Akrotiri, mid 80s.

[Al R]

Icy chills are abound, so lets have some tales of Keo, Nissi Beach, Elite Motors, clear skies, kebabs and brandy sours.

[1.3VStall]

I ran a two-week motor glider course there in 1983. Flew up from Big A every morning to operate out of Kingsfield for the day and then back in the evening in time for a brandy sour or two before supper.

237 OCU were there at the same time and Paphos airport was under construction.

Endless blue skies and balmy temperatures, with the odd foray into town for a kebab.

Happy days, it's making me feel warmer just thinking about it!:hmm:

[BEagle]

For those unfamiliar with such things, I offer this old thread which is fast approaching its tenth anniversary:

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/77559-kokkinelli-kebab-darkens-stool.html

;)

[Rocket2]

1.3VStall - you will be pleased (or stunned!) to hear that SA9 is still going strong, never did the trip to Kingsfield (by air) as I always ran the courses from Akrotiri, still remember trying to decide which end to land on after returning from a flight - the windsocks at each end were indicating a 15knot+ tailwind - ho hum, fly to the middle & turn either left or right! Next day the Metman said it was a mix of downflow from Mt. Olympus & inflow from the oggin, rarely seen apparently.
Happy (drunk) days :ok:

[Saintsman]

I seem to recall some icy chills when the wind blew from Troodos in the winter, so it wasn't allways blue skys. However it was usually rather pleasant.

I think it was £5 for a full kebab / meze in the early to mid 80s. You never left feeling hungry. I've not been back for over 25 years now and still miss them. Never been to a restaurant the likes of Pambos either.

[mikip]

I was offered a permy civvie job in the IT dept of the KEO brewery once and for the life of me I cannot understand why I turned it down, even she who must be obeyed was all for accepting it, saw the same job advertised in the UK computer rags several years later and they apparently had over 1500 applicants

[chevvron]

ATC Camp Easter '86. Issued with KD on arrival.
red arrows (lower case used intentionally) arrived a couple of days after us; 100 Sqd then flying Canberra tugs were already in residence.
On a programmed visit to 100Sqdn, the Ch/Tech was getting a fresh banner from the store. He laid it out on the ground and painted 9 arrows on it in red paint. I wonder why?
A couple of evenings later in the bar, we arrived to find RAs at one end having a shouting match with 100Sqdn at the other end. Suddenly, 100 Sqdn went into a huddle, then their Eng Off burst out of the huddle carrying his artificial leg in his hand, hopped across the bar and started flailing the Reds with it!!

[1.3VStall]

Rocket2,

That call sign has brought back memories! "Olympus Radar, good evening this is Sierra Alpha Niner".

Happy days indeed.

[AGS Man]

Lots of happy memories between 1985 and 1988. Sun, Kebabs, Kokkinelli, weekends on Nissi Beach full of topless Scandinavians, Ahhh those were the days. Even work was good, lots of real jet noise from Lightnings, Phantoms and Buccaneers not to mention other visitors, some of them not expected! By the way you won't get much change from 25 Euros for a meze now!

[Lukeafb1]

Were Big and Little Arif still in the kebab business in the 80s/90s??

[SOSL]

I was at Epi '83 to '86. The best mezes I remember were:

The Randeyvous up near Yemasoya dam.

Pepi's on Pissouri beach.

The "Three brothers" in Pissouri village (there were actually only 2 because they had fallen out with number 3). Their roast quail were fantastic.

Another taverna whose name I can't remember - half way up the hill to Pissouri village. Good grub but questionable service - waiter made some indiscreet remarks in Greek and was slightly discombobulated when Mrs SOSL replied in fluent Greek!

Episkopi village inn - fantastic food - managed and fronted by a crazy Brit eccentric.

The last surviving Indian Sutlers used to do a fantastic curry on Tunnel Beach at Epi.

There were even some fantastic kebabs to be had in Epi from the stall in Dodge City at Epi.

Number 1 daughter was born in TPMH, at Akro, exactly 1 year after I had been to the TPMH path lab for a fertility check! I still have a picture of her eating Octopus Stifado at 18 months.

Happy days

Rgds SOS

[goudie]

Were Big and Little Arif still in the kebab business in the 80s/90s??

They were the most popular eating out places in the early '60's Had some excellent Sqdn do's in BA's

ISTR Big Arifs was attacked by Greek militants during the civil disturbances

Once it had closed for the evening wasn't it Little Arifs that had the tables laid out in an Esso garage forecourt, in the Turkish quarter,? The cooking was done on the opposite side of the road!

[Al R]

84-88 Boys of Summer. Good professional memories; Op Bushel, Pulsator and the lead up to the events of August 86 and the aftermath. Personally, most Friday nights in the Pen Club and downtown.. and the WRAF Block Live Aid party! Putting fullers earth on the top surface of a ceiling mounted roof fan in case the Boss decided to check it (he did).

Oh, and I got married, but lets not dwell on that - it was still the best time of my life. Far too much good stuff to write about. We went back for a quick guided tour to 34 and 84 last year - and TPMH (now closed, which is sad).

[Truck2005]

As a young SAC I remember going from Akrotiri on a Kingsfield det to accept a couple of Hercs over a few days in 1977. The gear at Dhekelia had been there for a long time so when I towed a GPU across the runway, (with clearance), the brakes were binding so my tow was slow. Shock and horror to look out the window to see a Herc on finals! Dunlop written backwards on the roof was close :-)

[Truck2005]

No one here has mentioned the Shalamar in Akrotiri. After a night there you had no problem wondering what came out the following morning!!!!!!

[Echo 5]

SOSL

The "Three brothers" in Pissouri village

I think the restaurant you refer to is now known as the " Two Friends "
( Panikos and Panikos would you believe ) but they only took over in the last two years. The food is still good however.Don't know what happened to the brothers. There is no restaurant on the road up to the village but there are several in and around the square.

[chopper2004]

Mate of mine flew the legendary Beirut Air Bridge / Embassy Flight det UH-60 out of Akrotiri. :cool: :mad:

Another classmate at uni who was in the Air Cadets, when they went on their summer camp were lucky to hitch a ride with the Gibelstadt lot.

[SOSL]

E5,

thanks for the memory jog! It was called the 3 friends back then, but there was only 2 of them!

Rgds SOS

[Avtur]

Humm, the Soviet "ladies" in Heros square who just seemed to guess (acurately) what aircraft you had arrived on circa the infamous Mata Hari scandal.

Sadly that place went OOB.

[Lukeafb1]

Goudie,

When I used Little Arif's in the mid to late 60s, it was in a smallish compound with a long cooker along one wall. Excellent food, but the hygiene left something to be desired! :eek:

[Mal Drop]

Finding out in 1988 that the Bunch of Grapes in Pissouri took Eurocheques (of which I had a supply). The next few years are a bit hazy...

[2Planks]

Ahhh too many memories (between 1984 and 2011!) but here's a few:

Best Music Track: Twisting by the Pool (Dire Straits) at the Akky Summer Ball.
Craziest Meal: Lunch at Eftyimoo Jetty (phonetic spelling - apols to anyone native at the lingo) followed by a burial at sea off the jetty for the JP.
GW1: wondering why I had deployed on an APC with a grass skirt and a rubber chicken - not much use when 3 days later we were on our way to Dhahran.
Favourite Beach Club - waterski - many happy hours trying.
Queens Birthday Concert at The Curium when a parascender floated by - RAF Central Band immediately broke into 'Fool on The Hill'
And finally last year on decompression contemplating why I had been teleported to a TV set which was a cross between Hi Di Hi and It Ain't Alf Hot Mum in mid Dec (Camp Bloodhound)

[Q-RTF-X]

I managed two tours at Akrotiri, early 60's and early 70's and Little Arif was an excellent port of call, good food and I seem to remember the price was well under 1 CY Pound in the early 60's for the full works. Hygiene was perhaps a little casual, but I escaped any unfortunate consequences. The Romantic Bar quite deep in the Turkish quarter (the road that was an extension of St Andrew Street) was also a good place in the early 70's. Anybody remember the shilling brandy coke bar across the road and a little towards the Keo Factory from Little A ? Great times !

[Bicster]

Not in the 80's but the early to mid 90's I was the MTD tanker driver for 51 Sqn on 3 dets to Akrotiri. Great memories which include seeing a glider and being told I hadnt seen that. Lady Lamps for some squeaky cheese on toast. The sign on the road by the netball court saying this is an accident blackspot (a few near misses myself). Chris's kebab house down the strip at the end of det hoorah with all present with flaming sambucas and see who can keep the flame going after downing it and the good old sing song 'were going up sunshine mountain' with everyone stood on their chairs. When the Nimrod went tits up for 2 weeks was great too, up to Olympus with the techies for a few days skiing. Work very hard and play harder :)

[A2QFI]

No - that was Niazi's