Courtney Mil wrote:
The Mess was famous for brilliant high spirits, but that was just shocking.
Agreed.
But in earlier days, I was on the first Hawk course at Chiv and we had a rather meagre combined mess, whilst the new one was being built (facing the wrong way, I gather....
).
At the first Dining-In night, the usual pranks took place. Starting with the usual cling film between seat and pedestal in the loos. A WIWOL knew how to make nitrogen triiodide, which was carefully applied between two bits of kneepad plastic hidden under the block - as the PMC smote the block with the gavel, there was a loud bang and the game was on. During the meal, crow scarers outside the mess went off with monotonous regularity; as soon as the loyal toast had been made, a well-timed slow burning fuse deflated a met balloon full of French chalk powder up in the eaves....
A few other japes, which I can no longer recall. But the bar had a shiny stone floor; I watched with interest as a banger came spinning across the floor, to stop at bottom dead centre under a rather plain (that's being polite) WRAF's blue tube - there was a muffled bang and she hopped away shaking sparks out of her knickers, or so it looked.
Guest of Honour had been a local mayor. Next day, the word came down from on high that such things would no longer be tolerated at Dining In nights - there was to be no noise before the Loyal Toast and nothing destructive thereafter.
Came the second dining-in and the band finished its first piece; the conductor turned to face us expecting the same applause as they'd had the first time. Nothing came, the poor chap turned back and the rest of the band's performance lacked much style. When the Guest of Honour got up to speak, he was another local mayor. He proceeded to say how surprised he'd been - his oppo had briefed him to expect all manner of high jinks, but nothing had happened.... Of course this received considerable applause and laughter from everyone except the Stn Cdr.....
We did a few silly things, but never anything as criminally stupid as setting people on fire. Even 'Afterburners' of flaming Drambuie weren't attempted unless a mate was standing by with a 'safety pint'.....