Eric T
I don't think it was unreasonable for me to draw an inference re dress from your post #11
TDM
Malc I come to the same conclusion when watching Countryfile - that Geordie still talks as if he is on Blue Peter!
Zooker
You have unwittingly touched on all three of my careers ( or attempts at
) in your post.
Before becoming an RAF Officer I spent 2 years as a cadet, or uniformed clerk, with Surrey Police. In those far-off days uniformed coppers were never seen without their caps or helmets on for fear of a right rollocking if seen by the Sgt or Inspector, and you certainly didn't see them parked illegally outside chip shops or cashpoints! Times have changed!
In my time as a Herc' nav' you were only allowed to wear flying suits on the aircraft - I even had to change at Wake Island before going to check the Met' on a one hour stop! In my son's time flying suits were worn in the OM, ties were not mandatory in the bar etc; the RAF equivalent of Basil Turner would have been spinning in their graves. However, I'm told by an old Herc' mate of mine that even aged 66, smartly but casually dressed (as befits a former Cathay captain), he has been chewed off by a retired Air Marshal type for walking through the RAF Club tieless -' F**k Off' to him did the trick. Times have changed.
Now my CAA career - IMHO the standard and quality of controlling got better as dress standards changed, or got worse in some folks' eyes.I liked to think that scruffy me paved the way for shorts wearing etc at LL - we were not in the public eye and if it felt more comfortable to be in casual dress - so be it!
Mind you - as for men wearing ear rings etc Ugh!