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Iraq
Not so great to be back
August 6, 2020 by TLO in Iraq
Shat Al Arab Hotel,
Basrah
Iraq
08 Aug 2005
Dear All,
After three weeks of fantastic holiday, I have returned to the charming city of Basrah. For the last three weeks I have had more fun than I could care to have dreamt of, flying around the Isle of Wight in a Vintage Tiger Moth, water skiing on the Solent (with my clothes on!), playing drunken games of beach cricket, being late to my Godson’s christening, drinking, eating and smoking too much in France, dinner parties, drinks parties, long lunches that invariably roll into dinner, long lie-ins, making silly speeches at one of my greatest mates weddings, driving old cars, new cars, tractors, boats, spending too much money and seeing so many of you. I couldn’t have fitted more into the last three weeks and wouldn’t have wanted to, I can’t wait to get home already just so I can do it all again.
Landing at Basrah International airport was about as glamorous as my first landing here, the now-familiar pungent pong of poo rolled down the airplane to greet us all back. The temperature was a pretty cool 32 degrees when we got off the plane, but then it was three in the morning still, the sweat instantly started to roll unpleasantly down my back. I wasn’t quite expecting the heat to be as exhausting as it was on the first day, a steady 56 degrees showed on the thermometer that we now have to keep in the shade to stop the plastic melting!
So little seems to have changed, the streets still smell, Army food is still terrible, and groundhog day has already well and truly set in. The only change really being the baddies seem to have come up with new terrifying ways of attacking us, which they have already used to some pretty unpleasant degree of success. The one great change during my absence is that someone has installed a Portakabin full of porcelain loos!! Finally, the hideous portaloo experiences of the last three and a half months can be avoided and some proper relaxing moments can be enjoyed.
My desire to waterski down the Shat Al Arab river has increased tenfold, my only hurdle currently being acquiring a waterski I left mine at home during a rushed departure, and my barefoot waterskiing is simply not up to scratch! I have launched myself into the beach volleyball circuit with all the gusto of Maverick and Goose, I am trying to get a sound system wired up so we can have “Playing with the Boys” blasting out while we play, I am convinced this will bring a new level of skill to my game.
So as I continue to avoid doing any real work and try and make what is now, having been home, an even more depressing place a bit more fun, I hope you are all avoiding tubes and buses and working hard. I only have a couple of months left here before I am back for good, and have to start looking for real work!
Really hope you are all well.
All my love
T
x

The letter above is part of a series of letters I sent home from Basrah, Iraq in 2005 republished here for the first time since they got sent exactly 15 years ago (I will try and sync them with the real dates sent)

I suppose this was my very first attempt at blogging, before blogging was ever a thing!

I was a Captain in The British Army at the time and was in the middle of an unremarkable 7 month posting to Basrah surrounded by the remarkable men of the Coldstream Guards, my regiment for 7 years. I loved and adored my time in the Coldstream and look back at all the fun and silliness with incredibly fond memories. I hope these letters go some way to show the amusing side of our tour, they are not designed to be a factual representation of the hard work, pain and suffering that so many endured. They do not talk of the ultimate sacrifice made by too many of our soldiers during that extraordinary year.

Nulli Secundus.

The Coldstream Guards Capstar
4 Comments
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TLO

There are 4 comments on this post
  1. Mick
    August 07, 2020, 10:23 am

    Look forward to reading the other letters. Fair play, very interesting.

    • TLO
      August 07, 2020, 1:11 pm

      Thanks mate, hope all well. T

  2. Caroline
    August 07, 2020, 12:43 pm

    Tom, I really look forward to Fridays and reading these. Ian andI have just finished watching “Once upon a Time in Iraq. My God it opened our eyes. Your lightness of touch with these stories and the camaraderie that is clearly there among the troops is extraordinary. What brave fellows you all were. Watch it on iplayer if you haven’t already.
    Looking forward to next Friday,

    Love

    Caroline

    • TLO
      August 07, 2020, 1:12 pm

      Thank you so much, we will look it up for sure. All love. X

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I used every ounce of my religious knowledge in explaining to the boys what the Camino de Santiago was as we inadvertently tracked the route to the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, I think they got the idea and we enjoyed a bit of culture, for but a moment!

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Another mega camping trip under our belts, awesome spot near Tomar - wild, beautiful and totally fabulous. Boys had never swum in fresh water. Can’t wait to go back. . . . #camping #wild #free #swimming #livefirecooking #bbq #portugal #adventure #fun #explore
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  • A winter camp to remember - Closing the 2023 camping year with a real bang, an amazing spot in Alentejo played host to a hysterical weekend. Made even funnier with some full on food failures (by me) and some logistical challenges of cold weather camping! Bring on the spring.
.
.
.
#landrover110  #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos
#landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #adventure #project #alentejo #foodfail
  • As we left the mountains I had assumed epic landscape would fall away, I hadn’t taken into account dreary Northern European weather would take over. We thrashed through northern Spain over the last two days with little to report.

This afternoon we found a wonderful lunch spot for swimming, caving and watching the Lionesses thrash the Mathildas.

I used every ounce of my religious knowledge in explaining to the boys what the Camino de Santiago was as we inadvertently tracked the route to the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, I think they got the idea and we enjoyed a bit of culture, for but a moment!

Then on to Portugal for a final camp by the sea, we eyed up a spot that I proceeded to entirely under estimate and got Ventura extremely wonky and stuck. Suffice to say I thought we needed a tractor, but after an hour of solo digging, scraping and tyre deflation the sand gods let us free.

An epic sunset closed our final full day on the road, all things being well we track down the coast to Lisbon tomorrow afternoon!
.
.
.
#crosspyrenees #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos
#landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #adventure
  • Endless switchbacks, tunnels, mountain passes and epic Mountain View’s was the theme of todays drive. We had the Odessa Valley in our sights for the close of the day, but Ventura pulled like a train and we made it by lunch for a swim.

A casual 7 hours of driving later and we made it to our lakeside camp without seeing a dual carriageway all day and mainly sticking to single tracked roads. 

The Pyrenees wins.
.
.
.
#crosspyrenees #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos
#landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #adventure
  • The Smugglers Way - An awesome off road route from Andorra to Spain that closed my first day crossing the Pyrenees (east to west) with the boys. 

Not the most challenging 4x4 route, but a perfect off road interlude for our marathon 2,000 km trip home. Today was Northern Spain, Southern France and the whole of Andorra (one road east to west) before we took on the Smugglers Way.

We chased eagles with the drone, crossed ‘illegal’ borders, swam in wild rivers, camped and ate wonderful steak all whilst gawping at the epic landscape. Day 2 has a lot to live up to.
.
.
.
#smugglersway #crosspyrenees #landrover110  #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos
#landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #adventure
  • Today marks the start of an epic summer road trip around the entire Iberian Peninsula. 3,700 kms. That’s the same as Sydney to Perth, or Lisbon to Gdańsk, or London to Inverness four and a bit times.

We plan to drive from Lisbon, to Faro, to Seville, to Malaga, to Valencia, to Barcelona, to Girona and on into the Pyrenees to explore the mountains and to take on the famous off-road route “The Smugglers Way” an old cigarette trading route between Andorra and Spain. Then from the mountains to Bilbao, to the Babia Y Luna national park and into Northern Portugal to the Douro valley and then to travel south down the Portuguese coast and back home to Lisbon.

Today was the new drone pilot Archie’s first day the helm. This video is all his footage (unless he is in it) stay tuned to watch his drone piloting develop and our adventure unfold.

What could possibly go wrong…
.
.
.
#landrover110  #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #holiday #adventure  #iberianadventure
  • Oh dear. I found a dangerous place @overlandportugaloficial something tells me I might be coming back soon. Awesome shop, lovely people.
.
.
.
#landrover110  #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #landrovermena #venturatruck #travel #adventure #classiccar #restoration #project #cooldesk
  • @landrovercarhostoffroad4x4 recently fitted a new canopy from @exmoortrim and some LED’s to Ventura here in Lisbon. Hard to disagree she is now looking extremely good. Juan and his team at Car Host certainly know how to wield a spanner, great job. Ventura is getting ready for a 3,750km trip around the entire Iberian Peninsula this August, watch this space for more excitement and breakdowns this summer.
.
.
.
#landrover110  #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #landrovermena #venturatruck #travel #adventure #classiccar #restoration #project #exmoortrim
  • Another mega camping trip under our belts, awesome spot near Tomar - wild, beautiful and totally fabulous. Boys had never swum in fresh water. Can’t wait to go back.
.
.
.
#camping #wild #free #swimming #livefirecooking #bbq #portugal #adventure #fun #explore
  • An incredible weekend off roading in the mountains of Serra de Estrella. I got to take part in the 17th edition of the all terrain tour of Gouveia, hundreds of vehicles touring the mountains trails that weave through the area. Stunning countryside, hilarious company, incredible food and fabulous wine. 
Ventura was the first non Portuguese 4x4 to take part and was the least modified to complete the course, and she still has all straight panels!! Definitely the wildest off road experience I have had with Ventura and I can’t wait for the next one, a truly epic way to see hidden parts of this extraordinary country.
.
.
.
#landrover110  #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos
#landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #landrovermena #venturatruck #travel #adventure #classiccar #restoration #project #serradeestrela #gouveia #landroverportugal
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A winter camp to remember - Closing the 2023 camping year with a real bang, an amazing spot in Alentejo played host to a hysterical weekend. Made even funnier with some full on food failures (by me) and some logistical challenges of cold weather camping! Bring on the spring. . . . #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #adventure #project #alentejo #foodfail
2 weeks ago
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As we left the mountains I had assumed epic landscape would fall away, I hadn’t taken into account dreary Northern European weather would take over. We thrashed through northern Spain over the last two days with little to report. This afternoon we found a wonderful lunch spot for swimming, caving and watching the Lionesses thrash the Mathildas. I used every ounce of my religious knowledge in explaining to the boys what the Camino de Santiago was as we inadvertently tracked the route to the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, I think they got the idea and we enjoyed a bit of culture, for but a moment! Then on to Portugal for a final camp by the sea, we eyed up a spot that I proceeded to entirely under estimate and got Ventura extremely wonky and stuck. Suffice to say I thought we needed a tractor, but after an hour of solo digging, scraping and tyre deflation the sand gods let us free. An epic sunset closed our final full day on the road, all things being well we track down the coast to Lisbon tomorrow afternoon! . . . #crosspyrenees #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #adventure
4 months ago
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Endless switchbacks, tunnels, mountain passes and epic Mountain View’s was the theme of todays drive. We had the Odessa Valley in our sights for the close of the day, but Ventura pulled like a train and we made it by lunch for a swim. A casual 7 hours of driving later and we made it to our lakeside camp without seeing a dual carriageway all day and mainly sticking to single tracked roads. The Pyrenees wins. . . . #crosspyrenees #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #adventure
4 months ago
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3/9
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The Smugglers Way - An awesome off road route from Andorra to Spain that closed my first day crossing the Pyrenees (east to west) with the boys. Not the most challenging 4x4 route, but a perfect off road interlude for our marathon 2,000 km trip home. Today was Northern Spain, Southern France and the whole of Andorra (one road east to west) before we took on the Smugglers Way. We chased eagles with the drone, crossed ‘illegal’ borders, swam in wild rivers, camped and ate wonderful steak all whilst gawping at the epic landscape. Day 2 has a lot to live up to. . . . #smugglersway #crosspyrenees #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #adventure
4 months ago
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4/9
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Today marks the start of an epic summer road trip around the entire Iberian Peninsula. 3,700 kms. That’s the same as Sydney to Perth, or Lisbon to Gdańsk, or London to Inverness four and a bit times. We plan to drive from Lisbon, to Faro, to Seville, to Malaga, to Valencia, to Barcelona, to Girona and on into the Pyrenees to explore the mountains and to take on the famous off-road route “The Smugglers Way” an old cigarette trading route between Andorra and Spain. Then from the mountains to Bilbao, to the Babia Y Luna national park and into Northern Portugal to the Douro valley and then to travel south down the Portuguese coast and back home to Lisbon. Today was the new drone pilot Archie’s first day the helm. This video is all his footage (unless he is in it) stay tuned to watch his drone piloting develop and our adventure unfold. What could possibly go wrong… . . . #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #venturatruck #travel #holiday #adventure #iberianadventure
4 months ago
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5/9
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Oh dear. I found a dangerous place @overlandportugaloficial something tells me I might be coming back soon. Awesome shop, lovely people. . . . #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #landrovermena #venturatruck #travel #adventure #classiccar #restoration #project #cooldesk
5 months ago
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6/9
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@landrovercarhostoffroad4x4 recently fitted a new canopy from @exmoortrim and some LED’s to Ventura here in Lisbon. Hard to disagree she is now looking extremely good. Juan and his team at Car Host certainly know how to wield a spanner, great job. Ventura is getting ready for a 3,750km trip around the entire Iberian Peninsula this August, watch this space for more excitement and breakdowns this summer. . . . #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #landrovermena #venturatruck #travel #adventure #classiccar #restoration #project #exmoortrim
5 months ago
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7/9
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Another mega camping trip under our belts, awesome spot near Tomar - wild, beautiful and totally fabulous. Boys had never swum in fresh water. Can’t wait to go back. . . . #camping #wild #free #swimming #livefirecooking #bbq #portugal #adventure #fun #explore
6 months ago
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8/9
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An incredible weekend off roading in the mountains of Serra de Estrella. I got to take part in the 17th edition of the all terrain tour of Gouveia, hundreds of vehicles touring the mountains trails that weave through the area. Stunning countryside, hilarious company, incredible food and fabulous wine. Ventura was the first non Portuguese 4x4 to take part and was the least modified to complete the course, and she still has all straight panels!! Definitely the wildest off road experience I have had with Ventura and I can’t wait for the next one, a truly epic way to see hidden parts of this extraordinary country. . . . #landrover110 #td5 #dualcab #defender110 #theadventuretruck #landylove #defender #greenlane #landroverclub #td5mafia #defendertd5 #landroverlove #dcpu #adventuretruck #landroverlifestyle #beachrunner #landroverphotos #landroveroflisbon #defender_life_style #landrovermena #venturatruck #travel #adventure #classiccar #restoration #project #serradeestrela #gouveia #landroverportugal
8 months ago
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9/9
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