Fixed Cross,
Your loyalty to your former ATC comrades at Syerston does you nothing but credit, but I really can't let them get away with it as easily as that. You said (Blocking mine):
...Continued up above cloud and called for advice. Nothing practical as all suggestions required sight of known landmarks. Then realised that the stars might provide an answer...
So the Approach Controller knew of your predicament. He had the Duty Instructor by his side (or upstairs in Local, when a call from him (APP) that one of his (the DIs) chicks was in trouble would bring him (the DI) headlong down the stairs. Their contribution: "
Nothing practical as all suggestions required sight of known landmarks" ...
.AT NIGHT ?
It was simply not good enough. Did your training Squadron CO (who would have been the OC Night) hear about this ? I can't imagine that he did, or all Hell would have let loose. I have vivid memories of a (seemingly) similar incident, when the chap's Squadron CO was after me with murder in mind !
Danny.