If, as I suspect, a range of RAF Messes are still service run, surely you would expect that Cranwell would have been one of those?
But it then would not be representative of the rest of the Services. One would have thought Cranwell was the point to instill in ones recruits what was happening in the RAF at the outset and what to expect, as it will all eventually go this way from what folks say.
Out of interest as not all messes have changed over to Civilian staff are they to PAYD, and if they are do they still draw in diners compared to their counterparts.. And if they are not yet PAYD, how does that work if you visit a unit that is ? As you will be paying as we did by deduction from ones wages for meals already.