I remember attending a mess meeting at Catterick in 1965 when the main item on the agenda was the purchase of a washing machine so that officers could do their own laundry. Up to that point you left your dirty washing in the linen bin, the batman took it away, sent it to the laundry and after a while it came back laundered, pressed, collars starched (remember separate collars anyone?) etc. This of course went on your mess bill and was a bit of a drain on a PO's salary.
Naturally the idea of a washing machine was popular among the junior livers in, but some of the older senior officers were against it, with the PMC stating that doing his own laundry would be "detrimental to the status of an officer" a phrase that immediately entered our vocabularies!
What the heck that chap would have thought of paper plates I don't know, but I'm damn sure the situation wouldnt have lasted two days. Funnily enough we had contract catering at Catterick even that far back, but the difference was that if they didnt shape up they were out on their backsides and a new lot bought in, which did in fact happen while I was there.
Oh yes - we did get our washing machine, much to the detriment of our status, but to the benefit of our pockets!
Last edited by Tankertrashnav; 20th Sep 2013 at 16:07.