RAF Marham posting

[Rigga]

Spent 4 years working there in recent years.
It is a lovely area - but it is isolated and about as far from any pub as you can get in UK.
The local people don't sink in quicksand and the Queen is a neighbour - and she lives closer to a pub than the folks at Marham!

You need to drive for 15 mins to hit civilisation.

[4mastacker]

You need to drive for 15 mins to hit civilisation.

You sure about that Rigga? I was based there for five years and I thought the drive to civilisation was at least an hour and quarter.

I lived in whilst I was there but my colleagues who were in MQs were less than happy with the standard of the houses or the quality of the "maintenance". Things might have changed since then.

[Vendee]

I had a brief posting to Marham in '92, from LBH, in January, then back to HQ 2ATAF

HTB,

Ahhh... not so happy days. I also pitched up on II(ac) from LBH (from a disbanding XV sqn) at the same time as you. On the engineering side there was a mix of II(ac) people from LBH, a few Tornado bods from other units and a lot of Bloodhound bods from Raynham who had never been near anything that needed a turnround servicing.

ISTR arrival day for most folks was 6th Jan, which was first day after Xmas grant. Most blue chits never got completed because gung-ho CO (W/C Holding I think) insisted on a full flying program on the 8th. I lasted until June or July when I managed to get a swap into the engine bay. It was my second II(ac) tour in my career and not a patch on my first.

[ian16th]

I was at Marham twice. The 1st tour was 3 years and 8 months, and then after 2 years at Akrotiri, I asked to spend my last 6 months service at Marham.

My request was granted! Not a lot of competition.

Most of the 1st tour was as a living in, single Cpl/T, for the last two years, traveling to Teesside by BR at the weekends.

The social life around Marham was very much what you made it. I was active in the Sailing Club at Denver Sluice and the Jennings Arms.

Saturday nights we went to Norwich! Close to 50 miles away.

I got married and lived out in a grotty flat in KL. This only lasted 4 months and I was posted to Akrotiri with an accompanied passage.

The main thing that made my time there so pleasant was that I spent all of both postings on 214 Sqdn. The early days of IFR before it became AAR and lots of detachments.

Didn't have a car, wife didn't work. This was the norm in those days.

[O-P]

Hey,

Look on the bright side, it's not Coningsby!

[acmech1954]

I think you will find that a lot of the people that are commenting from fading memories of long ago. Bloodhounds 1992, don't think so,
Yes the quarters (all ranks) were dire, but now they have mostly been modernised and all have gas central heating. The maintenance is contracted the same as every where else. Television reception has improved with digital and satellite proving to be as good as anywhere countrywide. As for schools, cannot really comment as all of ours have flown the nest, but they were adequate at best when they were attending. Broadband is ok, not the fastest in the country but good enough for normal use, supposedly being upgraded soon, whenever that is.
The local towns, Kings Lynn, Swafham and Downham Market have a good selection of shops (so my wife tells me) with all the family sized supermarkets and DIY shops you could need, but you do need a car for convenience as the bus service is not 'every half hour at the end of the street' , but there is one, as long as you are ready to return by 6 in the evening.
The 3 pubs that were in the village have all gone, 2 are now private houses and the third, (the picture shows where it was) is now 16 houses. They closed because no one used them, not like the 70s when they were busy at least 3 nights a week. There are 2 or 3 pub/eateries within 5 miles that are very good, they must be or they would have shut with the rest.
There are some lovely beaches around the North Norfolk coast, and despite what some have said we do get the weather to enjoy them, there are also many places inland to visit, Sandringham and other BIG houses and the forest around Thetford to name a couple, you just have to travel a bit, but no more than any other location.

When I first arrived at Marham there were 3 Victor Tanker squadrons, so I have been here a while and have seen most things that Norfolk can throw at you and seen how much the station has changed, I recommend that you get here with an open mind and see for yourself, if you do not enjoy it, it may be your own fault

[Willard Whyte]

Better off PVRing.

But that would apply to pretty much any posting now that Lyneham has closed.

[BBadanov]

I heard people referring to Marham as the "M-word"

[bosnich71]

"El Adem with grass" .... I preferred El Adem myself but then I only did 5 days in the desert.

[ian16th]

Look on the bright side, it's not Coningsby!

I also did a year at Coningsby! Am I to be considered unlucky?

[Arclite01]

You need a car

Well I live local'ish to Marham...............

There's good news and bad news:

Bad

It's isolated and the bus service is poor
Local shops - limited (within 5 miles)
No local pub
Winter can be bleak - those Easterlies (Brrr)
Not sure about local schools
Lots of Eastern Europeans - sometimes you can be the only English speaker in the bus queue...............
Local wages are not good - if your wife was thinking of a part time job.......
Long term prospects for kids are limited...............
You really do need a car

Good

MQ's now largely upgraded
Broadband as good as anywhere outside a major town
A47 means reasonable transit times to Kings Lynn and Norwich (20 mins to KL and 40 to Norwich)
Shops in KL much improved
Norwich Shopping very good now
Swaffham is Ok for a bit of local shopping
Norwich clubbing is OK now (if that is your thing)
Trains to London or the North from Downham Market
Norfolk Coast & Broads not far
Good Fishing at Pentney
Good Sea and Beach Fishing
Good Boating
Good golf (plenty of choice)
Lots of Country Fayres and stuff in the summer
Growing number of outdoor concerts and festivals in summer
Lots of National Trust Properties
Good place to have a dog
Great if you like walking
Multiple sports clubs (some small and friendly, some big and impersonal)
You will find the villages very friendly and the schools generally OK.
You need a car
East Anglia is family friendly

I brought my house from an Ex-Plumber (in Dereham) and my neighbour was a sparky on Tornadoes, they both chose to commute daily (approx. 25 mins e/w) as they felt it was easier to get to Norwich and other towns from here, and there are a better choice of schools in Dereham (6 x pre-schools, 4 x Primary and 2 x Secondary)

Most of the old perspective on East Anglia is out of date, the place is changing........

Hope this helps.

Did I say you need a car ????

Arc

[5aday]

I was stationed there from 67 to 69 in ATC and Ops - 3 sqns and TTF (all Victor BK1) and 252 site behind the tower though the missiles had gone. I recall some real snow and a snow blower going nearly all night but equally some fabulous summer weather. Brilliant beaches, pubs in the village (my 21st was in the one shown as a load of rubble) and a very free and easy relaxed life as a single man.
Apparently there were some shenanagans in quarters - so said the News of the World but on the single side , there were famous bands most weeks and loads of good looking girls from all over the place, including some from Brampton on a night out.
Oh yes - I nearly forgot - I was in the tower when a certain young man from W. Raynham in his hunter buzzed the place at very low level en route back from Tower Bridge. The lights were at green on the Burmah Road and the F/Sgt local controller was just coming back from lunch.
Quite a few incidents at the time, the worst being the Victor and Canberra in 1968.
I digress, I know diddly squat about the question.

[nimbev]

5aday

I digress, I know diddly squat about the question.

What an unusually honest thing to say on PPRuNe! Congratulations

[Vendee]

I think you will find that a lot of the people that are commenting from fading memories of long ago. Bloodhounds 1992, don't think so

acmech, there is nothing wrong with my memory.... I worked alongside the Bloodhound techs at Marham in 92.

85 Sqn were operating the Bloodhound at West Raynham until the second half of 1991. Bloodhound techs were posted into Marham in Jan 1992.

[NRU74]

heights good,
I arrived there as a 23 yr old Fg Off and thought I'd been sent [3rd Tour] to the middle of nowhere -I hated it initially, but, after about 3 years I then began to like it.When I was posted after 7 years or so I was quite sad to leave.I was pleased to return some three years later.Thus I spent about half of my career there.One of the Navs, Ernie W spent virtually the whole of his 35yr career there.
However I think you need to do a short 'speak Norfie' course to get the most out of it.
First listen to Allan Smethurst on Youtube singing 'Hev yew got a loight bor'
Then when someones going to the nearest town on a fruitless mission you can say 'Haar yew trarttin' to Swarfham fer narthin'
Water boots=wellingtons
Windowscreen=windscreen
point o' two's= pint of mixed mild and bitter
After 3 months you'll only refer to King's Lynn as 'Lynn' [although you'll be aware it was Bishops Lynn until the Reformation
You'll enjoy it !
Nice County, Nice people

[ian16th]

point o' two's= pint of mixed mild and bitter

That was one of the strange quirk's of the Swedes that I had forgotten, do the natives still mix their beers?

They also had a liking for 'brown & mild'.

When I lived out in Lynn, and actually had a 'local' I was one of the few customers that drank my bitter 'neat'!

[Typhoon93]

That area has some of the best pike fishing in the country. If that's your thing of course. If it is, then please do post some photos in JB!

[Pom Pax]

King's Lynn

After 3 months you'll only refer to King's Lynn as 'Lynn' [although you'll be aware it was Bishops Lynn until the Reformation

Probably in the Summer of 1945 I was taken on a rail excursion with the rest of the village kids to Hunstun. Now when the train pulled into King's Lynn the platform porter called out "Lynn Regis". On enquiring as to why he was calling this out, I was told "Because its Royal". Further confusion was when the train left the station backwards and we had not even been to the seaside.
Having been educated in Naarfulk I cun speak the lingo, in fact I was probably in my teens before I wur corrected frum saying "Windowscreen". I only graduated to drinking bitter when I was of legal age to order my own. After M & B it was quite shock to the pallet.
I fell sorrow for those now in a village with no pub but the county went into decline when Bullards and Lacons ceased to exist.

And blame Dr Beeching for not being able to change at South Lynn for King's Lynn. The M & G N would have given you a direct train to Brum.

[NRU74]

Ian16th
I'd been at Marham (pronounced raff marram by the locals)about 6 months and managed to get invited to a party at Pentney Abbey
I stopped en route and asked for a pint of two's in the local pub in Pentney.It was one of those moments when the ball on the Pool Table stopped in mid shot and the pub went deathly quiet.The Landlord said 'Haar yew gooin' to the abbey?Is it three in a bed tonight'?'
I was and it wasn't
Good party though

[acmech1954]

Vendee, my humble apologies to your memory, I had to check the Bloodhounds retirement date and found out it was 91, 2 years before me. I would have sworn that they were long gone before that, more like 82, I even thought West Raynham had shut about then as well. Every day is a learning day