Wow, what a thread.
I too spent an awful lot of weekends catching trains to get to Little riss to help out - the reward being the hangar flight at the end of the day - and John Diamond was there then too. Unfortunately, I was too young to go solo on the Barge or Mk3 so my 'course' was on the venture at South Cerney. Solo'd in 3 hours something just after failing my driving test! I remember the pre solo trip with the Boss - I think it was a Sqn Ldr Bagley [?] used to have a pipe in his mouth all the way round the circuit - he asked me if I had German relatives as he thought they might have flown Stukas - it was very steep and very fast but all sort of sorted out at the end. He told me then, get through selection you will be fine. He was right too. Although the writing was on the wall for helicopters I think!
Cracking thread I do not have any pictures from then so well done for posting.