Not The RAF Club Again
I was an early joiner as a result of a kind invitation from the Station Commander at RAF Church Fenton sometime in 1965. We student pilots were informed that the RAF Club had to be saved and we were the boys to do it. Apparently the Club was doing its best to persuade the retired Air Marshals to go somewhere else and let the young ones have a look in. It was explained that we could join at a reduced rate and any APO who didn't want to join could explain himself to the beak later! Since I was not then an angry young man (I am now definitely an angry old man), I did as I was told (sorry, I mean I could not resist such a wonderful offer) and duly joined. Over the years, I have remained loyal, paying my dues and occasionally visiting the Club. I have seen it improve considerably since the 1960s and I think it's a Club worth belonging to. It has a peaceful (mostly) and smart ambience and the food is occasionally quite good. The rooms are very presentable and no smaller than some top notch hotels I have visited in London. The staff are now very pleasant (I have forgiven the Italian waiter who asked me to leave the dining room on a boiling hot day in 1981 because I wasn't wearing a jacket and tie to breakfast). The Club has always been surrounded with controversy concerning dress, cost, room availability, children, denim blah, blah, blah. I am amazed that any serving officer would not wish to join and as for worries over affordability - well words fail me! RAF officers have always been paid a salary ranging from 'moderately good' to 'jolly good', dependent upon the particular time of service and of course rank achieved (I just snuck into the senior officer band when they weren't looking). Although some ex-officers who retired many, many years ago may be short of the readies, I think the rest of us can afford 130 quidlets a year. The Royal Air Force is getting smaller and we ought to try a little harder to keep some of the things of value in a world (and country) which is disappearing down the plughole faster than a Lightning on heat. To those still serving who do not value the RAF Club may I say that you very well might when you leave the RAF and we'll all miss it when it's gone. Here endeth the lesson, please all stand!