NAAFI to go...

[FJ2ME]

Yet another small straw tossed thoughtlessly on the camel's back. Will this one break it...?

Naafi to shut up shop after century of service | UK | News | Daily Express (http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/406153/Naafi-to-shut-up-shop-after-century-of-service)

Compare support of deployed personnel from the UK to that of the USA...disgrace...

[Wander00]

Maybe they will give a contract to Starbucks.......................hat, coat


Seriously though, there are serious implications for support of service personnel and their families - "Military Covenant" anyone?

[27mm]

No
Ambition
And
****-all
Interest

[NutLoose]

Well, it just shows how bad the shrinkage in the services had been, let's face it, the size of the military now one store in a small town with the same population would have covered iit.

Perhaps they should have changed along the way to allow ex service people to continue using their services, I know when I left you had to clear everything you owed etc if anything.. I realise that a lot of other stores are cheaper and to be honest stocked better, but they lost a potential customer base retention as the services shrunk and "customers" left the services.

[baffman]

Perhaps they should have changed along the way to allow ex service people to continue using their services, I know when I left you had to clear everything you owed etc if anything.. I realise that a lot of other stores are cheaper and to be honest stocked better, but they lost a potential customer base retention as the services shrunk and "customers" left the services.

Actually they did, Nutloose, but arguably far too late - following a customs agreement in 2009, so not under their control - and I believe the takeup for the bureaucratic authorisation process has not been great.

Shopping in the NAAFI - Veterans - BFGnet (http://bfgnet.de/community/veterans/shopping-in-the-naafi.html)

[NutLoose]

I never knew, but was that just BFG?
It is ashamed that it never spread further and also seems to be a bit of as you say, a bureaucratic nightmare, surely it would have been better to issue one at the cessation of active service.

[Simplythebeast]

It has become less relevent over the years certainly. Most UK bases used SPAR anyway. Then again I have fond memories of the early seventies, queing beside the NAAFI van down at the Airfield at Halton for my hot tea and cheese pastie!

[NutLoose]

Yep, or the NAAFI wagon at Colt that would run a tick list, one bod back on detachment from Germany a couple of years later got collared for his outstanding tick lol.

So who will run the NAAFI as in bars etc?

[Danny42C]

Is nothing sacred ?

[Wander00]

There is a potential issue with OR clubs, and for the RN at sea. if PSI (RAF) or PRI (Army) has to take them over then they will become charitable institutions under a Statutory Instrument the number of which 20+ years on now escapes me. However, the outcome would be more work (secondary duties) for unit personnel. I am not impressed at this development. for the RN I suspect similar issues will arise, the more so in respect of ships' canteens. others will know more, and more currently, than I.

[NutLoose]

Problems I can foresee is if the NAAFI cannot make a profit with the clubs, who will? It's ok running a club on a large station, but when you get some of the smaller stations what happens, they would in effect be subsidised by the larger outlets under NAAFI thus allowing them to continue trading. Who owns the buildings?

[Chugalug2]

Founded in 1921,Which means that it hasn't completed a century of service, whatever one's outlook on them.

Certainly my 48 Squadron boss was not impressed when told that his night shift ground crew (before they got 'centralised') were not getting the refreshment van round, because 'it wasn't economic to do so'. He set out to find someone who could do the job, and agreed a price list for bacon butties, chocolate milkshakes, and the like, with a local contractor who paid for utilities consumed as well as putting an agreed amount into the Sqn fund every month.

Local NAAFI manager went ballistic and reminded boss and Stn Cdr that NAAFI had a trading monopoly on MOD property. Boss said that the operational capability of his Squadron required that groundcrew were properly catered for 24/7. Stn Cdr said that if the Sqn Cdr told him that his operational capability required 24/7 refreshments then that was what he would get.

NAAFI manager pushed it up his CoC to Whitehall whence NAAFI supremo came to remonstrate. Got same message from boss and Stn Cdr. Went back home. Local contractor remained, serving both first line and Sqn HQ, after we (Hastings) had gone and continued with re-equipped (Hercules) Squadron until departure to LYN.

I think it was the same NAAFI manager who had the RAF Police, that carried out our customs clearance on behalf of Singapore Govt, confiscate our duty free cigs (marked 'HM Ships Only', which were bizarrely the only duty frees you could buy in Kuching or Labuan) and substitute them from his surplus stock, because RAF Changi was not an HM Ship. His surplus stock consisted of Camel cigs only which were dual purpose, you smoked half and chewed the other half (if you were so inclined), as they were so loosely filled.

Servitor Servientium? Yer 'avin a larf mate, aintcha?

[goudie]

My old man, (MAA RN), had a very dim view of NAAFI managers re. fiddling the books here and there.
With regard to a trading monopoly, every Sqdn I served on had it's own coffee bar and refreshments 24/7.

[Tankertrashnav]

In any overseas base, US military personnel can walk into the BX/PX and spend US$ - a big convenience for transit personnel, saving them the inconvenience and expense of exchanging currency. I could never understand why NAAFI couldnt operate this system on overseas bases.

I certainly hardly ever used NAAFI shops when I was serving, I doubt if they will be missed

[Always a Sapper]

Should have been done about 30 years ago or at the very least re-organised from the top down IMHO.

While the concept was good, the reality was in most cases simply awfull. They just never kept up with what the customer wanted and instead relied on the 'closed shop' that kept the opposition down on the units.

They could have learnt a lot from our cousins from across the pond and the facilities that they were provided with.

[mad_jock]

Aye but its allowed some extremely ugly thick women to get employment and regular sex for 94 years.

[ricardian]

There is nothing about this on the NAAFI website (http://www.naafi.co.uk/)

[NutLoose]

Naafi to shut up shop after century of service | UK | News | Daily Express (http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/406153/Naafi-to-shut-up-shop-after-century-of-service)

[Ogre]

So what are all the young trainees going to go for the warmth and affection that the Naafi staff used to allegedly provide on certain training bases? some of the naafi girls were very nice to look at....

[chevvron]

Mind you they could be acidic at times, eg:
Halton c1966; on the airfield one evening for a demonstration of what went on on the airfield:
I was at the NAAFI van buying a bag of crisps or some such from the attractive girl who was serving, along comes the SWO and without him saying a word, she says 'you can f*** off I'm not bloody serving you'.

[500N]

What, and he put up with it / being spoken to like that ???????

Christ, I know WO's (albeit Army) who would have at least given her the biggest bollocking she had ever had if not pulled her through the opening if they spoke to them like that.

[chevvron]

He replied something like 'what was that? You mind your bloody NAAFI lip my girl or you'll be in trouble' (can't remember the exact words but I think it caught him on the hop, if that's possible with an SWO)

[thunderbird7]

Wot? No More chicory coffee and floor sweepings tea? :eek:

The Empire will grind to a halt!!!

[The Helpful Stacker]

No more NAAFI? Yet another reduction in the station bike fleet.....

[Treg]

I can think of one; the manager who stepped up from normal duties to assist gun crews engage inbound raid during the Falklands... But that's about it :}

[500N]

And wasn't he ex services anyway ?

[Wensleydale]

The NAAFI departed from RAF Waddington a few years ago but perhaps it is appropriate to remember the 7 NAAFI girls who were killed along with 4 servicemen when Waddington NAAFI was bombed on 9th May 1941. The dead included the Manageress of the NAAFI, Mrs Constance Raven: the Waddington NAAFI Club was named the Raven Club in her memory and the club still bears her name under new ownership. The photograph shows the damage to the NAAFI after the raid - the Ravens club is still housed in this building which it now shares with the Waddington Heritage Centre.


http://www.theinsightonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-2.jpg




A plaque in the Ravens commemorates the event - the photograph next to it is of Renee (Irene) Woods who was killed at the age of 22.


http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington/rafcms/mediafiles/85CBBD44_5056_A318_A8C0766922886DE1.jpg

[Chugalug2]

goudie:-
With regard to a trading monopoly, every Sqdn I served on had it's own coffee bar and refreshments 24/7. I suspect it might be a question of degree. An MRT Squadron in the 60's would have had perhaps some 180 aircrew (manning was approx 5 crews per aircraft, 6 man crews, 6 aircraft). I don't know how many groundcrew would have been on strength, perhaps as many again? That was why it was a business for a contractor rather than a DIY job in the boss's view. Mind you we did have a Coca Cola fridge upstairs that dispensed cold bottles of the stuff for so much a go. I remember that as I had to keep the damned thing replenished!

[dkh51250]

Wensleydale, let me assure you that certainly in the 1960s and 70s Constance Raven continued to walk throughout the club named in her memory. I wonder if she still does?

[FJ2ME]

Well whatever the service and competitiveness of the UK-based operation, I can confirm that it offers a much-coveted service to those serving in far flung places, particularly those with local restrictions on goods that entitled UK personnel can source only from the Naafi...

[althenick]

Back in the Late 60's & Early 70's I recall a Big Yellow 7.5 Tonner with NAAFI on the side. This was one of three Mobile shops that came round to the Milltown Caravan Sites at Lossiemouth. As a young kid of 7 I remember thinking this Van was of supermarket proportions! Remember it had a set of steps on the back which the driver used to lower when he got to the site and keep lowered when driiving around the narrow lanes of the site. Many a happy time was spent riding those steps and many a thick ear was dispatched by Mum/ Dad & NAAFI Driver for doing so. :O I'm Sure David Parry remembers this too.

[Bladdered]

No love lost with NAAFI who at very short notice withdrew from the Other Ranks club on a secret Wiltshire base with lots of tunnels, leaving us completely in the lurch. Then 6 months after withdrawing they asked to attend the various sites on the 'campus' to give presentations on their financial services offerings. Guess the response :=

[dallas]

Notwithstanding their in-it-together NAAFI Wagon image from WW2, which suited the era, they were due to go. While they were wrongly compared to American facilities - which are subsidised - they were never dynamic despite an often captive audience, and preferred instead to rely on their heritage, and monopoly with a typically unenthusiastic and complacent staff.

When I was at Leeming their response to the popular all ranks bar threatening their market was to toady off to the hierarchy and have the all ranks bars' hours restricted, as opposed to actually making an effort to attract punters. Saw a similar pattern elsewhere over the years.

[goudie]

The NAAFI came a poor second to the Malcolm Clubs, they were very popular in Germany and the Far East.

Interesting debate in The House of Lords here, re. closing them down in Germany thereby giving NAAFI a monoply. This was in 1958!

CLOSURE OF MALCOLM CLUBS (Hansard, 18 December 1958) (http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1958/dec/18/closure-of-malcolm-clubs)

[The_1]

Sorry but the alternative model was there all across the province in the 70s, and elsewhere all over the world where the British Army happened to be...the Choggie shop.

24/7 service and I mean 24/7 service. You could rouse the fella up on Xmas Day after coming back from patrol. Didn't mind living in **. Braved the troubles driving back and forth for his supplies. If you wanted something that wasn't stocked, no problems. Next shopping run it would be there.

1 guy doing everything - no leave, no sickness, no privileges, no gripes.

Egg banjo, dripping in oil ..no worries. Cup of chai or coffee ..no problem. An ordinary cuppa with that condensed milk out of a can served straight up. None of this fancy skinny skimmed latte frappuchino costing half your pay packet.

Items on tick - no problem - into his little book it went. Hair cutting - yes sir. Tailoring..yep do that as well.

Dangerous hotspots round the world - no problem. He'd often be set up and serving before the spearhead lead elements had come in!

But then Naafi came in and kicked the Choggie out, Terms & Conditions came in, and prices went up.

Hurrah for the Choggie!😜

[ian16th]

Just like y'all, I've been in many a terrible NAAFI, some good ones, but the time that gave me a different perspective was after 10 years service as a single man & boy, 'living in' at home and abroad.

Getting married, posted to Akrotiri and living out in Limassol, all in quick succession, my new wife and I appreciated the NAAFI Family Shop. And it wasn't just for the duty free booze.

I never had the opportunity to sample the delights offered to our colonial cousins from the west, but I did spend a year with the Armée de l'air and they had nothing to compare with NAAFI.

[BEagle]

And who doesn't recall the traditional greeting barked at you from the NAAFI shop check-out: "Stamps or discount?"

On-base NAAFI shops were very handy; however, if there was a town or even somewhere like Carterton nearby, perhaps they were rather less successful...

Shame to see them go - who runs the shop at MPA these days?

[david parry]

Always remember, the days of Chocking up Gladys NAAFI van on 809s line at Lossiemouth many moons ago :oh:;)

[Mal Drop]

My experiences of NAAFI over the years would suggest that the international futures market for date-expired crisps will take a nosedive.

[Wwyvern]

The_1

I didn’t know these as Choggie shops, but I did notice their presence on the few occasions we Wessex chaps spent time in some of the more up-country army outposts in the Province. All of them seemed to have a South Asian shop keeper, often using the space beneath his counter as a bedroom, and thus available 24/7.

Once at a dinner or reception with the senior Army bod in NI, Gen Sir Harry Tuzo, we chatted about the presence of the Choggies. He said that he was glad of their services to his troops, even although his family had been instrumental in starting the NAAFI.

I know it wasn’t MADE by NAAFI, but I still have a fridge in full working order which I bought from the NAAFI in Sungai Patani in Northern Malaysia in 1968. It's my beer cooler.

[NutLoose]

I know it wasn’t MADE by NAAFI, but I still have a fridge in full working order which I bought from the NAAFI in Sungai Patani in Northern Malaysia in 1968. It's my beer cooler.

A fine role for any fridge, though the foodies might disagree, any other role is Superflous unless it involves alcohol beverages or their mixers.

[The_1]

Yeah they were all over the Province. Albert Bridge, Girdwood, the Mill, Ballykelly, Londonderry.... and I think that at one point the whole franchise was owned by one Choggie.

Before that they were in Cyprus and Singapore, Scotland and Germany. In fact whereever the British Army was to be found But as far as I remember, in the Province they had to bring in their supplies themselves from outside the wire and hence had to brave the run in and out.

IIRC a couple were shot by the Provos for their troubles. At that time in Northern Ireland they must have stood out like a sore thumb.

Tbh I can't say I ever grew to the Naafi and their mostly empty shelfs.

[Chugalug2]

Don't hold your breath for the Grand Closing Down Sale. That was a huge non-event at Christmas Island, where the NAAFI closing extravaganza was keenly awaited by those who coveted the watches, trannies and cameras in stock, once the final withdrawal was announced.

There was to be air passage for personnel only and no sea passage whatsoever. Ambushes were set by 'Squippers, and if you walked into one it was a fair cop as you were led away to the Equipment Officer, who had sundry Inventories already made up. All that was required was that you took on charge the mixture of MT spares, surgical instruments, furniture, light bulbs etc that your one contained. Once issued by stores it could all be promptly written off, but not beforehand (hence the ambushes). The real challenge however was the Fuel Farm, newly built by the RE's and then filled to the brim with Avgas. It took the three weeks from announcement to closure to burn it all off, day and night, by means of filling a prepared hole in the ground, setting it alight, allowing to burn off completely, leave to cool, and repeat as above.

Eventually the last few days arrived and NAAFI shelfs (sic!) were indeed empty, but still no Grand Sale! When the NAAFI manager boarded the Hastings it was with cameras strung round his neck, watches worn up both arms, and the rest filling his baggage allowance. Not sure how he was going to get that lot past the Changi Snowdrops though...

[tyne]

My aunt (Ex WWII WAAF) was the post lady at Wittering in the 1960s, 70s and for much of the 1980s. Anyone remember Mrs Roffe on her GPO bike? She lived off camp in the village but we as civvy kids would go with her to the NAAFI to shop.

I always assumed she got some sort of discount being RAF and after the war a NAAFI mobile canteen driver. (There was an "incident" at Wittering involving her van, and a Vulcan where she learnt a lesson about jet efflux having only previously operated with prop bombers)

I remember NAAFI coffee being the vilest sludge. She'd buy jar after jar of the bloody stuff and even bring some to us when she came to visit. It was great when she retired, no more NAAFI coffee though I think her stockpile lasted until the early 1990s.

[reynoldsno1]

I still remember landing at Akrotiri about 7am after an overnight survop from Luqa - when we emerged from Ops at about 7.30 a NAAFI van pulled up, the serving hatch flew open, and the (local) driver announce that the thieving, b*stard NAAFI are here. Two large bottles of Charlie each and we slept like babies .... halcyon daze :sad:

[bushveld]

I will always remember the re-supply ship coming into Gan with all sorts of goodies to re-stock the shelves in the NAAFI shop. Were we surprised to see a nice display of hot water bottles for sale? No, we were not....

[Wensleydale]

A 3 year tour on a NATO Base in Germany gave me access not only to the NAAFI in the RAF married quarters outside the gate but also to the Canadian Forces Exchange "NATEX" shops inside the complex. What I found was that for identical items, such as luxury and electrical goods, the NAAFI was often nearly twice more expensive than the "NATEX" although NAAFI was useful for uniquely British items such as BFG compatible TVs, Marmite, and tea of course. Decent wine was cheaper in the NAAFI although, to be fair, it was often cheaper still in the local town supermarket. At least we had a choice, unlike some other captive markets around the world.

[MOSTAFA]

They certainly weren't called choggie shops in the early 70s. But you'd never get away with what they were called now!

I was in XMG in the first 6 months of 74 and our 2 were murdered by the IRA, near Silverbridge crossroads, if memory serves me right - because were not allowed to use helicopters - the only vehicles that moved in South Armagh then.

[212man]

By: Dominic Holbrook
Published: Sun, June 9, 2013

Would appear to be old news....

Not sure how the Brunei garrison will cope if they lose their NAAFI :eek: ! Good news for the Chinese smugglers :E

[Lonewolf_50]

My mom bought me my first ever Biggles book, when I was 11, at a NAAFI in West Berlin. It was this edition (http://pictures.abebooks.com/DUNCAN1960/md/md12558879341.jpg), not the original.

Back in the days before everything from everywhere being available everywhere, she also brought home a real treat: Cadbury's chocolates.

Special occasion, that was.

[dkh51250]

Masirah 10.00hrs any morning. NAAFI van appears at sqn compound, rear shutter goes up to reveal "Charlie" the Indian driver. First man in the already lengthy queue asks Charlie "what you got today Charlie"? "Egg loles, cheese loles, egg & tomato loles, cheese and pickle loles, cheese and tomato loles. "Great I'll have a chocolate milk please". Second man in queue "what you got today Charlie"? Egg loles, cheese loles, etc. "Cheers, I'll have a Coke". Third man in queue, etc etc. Could take up to half an hour to get served some days.

[parabellum]

After basic training in 1959 my first unit had a YMCA that was much better than the NAAFI with fresher food but didn't serve alcohol. Out on the range etc. it was the Sally Ann that would usually show up come rain or shine, the NAAFI only came out when it was fine weather. In Germany, attached to an Army Air Corps unit, they had a bar that beat anything the NAAFI could produce.

[Rocket2]

Introduced to the Cheese & Onion Pasty off the NAAFI wagon in the early 70's & ate them in lots of different locations, nothing these days comes close ~ still drool at the thought (or probably old age) :uhoh:

[4Greens]

During Cadet sea time on a frigate the food was not much and it was only chocs from the NAAFI that kept me going.

[sunshiner]

It was no surprise that NAAFI lost the contract in Cyprus in 2006 to a commercial rival - I say commercial because NAAFI could never compete as a business, instead 'enjoying' and relying on its non-competitive arrangement it had with the MoD for donkeys years. An organisation that gave many fond memories but a bit of a dinosaur in today's money grabbing climate......

[Pontius Navigator]

Coningsby Airshow 1987 - Beer Tent. NAAFI required marquee; set price; profits to NAAFI/Stn via usual route. Local brewer provided marquee; paid £5000 for the privilege; net profits to air show.

We went local.

Coninsgby 1997 NAAFI wagon used to clock up some miles and needed replacing. Too expensive; service withdrawn. Local entrepreneur bought small white van, fitted out, trucked better food and sarnis round the camp.

We went local.

If they couldn't be viable on a UK main base, what chance on a smaller unit?

[HTB]

I was generally neutral about NAAFI (having mainly used them at Laarbruch - 8 years continuous slavery), although I acquired a great recipe for a barbecue marinade for chicken form the NAAFI butcher - Dave Robertson.

Some of the "white goods" sometimes appeared to be from the production reject line, and no cheaper either.

However, the true colours were exposed while I spent a few weeks on Ascension Island in early 1982; there was a quite nice little NAAFI shop on base, air conditioned, reasonably well stocked. The Island also had a small contingent of Cable & Wireless and BBC people in residence. One day I took mysle to the shop to cool down and to buy a couple of packets of chocolate digestive biscuits (dark choccy, Beags, officers for the use of) to give my host Victor crew a little treat.

"No, no, no", said the manager, for he was summoned after the assistant refused to sell me the biscuits; "them biscuits and most of the other stuff in this shop is for the C&W and BBC peeps, not you military types".

"Oh", says I, "where in the feckin initials over your door do the letters C, W, B and C appear". He was mightily miffed and complained to the heirarchy, who also not being military passed this heinous and unfeasible request for biscuits on to the military seniors...who promptly told them what the initials NAAFI meant.

The issue was actually being resolved by a subseuqnt wave of resupply when the NAAFI EFI pitched up with loads of stuff (and an excess of black boot polish, as I recall); fine body of men - TA NCOs of whatever Corps did this sort of supply stuff. And it was much cheaper, so shot a bit of a hole in the potential profits of the poxy shop.

And don't get me started on potatoes, surrounded by fields of 'em at LBH, but the NAAFI shelves were stocked with tatties that had been halfway round the world by ship, up and down the UK by road and then stored in a huge warehouse somewhere in the Cotswolds before hitting the shop floor...

Mister B