D-Day +75 Options

[Phil_D11102]

Is this what the WBC, the Corn Exchange, Greenham Parish Council and the Greenham Trust has diluted the sacrifices of U.S. and British forces down to, a dramatic representation? These young men, many did not return, gathered on Greenham Common to jump into Nazi held France to start the liberation of Europe.

One of the most iconic photos of the WWII was taken on the 5th of June, and there is nothing after 75 years to commemorate this.

Shameful, simply shameful.


"The eyes of the world are upon you" General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

75 years ago, Eisenhower made his famous speech at Greenham Common to encourage allied soldiers in preparation for the D-Day landings. Commemorating the legacy of this extraordinary moment in our history on both a local and national scale, follow Eisenhower in the days leading up to this event, along with a company from the 101st Airborne Divison stationed at Greenham and hear the stories of the local people of Newbury.

Audiences can expect to be taken back in time to experience the challenges and jubilance of war and to help them better understand how it affected those living on the air base and in the local area. Taking place at the recently extended 101 Outdoor Arts Creation Space on Greenham Business Park, D-Day 75 will comprise of interactive immersive performances from over 100 community performers, which will culminate in a celebratory tea dance led by a professional band of musicians.

Written by the Watermill Theatre’s playwright in residence Danielle Pearson and co-produced with Corn Exchange Newbury and Greenham Trust

[Strafin]

Why is it so shocking?

Were you in the forces by any chance?

[Phil_D11102]

Why is it so shocking?

Were you in the forces by any chance?

Why is it shocking, because an event that openly supports the peace women which you can see in today's NWN in the arts section, but cannot hold a milestone anniversary event that if it had failed, the face of Europe could be very different today.

Was I in the forces, yes, I was. 11 years in the USAF. I fell in love with this area so much that when I was discharged in 1992 I didn't return back to the USA. Why do I find events up at the base today so disturbing, because it looks like a run down derelict POS that was once a vibrant community. All it could of taken was some work and it could be a very vibrant leisure park just like the one in Basingstoke. Why do I feel so angry about the events at the control tower, because it is plan to see that the viewpoint is slant towards to peach women and their cause, and not the full history of the base. Even in the NWN write up about the below event took place at the USAAF base. The term USAAF hasn't been used since 1947. Shows how much accuracy goes into reporting.

Tonight at Greenham Control Tower, Nina Wakeford gave her performance of "An apprenticeship in queer I believe it was".

A spoken word, song and words from first-person accounts of women who were interviewed in a study of the peace camp.

Projected alongside Nina were thousands of images of forget-me-nots from the nearby memorial Peace Garden, photographed one by one on 16mm film.

One of photos gives you a behind the scenes insight of two of the 16mm projectors inside the tower.

Thank-you to Stephen Miles and Sarah Jayne Breadmore Miles from SJ Wines for looking us and treating our audience to some fantastic wines, and Dan from Loddon Brewery for the Hullabaloo.

To all at Reading International for facilitating all this as part of https://readinginternational.org/…/uncommoning-voices-nonco… programme of events.

And finally - a huge thank-you to Nina Wakeford and her team for the bring the performance to Greenham Control Tower.