Out& About GROUP
tyweekly.co.uk www.oxfordproper Thursday, August 31
r 6, 2017 - Wednesday, Septembe
Your guide for your leisure time in & around Oxfordshire
Wry war-time tales from the Somme
Satirical play The Times comes to Wiper’s Oxford
Abingdon, Wantage and Faringdon Thursday, August 31 - Wednesday, September 6
GROUP view the property details, of Davis Tate Wallingford. To This property showcased courtesy
oxfordshireguardian.co.uk
Lidl store plan gains a lot of support
OME I T N E Y CA R E H RICHMOND W
ons
Changing Percepti for the Better
Flying Scotsman steams into railway centre
Page 3
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newspaper - 22,307 copies endently verified property Oxfordshire’s largest indep
Pages 8&9
01993 764138
itney
Solving the mys tery of Agatha Christie Museum looks at her life and work
Free
richmond-villages.com/w
Six appeal for United in cup competition Sport
Paratrooper trains troops in major military exercise By Adam Flinn A WANTAGE paratrooper has been helping train troops in Georgia as part of a major international exercise, which has drawn anger from Russia in the past. Corporal Caz Laycock, 31, of C (Bruneval) Company, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, was one of almost 3,000 soldiers from eight countries taking part in the fortnightlong Exercise Noble Partner. He travelled to the Vaziani military base near the Georgian capital Tbilisi, where paratroopers swapped techniques on carrying out vehicle check points and searching people. The regiment also conducted joint training with the US Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade to further their understanding of each other’s kit and capabilities. Cpl Laycock, a former King Alfred’s Academy pupil who has been in the Army for 12 years, said that working with different armies was about “fi nding a middle ground”. He continued: “I gave a lesson to the Georgians about vehicle check points and they were engaged and asked lots of questions, then they demonstrated their techniques to us. “It’s about each of us looking at our slightly different tactics to deal with the same situation and learning from each other.”
Exercise Noble Partner aims to develop the ability of NATO armies to better work together in emerging crises, while training Georgian troops to serve with the NATO Response Force. However the exercise has drawn a hostile reaction from Russia in the past, with the country’s foreign ministry describing last year’s manoeuvres as a “provocative step aimed at destabilising the region”. A total of 2,800 soldiers took part in the exercise, 160 coming from C (Bruneval) Company. The company’s commanding officer Major Mark Bush said: “Exercise Noble Partner is a fantastic opportunity, both for the company and for our paratroopers as individuals, which we’re working hard to make the most of. “Georgia is a hot and dry environment that’s a test of physical resilience, while working as part of a multinational exercise on this scale really broadens soldiers’ military and cultural horizons. “While working with our allies and partners we are learning all the time about how different armies conduct their business – and they’re learning about us, which will make us all better prepared for coalition operations in the future.” The exercise concluded with the paratroopers jumping into a 72-hour mission for the multinational force to practice defensive operations.
Corporal Caz Laycock, left, conducting the exercise in Georgia
Friday September 8th
The Ultimate Entertainment Venue
Advance tickets: Advanced ticket-seated £12.00 Standing £10.00 Available from SHUSH www.shush.fm & the SHUSH app The Regent Mall, Newbury Street, Wantage, Oxfordshire OX12 8BU.
Tel. 01235 771122.