I love this thread, it's the only place left on Earth where I still feel young!
Before we leave the Bristow subject ... I only encountered the great man once.
Early 1980. I'd left the RN just a few weeks earlier. With a brand spanking new 206B3 on the pad at Battersea I was doing the coffee thing with a bunch of older-and-wiser ex-matelots. (I seem to remember the likes of Spotty, Colin, MBJ and maybe even Geoffers being there. I think you were in foreign parts by then, John). Cue Mr A.Bristow himself who was deposited by one of his own, rather larger, machines.
On his way to the Roller he paused at my Jetranger, had a good poke around, and then strode towards the crewroom with serious intent. The water-cooler chat ceased. The door flew open. "Whose Jetranger is that?" barked the big man. I tentatively raised a finger. "Bloody nice machine, try to keep it that way". Door slammed closed. I now knew what a civilian admiral looked like.