Double glazing though! During my time at ODI (mid to late 1980s) OMQs still had metal framed single glazing which dated back to the 1950s. It was a constant cause of complaint. It was then announced that all MQs would be fitted with UPVC double glazing. The airmen’s quarters were given first priority. Next came the senior officers. Junior officers were next, as last priority. A scaffolding company encased our MQ with steel, so that none of the existing windows could be opened more than an inch or two. Nothing further then happened. A few weeks later it was announced that the funding had run out. The scaffolding remained for many weeks, despite me requesting a number of times that it should be removed asap on fire safety and health grounds.
The same house suffered a cold water main riser pipe burst on Boxing Day while we were out for the day. It was the central heating supply pipe in the loft. As we got out of the car we could hear rushing water. As I opened the front door the bathroom ceiling collapsed and water began flowing down the stairs. I resisted the urge to switch on the hall lights because water was squirting out of the wall switch. Part of the kitchen ceiling came down later. We got no help at all from the RAF to clean up. All of the loft space was flooded and we removed thirty six bin bags of sodden fibreglass insulation. Supply Sqn came round a couple of days later and removed all the fitted carpets with a view to drying them out but they were rotten through old age. We lived for two months with no carpets and spiked gripper rods exposed on the stairs. We eventually had to put newspaper over the spikes but I still sliced open the heel of my foot on one of them. With two young kids it was no joke. We were then advised that OC Admin had declared that we were to be held liable because we hadn’t kept the heating on (it was on) and hadn’t left the loft hatch open (!) to prevent pipework from freezing. However, I had personally gone into the loft some weeks before and re-lagged all the pipes by buying one inch thick clip on foam cladding and I also wrapped the existing hessian (all there had previously been) around it. Unknown to me, whilst I was away on detachment the station had employed a contractor to re-lag the pipes. Some moron had taken off my lagging, thrown it to one side and replaced it with very badly fitting foam of half the thickness that I’d supplied and fitted. About a dozen OMQs suffered the same burst pipe that night - same reason. If ever I was going to mutiny, it was then.