RAF Henlow

[whowhenwhy]

Chaps and Chapesses, anyone got any ideas what the officer's quarters are like at Henlow please? Going there at the end of the year and a heads up of what to expect on the patch would be nice. Many thanks

[Satellite_Driver]

When I was in one (1999-2000) it was a reasonably nice; semi-detached, 1950s or so construction but 1990s modernised, probably updated again since then. Garden was a bit poky but then we lived on the corner of The Oval so I got a sort of pie-wedge.

I was back there 2005-7 but living off base, although I didn't hear too many gripes about the quarters so I presume they were much the same.

The Officers' Mess at Henlow is nice, it's a bit older than the standard Lutyens '3 Arches' design. When I was there the presence of JACIG and the AME international courses gave it a nice degree of jointery whilst still being an RAF rather than tri-Service Mess.

One point to note about Henlow is that it is not that close to any large towns. Indeed, when I was first there all the quarters were regraded from A to B not because of any material problem with them but because the nearest major amenities (supermarket, bank etc) were about five miles away in Letchworth or Hitchin.

[calumwm]

while we're here, any info on the JRM and cadet blocks? and the nearest flying base? i think it's Benson though :S
going in july for summer camp :D
thanks!
EDIT: or Cardington?

[C152_driver]

Henlow's... quiet.

(apart from those noisy b*ggrs in the plod-chopper) :E

I'm a member of the civvie flying club there, so can't offer much in the way of advice on the RAF facilities (other than those terribly helpful people on the gate :)). But I can say that the local area offers a few towns that are pretty nice, many pubs that are excellent (feel free to email nearer the time for an up-to-date survey :}) and a very friendly flying club.

There are a few local shops within walking distance of the base that will net you a newspaper / hair cut / edible curry. There are certainly worse parts of the world to live.

[Bigt]

Nice part of the world......you need your own transport. Odd set-up when I was their (a while ago) high ranking civvies think they rule the roost, depends on how strong the uniforms are.
Luton (car crime capital of Uk) is not too far away.
Better than alot of places

[Gainesy]

Henlow for an ATC Summer Camp? Not very inspiring/exciting is it?

[L J R]

I don't know Gainesy, Wellied in the Mess, Currry for dinner, chamber run or two following morning (wearing a mask) - jolly nice of those Avmed types to give me a mask after all that. Few lectures in a darkened room after lunch on cumffy chairs.......zzzzzzzzz. - Up and at it again...! Next day...this time to 40 something thousand..........phoooar....then off to the NVG thinggy.....

.....also seem to recall a swim with some type of gymp suit......mmmmhhhh.

[SirToppamHat]

WWW

Check your PMs.

The news is not good!

STH

[Thelma Viaduct]

Get yerself over to Baldock and find a pub called 'The Cock', should really be in Stevenage considering the name. Great real ales.
Also try 'The Hen & Chicken' late night lock ins and good Guinness.

[Mark Nine]

Stationed there in the mid-90's whilst trialling the worlds biggest windsock at Cardington. Memories as follows;

One of the groundies getting pi55ed up, forgetting the block door code and using the golf course tractor mower to 'open' the door.
Waking up in one of the golf bunkers.
Spending Wednesday night across the road at the dog track. Rule was, 1 pint per race. There were 8 races, 15 minutes apart!
Getting so pi55ed one wednesday that it seemed like a good idea to buy one of the greyhounds on the for sale board.
Getting to the NAAFI bop one friday just in time for last orders, then ordering 10 pints. "Thats a big round" says the NAAFI chick. "Its not a round" came the reply, "we'll all have 10 pints!" Bless her cotton socks, she stayed open late for us.
Frequently launching ourselves down the bowling lanes.
Groundie trying to climb the locked main gate at gone midnight with an alsatian hanging from his arse.
Drinking in the Engineer pub with, and, greatly out-numbered by, the girls from Henlow Grange Health Farm.All in all not a bad few years.

[calumwm]

oh yeah, Henlow greyhound track! been a few times, good fun :)
i wonder if the camp cmdr will let us go?

and yep, a ccf (!) camp there! been to Innsworth though, and that was good!

[goudie]

Get yerself over to Baldock and find a pub called 'The Cock'

That's my 'local', best Pub...........................ever!

[Duchess_Driver]

Are the Grobs still at Wyton....not too far up the road. Good deal easier than Benson

[rchdleigh]

There's a VGS at Henlow.

As for the original question. Houses haven't been upgraded recently apart from a few that have had new boilers and even fewer that have had new kitchens. Some of the Officer style houses are now occupied by SNCOs and a number have been allocated to Chicksands as the ones at Henlow are believed to be a considerable improvement over the ones at Chicksands. Overall houses aren't too bad and I believe they are all Grade 3 these days.

Henlow is a PAYD trial site but the less said about that the better.

[Thelma Viaduct]

That's my 'local', best Pub...........................ever!
I'll never forget the Suffolk Summer beer they had on there for a while.
It tasted great with honey roasted peanuts and made me Jelly Man a fair few times. :ok:

[Ten West]

I used to like the White Horse back when Winston owned it and had his Caribbean restaurant out the back.

"Man, the food sweet you know!!" :ok:

[Thelma Viaduct]

I used to like the White Horse back when Winston owned it and had his Caribbean restaurant out the back.

"Man, the food sweet you know!!" :ok:

Is that the same White Horse that had the pool table in the back on the sticky lino floor?

There's a tiny pub too on the road to Hitchin, probably the smallest ever. It's like the size of a terraced house front room. Crap Guinness though, so avoid. :ok:

[Ten West]

Sounds very similar to the "Queen Victoria" in Hitchin in terms of dimensions then. It's about 15 minutes' walk from my gaff, although the beer is okay there.

If I'm thinking of the same "tiny pub" that you mean though, it's now a private house. I went there once just before it closed and it was nothing to write home about. I think the owners had seen the writing on the wall.

There's another tiny pub called "The Airman" quite close to the base, but on the road out the other way to Bedford. That's been converted into a hotel of sorts now, but the bar (which used to be the old pub) is still quite presentable.

I used to like "Molly Malone's" in Hitchin because it had loads of live music, but since Harry the landlord died it's become just another universal widescreen-sports-bar, where fat men in sweaty football shirts spend their evenings shouting at the television. :(

[C152_driver]

There's a tiny pub too on the road to Hitchin, probably the smallest ever. It's like the size of a terraced house front room. Crap Guinness though, so avoid

Ah, the late lamented New Inn.

I had my first illegal pint in there. Long gone now... :{

[green granite]

I notice NO ONE mentions the Bird in Hand :E

[Mark Nine]

Had a nice chilli con carne there once and only once.

[chopper2004]

Was one of the very first ATC cadets in late 91 to learn to fly on the Vigilant!!!

Can't remember much of Henlow though, looked like it pretty much had a bit of a history.

Where's the ASU based on the airfield? Far far away from the VGS???

[sunshiner]

I am astounded that people continue to make ill-informed comments about PAYD and food at Henlow. PAYD is exactly as it says on the tin. I visited Henlow numerous times during its PAYD trial and I never had cause to complain. Its coming to an air force base near you in the next 2 years.

[threeputt]

Our family lived at Henlow from 1965-68 when my Dad was at MOD. I can vividly remember watching the '66 World Cup final on TV, on my brothers 12th birthday.

I joined up there in Jan '67, on 199 Black Sqn, and eventually graduated some 13 months later on 203 Red Sqn (bit of a snag with recourses!).

In one of the hangars on the airfield used to reside one of only two, near complete, TSR2 airframes left after the Wilson governments butchery. Often wondered what eventually happened to it or, is it still there?

"Bird in Hand" off limits for cadets in my time "The Parachute" on the road to Cardington was a decent enough place though.

3P:ok:

[wub]

Threeputt:

The TSR 2 is now at Cosford and you didn't miss anything by not being allowed in The Bird in Hand!

[C152_driver]

I haven't been in the Bird in Hand in years. Funny that...

One thing I do remember from my last visit was seeing more than one punter order a can of IPA, rather than drink the draft stuff :eek:

I have to believe that it's got better than that since, or it wouldn't still be there.

[SirToppamHat]

One thing I do remember from my last visit was seeing more than one punter order a can of IPA, rather than drink the draft stuff


Was that the Bird in Hand or the Officers' Mess? :ugh:

STH