Another Lyneham - Brize rumour?

[Poltergeist]

stories leaking out saying that Lyneham staff being posted to BZZ are having to vacate the mess at Lyneham even though there is no room at BZZ. As a result they are being put into hotels and personal items into storage to avoid admitting defeat over poor project mgt. Can anyone confirm this or is this a story being put about to discredit the move?

Many thanks

P

[WE992]

I know of people who have moved out the mess and are now accomodated in hotels where the rooms are rented in 2 week blocks which means that they can not unpack properly.

[Le chat de factoire]

What you have heard hits the nail on the head so to speak. Theres no room at the inn.

[EOSM37]

They are also permitted to claim the £25 a day subsistence allowance as well. How much do you think that is costing to pay everybody.

[Kengineer-130]

All to save a bit of egg on someones face, utterly disgraceful :ugh: The occifers driving this project were told time and again from SAC to Sqn Ldrs, that this would happen, but every time it got swept under the carpet as "not a problem"... This whole project has been grossley mis-managed from start to finish, and as a result hundreds, if not thousands of peoples lives have been messed about with in a ridiculous manner. :ugh: I feel so sorry for all the Lyneham ( & Brize) troops handed this mess and being told to make it work.

So Glad I left weeks before this debacle started :ok:

[vernon99]

I think there is a strong case to bring back the Spanish Inquisition(fluffy cushions ala Monty P not required).

It should be an offence to waste tax payers money, all government departments have managers and they should be held accountable for what is spent, and why. Non of this not me gov, non of this gross waste of cash at the end of the tax year in case they reduce next years budget, if you as a manager authorise (for example) the purchase of new office chairs at £800 a go, you had better have a very good reason why you did not buy the £100 office chairs, let alone why you are buying new chairs yet again(sound familiar?)

In this instance the senior officers/civil servants that swept aside all the valid points re lack of single/married quarters and pushed ahead regardless together with those that have subsequently continued with and authorised this gross waste of public funds should face criminal charges of wasting taxpayers money.

I would hope that after a couple of high profile trials, we would see the cost of running government drop dramatically, as the chinless wonders, sorry management realise it is not their money to waste and the consequences of wasting it are not worth it. Simple yes, effective yes, but would the government ever have the guts to bring out such a law?

[Kengineer-130]

Vernon, sadly the answer is obviously a resounding "NO" :hmm:

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

I have heard a rumour that as a contingency plan ahead of the main move, responsible singlies were moved into sub-standard MQ's but the Station Fire Officer put his foot down as they would have to be re-categorised as single accomodation and would therefore need a fire escape.

:}

[Jobza Guddun]

I wonder how long it'll be before someone wakes up to the fact there's vacant accommodation at Fairford and decides to move loads of singlies over there...also at significant cost :ugh:

[Wander00]

In the past many stations have used suplus MQ as single officers' accommodation - I recall that was how we were accommodated at Bracknell ("Where's that?" I hear you say) on Basic Staff Course.

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

;)

as a contingency plan ahead of the main move, responsible singlies were moved into sub-standard MQ's

If the quarters are not good enough for families, why should they be good enough for singlies?

[Doobry Firkin]

When i first got to Lyneham in the 90's there were singlies living 3-4 to house in the old married quaters that were deemed to be unfit for families... So i wouldn't be suprised if it happened again!
They took out all the cookers because as a singlie you have no ability to cook your own food or look after yourself. As singlies they still paid their food bill and were expected to pop to the mess for all their meals. That'll be one hell of a cake and a**e party if they do it again. Working at Brize - accomodation Fairford....

[5 Forward 6 Back]

Aaron, in order to put singlies into quarters, the Stn Cdr needs to "misappropriate" them. If he does that, they effectively become mess annexes, and there's all sorts of rules about use of communal bits, removing the white goods, etc. Because they're only interested in using the bedroom as an extension of the mess, they can use quarters which for various reasons wouldn't be useable by families.

[ZH875]

When i first got to Lyneham in the 90's there were singlies living 3-4 to house in the old married quaters that were deemed to be unfit for families... So i wouldn't be suprised if it happened again!
They took out all the cookers because as a singlie you have no ability to cook your own food or look after yourself. As singlies they still paid their food bill and were expected to pop to the mess for all their meals. That'll be one hell of a cake and a**e party if they do it again. Working at Brize - accomodation Fairford....

The same was done in 1979 at Waddington, after the SWO had a transit block inspection ruined because half of one room was on day shift and were at work, and the other half were sleeping off nights and were still in bed.

The move into MQ's led to one of the FS techs(G** K**e) being charged by the RAFP because he had driven his car to the NAAFI and being blotto had got into the back of the car and fell asleep. He had left the keys on the drivers seat. At the subsequent charge, the RAFP Cpl read out what the accused had said to him "F*** Off you Plastic Pig, go and pick on someone else", as a young lad acting as the escort, it was all I could do to stem the tears of laughter.

Fortunately the boss was a good egg, and IIRC a bollocking was the result of the charge, and next time, throw the keys under the vehicle and don't upset the RAFP.

[Cabbage_Crate]

How riculous! How many of these poor chaps are in hotels already? Glad I'm still overseas...!

[MADTASS]

Not sure how it Works now but when we were Sleeping off Nights at Brize in the 80"s during an Inspection we used to put a Sign on the Door "Sleeping Off Nights" and then we weren"t Disturbed.
Most of us had Single Rooms by the Late 80"s though opposite Gate 1 not far from the Chinkie.
And we were allowed a Microwave to Heat it up in the Morning for Breakfast.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wink2.gif

[MrWomble]

I heard on the Cotswolds rumour mill that using a few things at Fairford were "under discussion"

[ZH875]

Not sure how it Works now but when we were Sleeping off Nights at Brize in the 80"s during an Inspection we used to put a Sign on the Door "Sleeping Off Nights" and then we weren"t Disturbed.
http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wink2.gif

We had the sign on the door, but one of the guardroom staff was accomodated in the room, so the SWO didn't believe it. as he said "You cannot have a room split between day and night shifts" so we were moved.

[MrWomble]

"I once knew of" a Cpl in Berlin during the late 70s who was told by the SWO his do not disturb sign didn't exclude him from Op Rocking Horse. Oddly though, following a conversation between the SWO and 26 SU's WO none of them were ever bothered by any exercise of anysort ever again :ok:

[Doctor Cruces]

Is there anybody left in a position of power in this God forsaken, third world country who can actually organise anything properly?

I doubt it.

Sadly

Doc C

[brit bus driver]

I have heard a rumour that as a contingency plan ahead of the main move, responsible singlies were moved into sub-standard MQ's but the Station Fire Officer put his foot down as they would have to be re-categorised as single accomodation and would therefore need a fire escape.


Oh how the wheel turns full circle. This was happening at Brize (though I think they were excess MQs rather than sub-standard ones) in the early 90s (complete with cooker removal) and still happens at Wycombe as far as I'm aware.

[Chainkicker]

Yep. Lived in a quarter in Devon Road (i think it was?) for a while in the early 80's whilst waiting for "proper" singly accomodation...

[Tricorn]

Why do 'they' never learn. We had the same debacle in the late 70s at Cottesmore when the barrack blocks were all converted to single man rooms and then everyone had to 'double up' with bunk beds because they didn't build more blocks!! Or Honington in the early 80s when we accomodated singlies 27 miles away at Watton and then made them wait for hours for transport after night shift to take them home (as allowanaces would not pay home to duty). Or Brampton / Wyton with no accomodation for ORs at Wyton. At least personnel appear to be located close (ish) by rather than over an hour's drive away.

[critter sized]

I find this debacle beyond belief! Simple calculations would have surely proven the point or not as the case might be.

Had I been directing the project in any of my civvy jobs and made a similar hash I would have been chopped. Perhaps time that individuals had responsibility for P&L as they would do in the commercial world - soon focuses the mind.

[Finningley Boy]

Just to add to the stories of airmen and airwomen being billeted in spare married quarters, this was also very much the case at R.A.F. Boulmer in the late '70s and 1980 and like the more recent stories go, they were not permitted to cater for themselves, they weren't trusted to live according to a balanced healthy diet, so it was a fair old trot for them all the way to the JR's Mess and back for the lot of 'em. Mind you I'm not entirely sure if it was the same for the WRAFs?:confused:

FB:)

[bobward]

Judging by the way budgets etc seem to be nanaged by HMG etc these days, simple adding anf subtraction appears to be way beyond their capability, doesn't it?


:ugh:

[Fluffy Bunny]

Oh how the wheel turns full circle. This was happening at Brize (though I think they were excess MQs rather than sub-standard ones) in the early 90s (complete with cooker removal) and still happens at Wycombe as far as I'm aware.

Correct with the debacle that was the refurb of the 3 messes and new blocks.
Singly officers were moved into surplus MQ's .... and are still there, the situation not being improved by Innsworth shutting shop and trotting up the A40.

New blocks for Officer and Sgts, Rehash of the same old Sh:mad: for the O/R's, Though they do get 2 rooms now.

[grandfer]

A similar thing happened at RMB (still RAF to us locals) Chivenor when the entire accomodation of a newly opened Travelodge in Barnstaple was taken over to accomodate Royal Marines personnel that couldn't be housed at Chiv.:ugh::ugh::confused:

[Fluffy Bunny]

Whereas back in the 80's when my father was first posted to Chiv, was housed in a local B&B (Rose's in Braunton) because the MQ was not available for march in on posting date & no SLA available... Not 10ish miles away on the other side of town....

[mayorofgander]

Hi Gang;

Can remember 'swiftplan' at Lossie (linked paper thin portakabins) and the caravan park at Kinloss, both in the mid 80s.....

Later...MoG

[Cabbage_Crate]

I am to be posted to BZZ in January... Where will I live? Will there be any room at the Mess? Perhaps it's the time to buy...

[Cabbage_Crate]

Just had an email back to say that the forcast is no accomodation available until mid to late 2012! For goodness sake! How many are living in hotels already!

[6nandneutral]

My worst accommodation was many moons ago (78 or 79)whilst on a 2 week detachment at Leuchars from Brawdy, I was accommodated in a disused railway carriage on the grass about 20 yards from the airmens transit block, no heating, no water and no electricty.:}:}

[Bob the Doc]

Combined messing at Lyneham now (in the Sgts) for those of us staying until next year

[Poltergeist]

Thanks all for your answers. vernon99, there may be a case of Misfeasance if the brass have given incorrect advice or information to HMG. The way public services are being placed under the microscope I would not be surprised if there were a couple twitchy butts especially as this is in the back yard of a PM that keeps being sucked towards the phone hacking controversy.

For my part, being out of he military now, I still have not got my head around how a risk management assessment on the entire transport fleet being at a single rwy base when we have operations relying on continual supply saying it was acceptable. I guess therefore I should not be surprised by what I have read here.

As for the brass, well they should not be surprised when more decisions are taken by civil servants and less left to the military command.

I hope for all your sakes someone gets a grip and fast but I somehow doubt it

[brakedwell]

Pan back to 1970. Britannia move from Lyneham to Brize. They dangled a carrot - if you are prepared to move early you can choose your own OMQ. Found one with a nice garden and volunteered to move before the end of the school term. Sorry, they said, we are using a points system and we will allocate your OMQ. Bugger off I said and bought my first house in Shipton under Wychwood for £5950!
Best thing I ever did. :ok:

[sharpend]

Yup, did exactly the same. Posted to Church Fenton in 1971. No OMQ's. Bought a detached house for £4100. Sold it for £11000. Never looked back. Sadly not possible for young officers today.

Posted to Brize 1986. Loads of substandard OMQs. Car parking in a field when down route. No field there now.

[Exascot]

Car parking in a field when down route.

I arrived on the same day as you of course. There was no way my Morgan was going to sit in that field for weeks. I got a garage at the OM. Great place to go during station exercises :ok: 'Sorry boss got stuck in the open in an air raid and took to the nearest shelter' :cool:

[brakedwell]

Great place to go during station exercises 'Sorry boss got stuck in the open in an air raid and took to the nearest shelter'

I'm glad I PVR'd in 1974 - before all that nuclear stuff :)

[Whopity]

There's a nice 3 Storey Officer's Mess for sale at Little Rissington (http://upperrissington.co.uk/wordpress/?attachment_id=245)

[Jabba_TG12]

Why do they never learn?Quite simple. In the times in question, where people are recalling horror stories from the 70's 80's and 90's, the organisation at that level was run by married Flt Lts and SNCO's FOR married Flt Lts and SNCO's.Had they been compelled to live in the kind of accom that a lot of us OR's had to, things may have turned out differently.Not so much regarding places like Newton Farm Lodge @ Buchan in the 80's, but the situations at places like Boulmer in the late 80's/early 90's before the new build, High Wycombe in the 90's and also Stanmore Park/Bentley Priory, there were more than ample opportunities to put things right.A plain and simple case of a them and us culture at certain stations and a sign of things to come as those who were prominent at certain stations now rose to the positions of prominence they have now, or in the previous five to eight years....

[MrWomble]

How are the taxiways looking at Little Rissington? Are they still un-usable or or?

[cazatou]

Jabba

In the mid '60s I was at 6 FTS Acklington (North of Newcastle) and almost all the Buildings were wooden huts left over from WW2. New Married Accommodation and new Messes were built but before they were finished the Station was closed in a round of Defence Cuts. The place became a Prison.

[Whopity]

How are the taxiways looking at Little Rissington? Not very good, covered with stones. There is a grass taxiway from the threshold of 34 to the southern hangars (http://www.devonair.net/pilotinfo/FOB.htm) where a number of civil aircraft operate. Most taxing is via the runways.

[FJ2ME]

This looks positively palatial compared with block 101 at AKT that is still in use....

Found on Flickr | Upper Rissington & RAF Little Rissington (http://upperrissington.co.uk/wordpress/?attachment_id=60)

I would have thought this would have been an excellent solution, reinstate the mess at Rissington, maybe sweep up the runways, buy back the hangars and bob's your uncle, Brize RLG is born...

[MrWomble]

Might it be odd if some tarmac lorries start arriving for those crumbly taxiways soon then?

[WIDN62]

FJ2ME

A longest runway of 4900 ft might be a bit of a challenge for some of Brize's aircraft. Even the C130 won't do rollers on that. Maybe an RLG for the Flying Club?

[Kitsune]

...and dodging the go karts racing on the weekend might well be a tad exciting...

[FJ2ME]

Fair one, but Relief Messing Ground could surely be explored given it's proximity to Brize?

[papajuliet]

Have a look at the Airfield Information Exchange website to see the present status of Little Riss. - there's not much left that the RAF could use.

[SaddamsLoveChild]

When will someone within the MOD actually investigate this project and when will the RAF Infra staffs take some ownership of a crap plan...........until senior officers are given ownership of a project until completion then this will happen and they will just carry on pissing people around with no thought for anyone but themselves and their career. I was at Air when this was talked about and I remember sitting in a room with a 2 * officer and his infra advisors who told him it wouldnt work but it wasnt going to be their problem in 2 years, never mind eh!

We all saw it coming but no-one wanted or could apply the brakes. Glad I left when I did, although at least thye are getting subsistence allowances etc

[Blacksheep]

In my time ('66-'77) there weren't any spare married quarters. You had to wait months in the queue to get one. In many cases ever came available and you'd end up in a "hiring" for the tour.

..because half of one room was on day shift and were at work, and the other half were sleeping off nights and were still in bed...The Navy have the answer. "Hot Bunking" - one bed, two men. One on night shift the other on days. Simples. Innit? :suspect:

[brakedwell]

The Navy have the answer. "Hot Bunking" - one bed, two men. :eek::eek::eek:

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

All perfectly legal now.
Besides, it was this, Rum and The Lash that kept the Navy going, according to Churchill.

[Fluffy Bunny]

All perfectly legal now.
Doesn't make it compulsary though!!! :eek: :E

[Blacksheep]

Dirty minds... :=

Worst accommodation I experienced was in January '69 at Stanmore Park while on a course at Hatfield, 30 miles away in Hertfordshire. A wooden hut with pot-belly stove - traditional wartime singlies quarters, except there was no coal. We burned all the linoleum, the wooden furniture and the wooden handrails from the covered walkways to the outside ablutions. If we'd stayed any longer, the hut next door would have been next in the pot. :}

[Ken Scott]

This thread seems to be turning into the 4 Yorkshiremen's sketch....'Worst accommodation I ever 'ad were in't shoebox in middle o' road....you were lucky!'....etc.

Blacksheep - you had a pot belly stove.......!

[Cabbage_Crate]

I have just had an email telling me that I am to be accomodated in the soon to be refurbished Annex to the Mess currently in use as a school! I hope the furniture is changed too!

[mymatetcm]

This was the old aircrew annex to the mess that was taken over by the Auggies and converted to offices etc. reasonably decent building for accomodation.

[Blacksheep]

Blacksheep - you had a pot belly stove.......! That was then. Now I just have a pot belly. ;)