guests to promote our website.
I am appealing for anyone that might have connections in the printing world where we can get these printed for ... Continue reading ...
Coleshill House, Coleshill, Mabel
Stranks, Highworth, Highworth Post Office, Colonel Gubbins, Auxiliary
Units, Churchill's secret army, Special Operations Executive (SOE),
Home Guard, The Countryman's Diary-1939, Peter Fleming, Ian Fleming,
Pleydell-Bouveries, Sir Thomas Freake, Sir Henry Pratt, guerrilla
warfare
