Mine was 7F (Aigburth) now 1st City of Liverpool Squadron. First annual camp in 1973 at Macrihanish, first time away from home at 14, well somebody had to go there, using an open ditch for pine pole exercises, and map reading exercises over the mountains, leaving someone in the night in their bed in the middle of the parade ground without them waking up. First experience of an airman's mess and RAF tea. Flying in the early evening and seeing Ireland in the distance was my first flight, and the 'lassie' supporters club at the weapons site and seeing the signs for SEAL team 6 on the station.
Later camps at Linton on Ouse and St Athan, missed Marham as a cadet and Valley and the best of all Waddington as a CI in 1981 and Tony B as the ACLO alias known as superfly. Only man to walk into the ATC office straight from flying in the Vulcan coal hole and still look suave.
Linton, having drill instruction under the watchful eye of that redoubtable SWO Mr Jack Holt.
Gliding in the 'barge' at Sealand and chippies at Woodvale under 10 AEF CO Squadron Leader Norman Rose.
Made many friends, now all gone their separate ways, some into the RAF many elsewhere, but still all have been members of the ATC squadron with the most continuous service since being formed from the ADCC. Many of our guys had come from diverse backgrounds, some from the better off areas of the city such as Aigburth and some from the hard lands of Toxteth, but the squadron brought them all together as one. Our cadet warrant officer from Toxteth, at one time surprised a teacher from his school by his presence and many of the schools pupils performing SLR drill on a parade, she saw a side of them she had no idea existed. As a squadron, we straightened many out and gave them direction in life and may have even kept them out of jail by giving them a surrogate family. Many tried to divide us but like the musketeers it was all for one, had many a disagreement on that basis.