Originally Posted by
Aerials
I too, was familiar with the bumper and that orange polish from my time at Swinderby in '66. When I returned for a 4-year stint in '80 they were still in use until the rooms were 'carpeted' (not sure when, exactly) with some brown coloured industrial stuff similar to Scotch-Brite. I must say though, that after swinging the bumper for a while, one could get some satisfaction from a nicely polished lino floor of a job well done!
The Barrack Warden called the stuff "Iron Jute", we called it 'hairy concrete'. The adhesive that was used to stick it to the floor made yer eyes water for days - smelt very strongly of ammonia. Elf n safetea zealots would be apoplectic if it was still used.
The orange polish was pretty good at getting those coke stoves going if you were a bit short of kindling wood.