SAS
Those old guys in RH could certainly send you to Nigeria on the next plane and often did, including those who wanted to go to escape (usually an ex wife or some irate bloke who's wife they had been seeing) and those who didn't want to go but had to to build their character. It was the old BCAL 747 in those days which sometimes used to stop in the beautiful city of Kano.
You mentioned....Bill Barrel....what a great instructor. Did my initial instrument training with Bill in AVII round and round the Norwich hold. When it came to doing the initial approach checks and the item "seat belts and no smoking sign on" old Bill, with his fag still going would say "don't worry about that shag, just fly the f...in' aircraft and get after that QDM!!"
A true character and its ad that he's no longer with us. As hard as he could be, I learned a hell of a lot from Bill.
Old man Bristow is not at all well these days, hard as nails but jeez he had respect from just about everyone.