Target Practice - (2010) [BBC Radio (MP3 160kbps)] - dearleuk

Target Practice 16-04-2010

RAF Holbeach is a bombing range on the Lincolnshire Wash that is used by British, American and European squadrons for training purposes. Protected in part by the military presence, the range has a curious atmosphere.

With the targets at RAF Holbeach being used by trainee pilots and nesting birds, this programme reveals how a bombing range can be home to both wildlife and warfare.

A team of civilian employees man the targets and look after the natural landscape. The targets themselves are a collection of old ships, armoured personnel carriers and ad hoc structures made from scrap material. In the eyes of one local artist, Michael Sanders, they look like "accidental sculptures", punching out from the stark landscape of the Wash.

Local contractor Norman Parnell takes great pride in building and maintaining these structures, despite the fact that they are constantly damaged by artillery fire and the tide. And Holbeach employee Geoff Smith is as careful to check for damage to the electronic scoring system as he is in spotting oyster-catcher eggs at the targets.

Those that work at RAF Holbeach maintain a delicate balance between protecting the environment and serving the needs of the pilots that use the range ahead of deployment. Through their eyes, we encounter a unique place where the military and natural world meet in surreal and surprising circumstances, encouraging us to reflect upon the activity of the armed forces on home soil.

The producer is Katie Burningham. This is a Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Review From The Radio Times

All radio programmes are soundscapes but some are more soundscapes than others. This is one of the latter: a collage of recorded sound, music and speech that tells the stories of a bombing practice range at RAF Holbeach on (and in) the Wash, and the people who work there. In his soft Lincolnshire burr, Norman Parnell talks about the old ships and ad hoc structures he has installed as target practice for British, European and American fighter pilots to sharpen up their shooting skills before heading off to the world's battle zones. And Michael Sanders, who grew up "in fear of dying in a nuclear war", is a photographer for whom the range is a reminder that war is never far away. Then there are the many coastal birds that manage to survive in this dangerous environment. Target setter Geoff Smith makes sure they're not sitting ducks.

-- Laurence Joyce

Type                : mpeg 1 layer III

Bitrate             : 160

Mode                : joint stereo

Frequency           : 44100 Hz

Length              : 00:27:44

Encoder             : Lame 3.97

Source              : iPlayer