It was a chilly Friday night in Birmingham, and I found myself standing outside one of the city's most exclusive nightclubs with none other than George Michael. How I ended up in this situation was still beyond me—one minute I was at the N.E.C and the next, I was sharing drinks with a global pop icon. George had insisted we hit the town, and I wasn't about to argue with the man behind Faith.
The line outside the club was long, but George didn't seem concerned. He was in his element, laughing and joking with me as if we were old friends. We reached the front, and the bouncer gave us a once-over.
"Not tonight," he said, looking straight past George as if he didn’t recognize him.
I blinked, expecting George to flash that famous smile and get us through. But George just sighed, shrugged, and turned to me. "Looks like they’re not fans," he said, grinning.
"Are you serious? You’re George Michael!" I said, dumbfounded.
"Yeah, but Birmingham’s different, mate. Come on, let’s get out of here."
We walked away, laughing about the absurdity of it all. As we wandered the quiet streets, George suggested we head back to London, in his chauffeured Mercedes
“I know a place in Soho that’ll let us in—no problem,” he winked.
We , chatting like we had known each other forever. George had this way of making everything seem relaxed, even when we were kicked out of a club. As the city lights of London came into view, I couldn’t help but think that the night had turned out better than expected. I didn't need a nightclub when I had the company of George Michael.
When we finally arrived at his favorite late-night spot, the bouncer gave us a nod, recognizing George immediately. Inside, the music pulsed, but it was George’s laughter and our shared adventure that made the night unforgettable.
Mark Murphy.
"You are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you...I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle."
British Airborne 5/6 June 1944 🇬🇧🆎
@BritishArmy@16AirAssltBCT
Please help me honor Matthew Tonroe, British 22nd Special Air Service (22 SAS).
Matt was born in Manchester, England in 1984 and joined the British Army In 2004. He completed training for the British Army's Elite Parachute Regiment, joining the 3rd Battalion (3 PARA) as a sniper.
He later passed the notorious 6 month selection process for UK Special Forces (UKSF), and became a 22 SAS operator.
During his time as an elite Tier 1 operator, he deployed to multiple locations, including Afghanistan, Africa and various countries within the Middle East.
While in the SAS, he was invited to an extended exchange program with the US Army's Tier 1 Special Missions Unit, 1st SFOD-D, known as Delta Force. Tonroe was welcomed with open arms into The Unit, and he worked alongside various well known operators including Brent Tucker and Kyle Morgan.
During a deployment, his team was based at the LeFarge Cement factory in Syria, where coalition forces including Delta Force, 22 SAS and French RPIMa were stationed.
On 29 March 2018, during an operation to eliminate a high value ISIS target, Tonroe and Delta Force operator Jonathan Dunbar were killed when a breaching charge on Dunbar prematurely detonated. The blast killed both Tonroe and Dunbar instantly, and injured three other operators.
Matt Tonroe was described as a selfless warrior who would do anything for his friends and those close to him.
Not forgotten.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
The three Royal Navy service members who were tragically killed in helicopter crash in Devon are
Lieutenant Commander Chris Gayson
Lieutenant Lily-Mae Fisher
Petty Officer Owen Green
Thoughts and Prayers to their families and friends
RIP WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU
Keep this candle burning for them 🕯️
It is with deep sadness that we can confirm three members of the Royal Navy have died during a helicopter training exercise on Wednesday 3 June near Sourton, Devon.