ing guide. ing guide.Reconnaissance trip number 5.
Intent:
Left studio 32c for Temple Meads station.
Caught train to London Paddington, managing to travel without showing ticket.
Collected prepaid ticket without showing id or credit card.
Meet Rachel for tea in station.
Headed for train. lightly staffed ticket barriers beep when you try to pass
without valid ticket, but nothing stopping you walking through gap in barriers.
would be easy to pass at busy times.
bag x-rayed and me metal detected.
ticket is not checked again on journey.
Arrived Frethun. passport checked by mobile police team at main station exit.
no checks for people transferring onto other trains.
Noted easy entry onto London bound platform with bush cover and no CCTV.
Tried to catch bus, but was refused entry.
Telephoned for taxi, but none came.
Met woman called Ildi and offered to share taxi to Calias.
We walked to Frethun village and called taxi from a bar.
She had come from London to pickup a Romanian woman needing help getting
into the country.
Caught taxi to Calias (15 Euro) where Ildi found woman and we said our goodbyes.
I ate some chips.
Then checked into Hotel Pacific, avoid Hotel Bristol.
Went for a walk and found internet access in Dixie Bar. Checked mail
and made borderXing guide accessible.
Bought some lentils and a notepad and went back to hotel for food, to stamp
some flyers and a sleep.
Later found internet access in Coconut Cafe and opened borderXing guide.
Ate special fried rice.
Gave out flyers to refugees at railway station.
Headed off in direction of coquelles walking on road until Fort Nieulay,
then climbed an 8 foot high chain link fence into field.
Changed into rougher clothes.
Walked along side of motorway using terrain, vegetation and shadow for cover
until arriving at roundabout at Les Hauts de Coquelles. Had to cross many fences
on the way, tripping up over livestock electric fences a few times.
Weather was wet and gusty, which is good for disguising sound and scent direction
and also reducing visibility.
Crossed motorway through drain avoiding well lit bridge.
Crossed open ground to museum by walking in shadow cover.
Crossed De La Rouge Cambre park area by walking amongst trees and undergrowth.
Crossed road, but was seen and then beeped by car driver.
Entered dense woodland area and came across 12 foot high chain link fence,
which I climbed.
Then more thick bushes which I traversed on my belly using minimal torch light,
until reaching well illuminated and CCTV equipped departures queuing area.
Whilst looking for a place to cross with good cover I was approached by a dog patrol.
I climbed a tree and patrol passed without detecting me about 50 meters away.
Descended tree and crossed queuing area using hills and hollows as well as vegetation for cover.
Walked through another small wood to open floodlit ground. Whilst looking for
best shadow cover I noticed two dog patrols coming my way, so I reentered the
small wood and climbed a tree. The dog got my scent and came to the base of the
tree, but neither dog or handler looked up. They looked around on the ground
a bit and walked off.
I climbed down and as I was now safely downwind of the dogs crossed the open
ground using shadow cover. On the other side I rested and noted a serious razor
wire fence. I followed this fence walking through a ditch avoiding illuminated
areas and CCTV, until I got to the area I wanted to photograph.
I then changed camera memory card, hiding the full one, in case I was discovered
on my way out.
Then made my way back to the queuing area, where I was nearly caught by dog patrol.
Luckily I saw them first and was downwind on their approach. I hid in a bush and
waited for them to pass, after which I ran away fast as I was now up wind of the
dog and the patrol was about to reverse its direction.
I found the the place I originally crossed queuing area, but patrol came in sight
as I crossed, but I carried on walking at slow pace. It took no action.
Back in the bushes I climbed the chain link fence again and crawled through dense bushes.
As I was emerging I noticed about eight refugees approaching; I hid in case they had a
mafia trafficker with them. I moved closer using gusts of wind to hide the sound of my movement;
they were sitting chatting ten meters away. They soon left and dog vigorous barking was shortly heard.
I carried on back tracking until a safe distance away, where I removed my outer layer.
I then walked to Calais in the mindset of a lost hitch hiker.
In calais town I was approached by a young Indian man who had just arrived from Berlin
looking for directions to Sangatte refugee centre. So I took him to the railway station
and introduced him to a group of Iraqi men. They offered to share a taxi with him to the
refugee centre, but he seemed a little afraid. I reassured him that he would be ok with them,
but warned him that he was probably best swapping identities with relatives in the uk rather
than risk life and limb getting to uk and being sent back to India.
Carried on to hotel where I ate smoked mackerel and then slept.
On waking I went to Coconut Cafe to check network was static rather than dynamic: it was.
Ate some tuna and avocado in the park.
Caught a taxi to Frethun station (20 euro) and set about examining area.
Ate some rosehips.
Explored southern end of London bound platform, noting good terrain and vegetation cover
with easy fence and no CCTV.
Then walked along fence towards station building to be confronted by railway working who
told me that this area was off limits. I made an excuse and walked away.
Ticket office window over looks the fence, but small hill obscures far end of platform.
I then explored northern end of London bound platform noting small fence, but highly
visibility exposed area. Even if well hidden you would probably be spotted when breaking cover.
Then looked at route up side of station building.
Entered station building where my ticket and passport were manually checked. My bags
were x-rayed and I had to pass through a metal detector arch.
Doors leading to platform were opened ten minutes before the train arrived.
An alert security guard was already at southern end of platform; the platform manager
was in the middle of the platform by the station building; and the porter was at the
northern end of the platform.
I got on the train.
Arrived at Waterloo, purposely at the front of the train to check out concourse end
of platform.
On northern two platforms at concourse end the is an easy jump to liberty.
Cleaning crew dress in dark blue trouser and skirts with necklace name tags.
Several security staff present.
Left terminal and ate some lunch.
