Slight thread drift, but my first meeting wit "Aunty" Joan Hopkins was "fire " related. I was flt cdr in DIOT at the Towers, but posted on promotion to Neatishead a few weeks hence. The two group captains did a deal that I should go to Neatishead for a pre Taceval ground defence exercise in which I would be ground defence commander.
I turn up at Neatishead as instructed, I am shown the ops desk, and before I can say "what the...." my predecessor has disappeared. So there I am, know no one, no nothing of what is going on, and have not even seen the real estate. Before I can read myself in past the first page of the instructions an message comes in that there is a "fire at the transmitter site". Map shows that to be at Stalham about 5 miles away, so on the basis that where we are is the main asset and only one fire engine I issue an instruction to CPX call to civilian fire brigade to attend. A nanosecond later a smoke wreathed cabbage kit clad bundle of energy is in front of my desk. "When there is fire on my station squadron leader it has flame coming from it - send the fire engine and crew" "Yes, Ma'am (having noticed the rank braid) I stammer. That's blown it, that's a posting and promotion blown (had I said that part of the bosses' deal was that I was to be dressed as a pretend sqn ldr). later she came an d had a chat and all seemed well.
Clearly the improved confidence had gone to me head as at the main briefing at 1800, after the fighter controllers had said their various pieces, I stood up to do the ground defence brief, and introduced myself - "Station Commander, ladies and gentlemen, so far I have not understood a thing - I hope I do better". At which point I wondered if I had gone too far, but, no Aunty Joan was roaring her head off. Turned into a pretty good tour too.