• Earthquake 1988 -Spitak -The City that died;

•The International Rescue Response;

•The BBC return to the City that died 30 years later;

•The Radio Broadcasts-Armenia-Russia- UK- Ireland;

• A Duty to Discharge – Mayoral Letters of Recognition;

• The Look Ahead – Report the 2018 Return to Spitak.

On the 7th December 1988 a 6.9 Richter Scale earthquake, with a very shallow epicentre of 5.5 kms occurred at 11:41hrs(local time) in the South Caucuses mountains in the immediate vicinity of the Armenian town of Spitak.

A farming and industrial town which was situated at the confluence of two mountain rivers was situated directly over the two opposing tectonic plates which broadly followed the crescent shaped  valley floor in an east to west direction.

The normal population was swollen to about 17,000 people with refugees from the adjacent war in Nagorny Karabak between Armenia/Nagorny Karabak and Azerbaijan.

The immediate earthquake lasting approximately 1 minute was followed by 3 successive earthquakes at 1 minute intervals and in the days and weeks which followed  by more than 200  more earthquakes. In places the terrain ‘uplift was several metres extending over several kilometres.

Responding to a worldwide appeal for assistance for Armenia from President Gorbachev of the Soviet Union the Lancashire County Fire Brigade dispatched a Search and Rescue Mission of which the Bugler was the Field Commander.

BBC Radio 4 ~ some thirty years later will report on the recollections of those who lived there at the time, or who went there to provide humanitarian assistance in a second broadcast program entitled “Crossing Continents”.

This limited edition will initially be broadcast on the 27^th December 2018 on “Assignment” at  multiple times dependent on the relevant Time Zones, on Radio 2 BBC World Service.

This continues to be available on the BBC website iPlayer and “Documentary” Podcast.

The full edition will be broadcast at 20:30hrs on New Years Eve 31st December 2018.

Immediately after the first broadcast it will be available, online via the “Crossing Continents” webpage, and on the BBC Radio i-player.

BBC Radio Ulster Sunday 6^th January 2019 “Sunday Sequence” broadcast the Bugler’s thoughts live.

In respect of the former Mayoral “Letter of Recognition” the distribution of individually named letter continues slowly which includes tracking down those yet to receive their “Letter”.

The Following personnel are yet to be located and the Bugler can be contacted directly through this email address symbolseeker999@gmail.com

Messer’s Kirkham; Copley; Thompson; Cairns; Winters; Vietoris; Spencer; Newman(widow?).

For an example of the Mayor’s Letter,their presentation to the Bugler and the audience with His Excellency Professor Armen Sarkissian PhD , the President of Armenia Go Here.

A detailed report, with comprehensive pictures, will follow in due course, including pictures of parts of the original city; the formal reception by the Mayor of Spitak followed by the issue of a for “Letter of Recognition” and a report on the formal  audience with His Excellency Professor Armen Sarkissian PhD the President of Armenia…