How nice to be back on topic, thanks Sharpend!
My memories of Church Fenton are all happy ones. A great bunch of studes and instructors, hard work both in the air and on the ground, Chippies and Bulldogs sharing the circuit, and some stupendous Mess Dinners - which usually incurred the displeasure of the station C.O. (or should that be O.C.?)
two dinners spring readily to mind even after all these years.
The first was a Taranto Night (demanded by the RN as a right!) where we studes invited the pale blue hierarchy outside the main doors of the (C shaped )mess to watch a re-enactment of the attack, whilst unbeknown to them the doors behind them were locked tight. At the climax of the valiant attack by cardboard Swordfish models they were assaulted with rockets, hosepipes and bags of flour dropped from the roof above. There were very few blue uniforms of any hue, light or dark, that didn't end up white that night!
The second was the dining out of a very unpopular station C.O. who had made the decision that "Officers do not ride bicycles".
As he made his farewell speech odd bits of bicycle were floating above his head and above the assembled throng via a very complicated pulley system kept loaded with bits from outside the french windows. I think this man also decreed that "Officers never run"!!!
Ah, the rosy wine-fuelled memories of yesteryear
