Danny
I would have thought 611 RAuxAF would have been chockablock with applicants postwar... so many pilots wanting to keep their hand in. Can't conceive of anyone turning you down if he could avoid it, Danny! I reckon the Adjutant would have been kicking himself after you left... 'Damn... that's a pity... good sort there!'
Yes, Arthur was quite proud of his going solo after 6.5 hours. One of the instructors said he was bit of a natural. Lucky him... as you'll know very well, lots of people really had to struggle... some getting the hang of flying at the last moment... others not, to their great regret.
Halcyon days... definitely seems like it to me. I think Arthur had a great time getting his Wings. If you visit Hanworth today (yes the same Hanworth that's now infamous for it riots some years ago), there's nothing left of the airfield... it's all been turned into a public recreational area, with games fields and dog-walkers. The one thing that survives, apparently, is Hanworth house, now fenced-off and sealed by the Council. This was a hotel in Arthur's day, right next to their hangar and the nearby aero-club. It was effectively their Mess. He said they had many riotous parties there... men only, of course (no women in the RAF then)... and all the instructors lost their trousers at some point. Good days, for sure... but to be followed by tough ones. Arthur was pretty sure he was the lone survivor, after the war, of the 31 students who trained with him. Ordinary guys... extraordinary sacrifice.