Crosswire Conspiracy Part 3 (1/3) By Buick McCain

(1/3), (2/3), (3/3). Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Throughout the rest of the day reports of further explosions, all of which were in and around the West End were filtering back to Baker Street. We were ordered to remain in the building until we had clearance from the police and the army bomb squad commander. Murray half heartedly tried to explain the semantics and machinations of the British security agencies.

M.I.5 handled internal security matters such as counter espionage, terrorism, insurrection and revolution. M.I.6 on the other hand operated from overseas, collecting and collating information and intelligence on friend and foe alike! As Murray pointed out, "Know your enemy well but know your friend better."

It seemed that the arrival of Special Operations Executive had upset the M.I.6 old boy network by its cavalier almost devil may care attitude in the clandestine war against the Germans. Six had cautiously and assiduously recruited and nurtured its agents over long periods, waiting patiently until they were in positions of influence before putting them to use. As far as M.I.6 were concerned S.O.E were amateurs who were now encroaching into Six territory. But S.O.E were more interested in compliance and complicity from local farmers, garage mechanics, doctors and electricians, in fact anyone who could assist when the time came for us to cause the utmost damage to the Nazis.

Our war was guerrilla war, hit and run terrorist tactics. M.I.6 could use diplomats and politicians to fight their secret war! S.O.E used bullet, bomb and blade. Murray's instructions were explicit. No contact with the outside world without authorisation. I could write nondescript letters to my family but they would be have to be approved by the SOE censor. No telegrams and no telephone.

I was then issued with various identity, travel and ration card documents for me to read and sign, and then came the bombshell; my orders were to take immediate effect. I was to be taken by car to Euston station and then by rail to Glasgow. Glasgow! I thought the world stopped at bloody Grantham.

FEBRUARY 1941

It's been a surreal couple of months. The first weeks were mainly routine soldiering, drill, firearm training, and basic first aid, much the same as all the other camps scattered throughout the land, or so it must have seemed to the outside world. Ostensibly we were Logistic Corp when in fact we were learning the art of dirty warfare. It seemed that the forty or so of us were selected for a particular skill that each of us had and the word around the mess was that S.O.E had trawled the prisons of Britain recruiting the best pickpockets, burglars and safebreakers to ply their trades on behalf of king and country.

Mountaineers, B.B.C engineers and chemists were among the more mundane professions within our rather strange bunch.

Continued .... Next Page (2/3)

Articles - Crosswire Conspiracy Part 2 By Buick McCain

	I was back at Baker Street by 9.45am and I knew that if I looked anywhere near as shattered as I felt, I was in trouble. The ubiquitous Sergeant Craig, the unfriendly giant, led me straight up to a second floor room. This time the welcome party consisted of one man, not much older than me. Although he was dressed in civilian clothes Read more...

Articles - Hull Flood Aid - What's It All About? By Michelle Dee

	Once again the local music community is gearing up to stage a music event in the city of Hull. After the floods that have left many homeless resulted in hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of property damage and caused severe disruption to schools. Many local businesses will record losses due to flood affected premises and damaged stock. Read more...

Articles - Hydroponics By Stuart Batley

	Hydroponics in general is a way of growing plants and vegetables of all kinds indoors or in a greenhouse without soil in water containing essential mineral nutrients. Many commercial vegetables are grown this way these days in huge greenhouses. The term hydroponics is derived from Greek word and literally means 'working water'. There are many system variations on Read more...

Articles - A Bridge Too Far - The Floods By Paul Wood

	Well it was 10.30 am, the morning of the floods and I was on Newland Avenue at the Post Office, watching as the flood water washed up towards the door. I waded across the road ankle-deep to head home where I stayed most of the day. Around lunch time, my neighbours were bailing out water from down the terrace as the rain had been continuous and it was Read more...

Articles - Crosswire Conspiracy By Buick McCain

	During the summer of 2006 my grandmother sadly passed away. Amongst her possessions, that I was given responsibility for sorting, was a neatly filed and dated collection of my late grandfather's diaries, dating from the early 1940s. Over the ensuing weeks I read and reread all my grandfathers' thoughts. Of his hopes and aspirations Read more...

Articles - A Nightmare on Ella Street By Chester Draws

	Saint’s preserve us ... It’s the end of the world as we know it, the biblical flood has arrived to punish Ella Street for its Liberal Bohemian ways. We thought that all our pot smoking, hippy festivals and savage alcohol problems would put us on square terms with the man upstairs but it seems God is a raging Conservative who would see us all drown Read more...

Articles - The Drain - Memories of East Hull By Nicholas Boldock

	It can sometimes transcend strangeness, the things we humans can have a fondness for. Me, I rather like "The Drain", that muddy, filthy waterway that flows through East Hull, fostering luminous green algae and prehistoric hermaphrodite fish as it goes. At first glance the drain looks like not much more than a cleverly designed cesspool, Read more...

Articles - Buses By Andrea Longstaff

	I was running to catch the number 13 bus in Bond Street when the driver, standing next to his vehicle and smoking a roll-up said to me "There's always going to be another bus you know" I replied that I had to be somewhere and was running late. "Why don't you walk then?" Hmmmmm and why don't you mind your own fucking business? Read more...

Articles - Behind the Wall - Ibrahim's Pavement Café By Rich Wiles, of Hull and Hebron

	Most cities and town across Europe have a central square, or several, around which the city or town is built. These can include bustling market squares in rural England, lazy plazas in small Spanish villages, and huge piazzas in Italy's great Roman cities Al-Khalil's (Hebron's) Beit Romano Square bears little in common with these Read more...

Articles - Appeal - Calling East Hull ...

	When was the last time you ate a meal so good that you had to tell someone about it? When was the last time you walked into a pub and had a really good night out? When was the last time you spoke to someone who was so unique that you immediately thought: now that would make a good story... If any of the above applies to you, then we want to hear from you. Read more...

Articles - Wilberforce House - New Exhibition By Michael Smith Age 15

	The house of William Wilberforce has been converted into a fabulous exhibition dedicated to the Slave trade and its abolition along with the life of William Wilberforce and his work. Such a museum is exactly the correct thing to do to the very house that William lived and worked in. The museum is an emotional and educational experience that Read more...

Articles - Trepanning Worked For Me And The Joys Of Public Transport By Andrea Longstaff

	The Government and the Greenies moan like fuck about carbon emissions but I use public transport on a regular basis. I don't know if it's me going through an olfactory hallucinatory phase but the buses always seem to stink of rancid piss these days, and the people that you have to endure! One time I was on the bus on my way to Park Avenue when a lass sat down Read more...

Articles - Yankeeburger By John Science

	I came across your website purely by accident when I was looking for any comments regarding Yankeeburger in Jameson Street. I was pleasantly surprised to read that a Vivian Wan from Australia worked there in the 80's and referred to me as a 'great guy' -a compliment indeed. I do remember we had some wonderful students from Asia during that period Read more...

Articles - Nappy Nature By Shellie

	Nappy Nature is the trading name for the Hull and East Riding Real Nappy Network, we are a not for profit business, by which we mean though we make a profit that money is re-invested into our activities and projects, not shareholders! We are actively working with the Real Nappy Campaign as well as any other baby and parent group Read more...

Articles - Ghost Chasers In Hull By Mike Smith

	Ghost Chasers www.ghostchasers.co.uk are Hull's Leading Internationally Renowned Paranormal Investigative Team. We investigate local and national alleged paranormal locations. The investigations we carry out are done professionally and in the strictest confidence. We do not involve the media without the clients consent. Read more...

Articles - Why Should I Use Cloth Nappies?

	Breast feed, bottle feed? Home Birth, Water Birth, Hospital Birth? What colour to decorate the baby room, cots, cribs, moses baskets? What's a muslin square again? Without a doubt there are many, many options open to you as a parent to be, with so many retailers telling you what to buy, and so many magazines reporting what you Read more...

Articles - I Want To Be a Megalomaniac But Haven't Got The Confidence By Andrea Longstaff

	I've decided that I'm going to jump onto the current bandwagon and devise a new and improved fitness and relaxation programme. I'm going to call this regime pilokga (pronounced piloogar). It's a combination of Pilates, knitting machine maintenance and yoga. Well I have been attending a yoga class for a couple of years now. I've also watched Read more...

Articles - Saddam Hussein And Reality's Last Gasp By Joe Hakim

	I managed to contract some sort of stomach bug over Christmas, so I spent the majority of it alternating between puking my guts up and shivering under a blanket. My dreams were populated by images of dead friends being devoured by giant skeletal insects in the ruins of Hull's new bus station, and I became convinced that my neighbour was plotting to drive me Read more...

Articles - Life in Walajah By Suzy Allott

	I have to say that I've started writing this a few times, but every time I've given up as the words seemed a little empty. The past few weeks in my new home have been, typically, both great and heart breaking. I'm now working in the village Walajah. It's great to be part of such a small, close community, and as such I'm having to walk up all of the steep hills around Read more...

Articles - God's Plan??? By Merle R. Stone

	As of late, (this morning, to be precise) I find myself in a state of realization which actually sort of frightens me. What I am beginning to realize is that if I were to stumble upon God, the supreme Almighty, say on the street or in some bar, I would kick him square in the balls. Then, I would question him to his face about his 'Divine Plan' as it has been called. Read more...

Articles - Lets Talk 'Bout Eugenics, Kids By Sally Satan

	My long-held prediction that shit American films would rule the world may have finally come true. I mean, I always thought these 'innocent' Disney flicks contained secret totalitarian messages, but hell - it sounds like someone's taken Honey I Shrunk The Kids a bit too seriously... This week, a profoundly disabled teenage girl in America has been deliberately kept in Read more...

Articles - The Restoration of Wellington Street Swing Bridge Part 3 By Tony Waddington Photographs By Tony

	In September the eastern side of the bridge was lifted into position by the Ainscough crane crew and with great skill put the 60 tonne span on the centre pintle without any problems Now it's the turn for the western span to be delivered by road from Sheffield based Davy Markham. Arriving on time along with the huge crane, the operation got under way. Read more...

Articles - Update On Georgie By Peter Fenwick

	As you know from previously on thisisull (Birds in Hull By Pete and Sue ), we bought an African grey parrot 18 months ago and called him George. We had George DNA tested by a local vet. Just letting you know that we, Pete Sue and George are doing really well. He has started to talk now, saying the usual things, whistling, singing, cuppa tea, going shopping etc. Read more...

Articles - Whole New Life By Peter Fenwick

	Having lost my wife's father in September this year we inherited his allotment in Tavistock Street off Newland Avenue. Sue's dad Stan had kept his allotment for 15 years. Our first job at the allotment was to dig up 24 rows of potatoes. This mammoth task took about three weeks, and I think everyone we knew received a sack of organic spuds. Then it was time to pick Read more...

Articles - An Open Letter To The Good People of Hull By Merle R. Stone

	My dearest good people of Hull, I know it has been a very long time since I have seen any of you, and for that I am deeply sorry. I hope this letter finds you all enjoying good health and high spirits. What compels me to write today is that I find myself somewhat lonely for you. I realize that many of you will not remember me, and maybe more than a few of you are asking yourselves Read more...