Latest news with #JamesWhitham
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Drivers warned of charity motorbike convoy
Drivers are being advised to allow more time for journeys when a convoy of about 3,500 motorcyclists takes to the roads in Shropshire. The Bike4Life Ride Out and Festival, attended by former World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty, will see riders travelling on a 25-mile route starting from Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, at 10:30 BST on Sunday. They will follow the A5, M54 and A41 to the event's home at Weston Park to raise money for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and there will be traffic restrictions from 10:20 for up to two hours. National Highways said it advised anyone due to travel through the area to avoid the times of the ride out if possible or set off early and allow extra time. There will be traffic restrictions at Meole Brace roundabout if travelling from Sainsbury's. All eastbound movements will be stopped at A5 Dobbies, A5 Emstrey and A5 Preston Boats roundabouts. There will also be closures of the eastbound entry slip roads on the M54 at junctions 7, 6, 5 and 4 and no traffic movements other than the motorcycles at junction 3 and the A41 northbound as far as the junction with Offoxey Road until the ride out clears. The convoy will be led by a National Highways traffic officer vehicle and junctions will be reopened as soon as the convoy has passed. Attendees will also include former professional motorcycle racer in the British Superbike and World Superbike championships James Whitham and Happy Mondays dancer and DJ Bez. National Highways senior network planner David Patmore said so many bikes heading down the motorway and into the festival "is quite the sight and one we are happy to support as we see the vital work Midlands Air Ambulance Charity does". Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Thousands to support charity motorbike convoy New date announced for delayed motorbike festival Charity postpones bike ride due to wet conditions Midlands Air Ambulance Charity Bike4Life Ride Out and Festival National Highways
BBC News
5 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Shropshire drivers warned of motorbike convoy for air ambulance charity
Drivers are being advised to allow more time for journeys when a convoy of about 3,500 motorcyclists takes to the roads in Bike4Life Ride Out and Festival, attended by former World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty, will see riders travelling on a 25-mile route starting from Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, at 10:30 BST on will follow the A5, M54 and A41 to the event's home at Weston Park to raise money for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and there will be traffic restrictions from 10:20 for up to two Highways said it advised anyone due to travel through the area to avoid the times of the ride out if possible or set off early and allow extra time. There will be traffic restrictions at Meole Brace roundabout if travelling from Sainsbury's. All eastbound movements will be stopped at A5 Dobbies, A5 Emstrey and A5 Preston Boats roundabouts. There will also be closures of the eastbound entry slip roads on the M54 at junctions 7, 6, 5 and 4 and no traffic movements other than the motorcycles at junction 3 and the A41 northbound as far as the junction with Offoxey Road until the ride out clears. The convoy will be led by a National Highways traffic officer vehicle and junctions will be reopened as soon as the convoy has will also include former professional motorcycle racer in the British Superbike and World Superbike championships James Whitham and Happy Mondays dancer and DJ Highways senior network planner David Patmore said so many bikes heading down the motorway and into the festival "is quite the sight and one we are happy to support as we see the vital work Midlands Air Ambulance Charity does". Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Cision Canada
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Cision Canada
Canadian War Museum acquires rare Second World War Sherman BARV from The Tank Museum in the UK
OTTAWA, ON, July 2, 2025 /CNW/ - The Canadian War Museum is once again boosting its reputation as a centre of expertise for the restoration and display of specialized historical military vehicles, with its acquisition of an M4A2 Sherman Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle (BARV): a type of vehicle important to Canada's D-Day story. This BARV hull was donated by The Tank Museum in the United Kingdom. It is one of only five such vehicles known to exist, and will become the sole Sherman BARV on display in North America. Its transportation to Canada is due to the generous support of the Friends of the Canadian War Museum. "The War Museum is one of the only institutions in Canada with the expertise to fully restore these types of complex military vehicles," said James Whitham, Director General of the Canadian War Museum. "We are excited to be able to bring this into our collection and begin the painstaking restoration of this rare vehicle, which will help us tell the story of Canada's involvement in the Normandy landings and subsequent beach operations." This is a unique and rare example of a specialized armoured vehicle developed for amphibious landings. BARVs would prove vital to Canadian and Allied success on June 6, 1944, during the D-Day landings at Juno Beach and elsewhere. These vehicles could operate in water up to 3 metres (9 feet) deep and helped move vehicles blocking the beaches that had either broken down or had been damaged by enemy fire. Sherman BARVs were also used during the Rhine River crossing in March 1945, and remained in British military service until 1963. The precise involvement of this particular BARV on D-Day is still being researched. "Whilst unique in our collection, this vehicle was not used by the Royal Armoured Corps, which means The Tank Museum is not the best home for it. We are therefore delighted to be able to donate it to our partners at the Canadian War Museum, so it can be restored and put on display," said Chris van Schaardenburgh, Vehicle Collections Manager at The Tank Museum. "Only a handful of Sherman BARVs are known to survive; two of these are on display in the UK. It is therefore hugely significant that we share this vehicle, once used on the beaches of Normandy, with Canada." The vehicle was originally recovered from a firing range on Salisbury Plain in southern England, and has been preserved at The Tank Museum since 2009. The Canadian War Museum plans to restore it for eventual display in the LeBreton Gallery. It will join the Museum's impressive collection of 200 military vehicles in that space, vividly illustrating Canada's rich military history. Due to the extent of restoration required, it will be several years before the BARV is ready for public display. If you would like to have your name removed from our distribution list or if this information should be directed to someone else, please email us. SOURCE Canadian War Museum
Cision Canada
18-06-2025
- General
- Cision Canada
Canadian War Museum unveils new display marking the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires Français
OTTAWA, ON, June 18, 2025 /CNW/ - In honour of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, the Canadian War Museum unveils a new display. It marks the century-long history of Commissionaires by highlighting the significant contributions of the organization from its beginnings to the present day. Visitors can find the display in Commissionaires Way, the corridor connecting the Museum's main exhibitions to the LeBreton Gallery. Established to provide meaningful employment to veterans, Commissionaires was founded in Montréal in 1925. Since then, the not-for-profit organization has grown to 22,000 employees, including many veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It is the largest private-sector employer of veterans in Canada. "We are pleased to present this display highlighting the longstanding relationship between Commissionaires and Canada's veterans," said James Whitham, Director General of the Canadian War Museum. "The display offers visitors a chance to learn about the organization's evolution and its vital role in supporting veterans over a century." "We are delighted with how Commissionaires Way recognizes some of the many extraordinary people who served and continue to serve the Corps throughout our century of service to Canadians," said Commissionaires Chief of Staff, Captain Harry Harsch, OMM, CD, RCN (Ret'd). Developed by the Canadian War Museum, the display highlights veterans from all decades of Commissionaires. It features the Victoria Cross (VC) medal set that belonged to Major Benjamin Handley Geary of the East Surrey Regiment, who earned the decoration for bravery at Hill 60 during the First World War. Also featured is Lieutenant Colin Fraser Barron of the 48th Highlanders, who received the Victoria Cross for capturing three German machine-gun positions in the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele. Modern-day Commissionaires in the display include Ajit Singh and Rodney McAlpine, whose quick thinking saved lives while on the job, and who were recognized with the Commissionaires Medal of Bravery. Also included is Major (Ret'd) Sandra Perron, Canada's first female infantry officer, veterans' advocate, and bestselling author, who serves on the board of Commissionnaires du Québec. The Museum extends its sincere appreciation to Commissionaires for its generous support in bringing this important initiative to life. If you would like to have your name removed from our distribution list or if this information should be directed to someone else, please email us.
Cision Canada
11-06-2025
- General
- Cision Canada
Canadian War Museum Conference 2025 to bring together historians and veterans to showcase latest oral history scholarship Français
OTTAWA, ON, June 11, 2025 /CNW/ - Registration is now open for the Canadian War Museum Conference 2025: Oral History and the Veterans' Experience, which will be held from Thursday, October 2 to Sunday, October 5, 2025 at the Museum. This ground-breaking conference, one of the first to focus on the growing interest in the post-service veteran experience, will provide a forum for historians, veterans, military community members, and others to showcase and discuss the latest scholarship surrounding oral history and the effects of military service after the return to civilian life. "The impact of service on veterans and their loved ones is a growing field of study," said James Whitham, Director General of the Canadian War Museum. "We look forward to hosting engaging discussions on the role that oral history can play in expanding our understanding of the impact of service across generations." The conference also offers an opportunity to come together and explore the ways in which oral history helps to bring untold stories into the broader narrative around military service. This "hidden history" of the veteran experience adds to our understanding of the impact of conflict and military service over time on individuals, their families, and society at large. Conference keynote speakers will include Dr. Michael Petrou, the Museum's Historian, Veterans' Experience, as well as Dr. Tim Cook, the Museum's Chief Historian and Director of Research. The event will also feature over 20 experts and veterans from across Canada presenting research grouped into six panels. Using Veterans' Oral Histories in Museums and Universities examines the use of veterans' oral histories in museums and universities, focusing on innovative projects that preserve and share the experiences of military personnel and their families. The Bonds of Veteranhood After Uncelebrated Missions explores the bonds formed among veterans of missions and units that have been forgotten, overlooked, or tarnished by scandal. Personal Impacts of Military Service is a bilingual conversation about how veterans are shaped by their service in the armed forces, touching on veteran reintegration into civilian life and the lasting effects of military service. Veteranhood and Veterans' Communities examines veteranhood as it is experienced collectively — shaping not just individuals, but communities and the place of veterans within them. Military Testimony and the Arts explores how some veterans use art to communicate their experiences. This panel will draw attention to creative works that reflect on the realities of military life, post-traumatic stress disorder, and war. Recognizing, Compensating, and Accepting Veteranhood examines the relationship — both historical and contemporary — between veterans and the government, and between veterans and wider Canadian society. For more information and to register for the Canadian War Museum Conference 2025, visit the conference website: For those unable to attend in person, a virtual conference package will provide access to selected sessions on Friday and Saturday. This conference is organized under the auspices of In Their Own Voices: Stories From Canadian Veterans and Their Loved Ones and is generously funded by donors including the A. Britton Smith Family; the Azrieli Foundation; Arthur B.C. Drache, C.M., K.C., and Judy Young Drache; The Royal Canadian Legion; The Legion National Foundation; Friends of the Canadian War Museum; the Crabtree Foundation; Robert Stollery, in honour of his service in the Second World War; Colonel (Ret'd) Stanley A. Milner, O.C., A.O.E., M.S.M., C.D., LL.D.; and individuals from across Canada. The Canadian War Museum is Canada's national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada's military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions. If you would like to have your name removed from our distribution list or if this information should be directed to someone else, please email us.
