1960s ATC film

[Brian 48nav]

It was amazing that some people used to think that men wearing a jacket and tie were doing a better job than us scruffy types! IMHO ties and bowties are a complete waste of the Earth's resources.
The stench of body odour must have been awful - men who invariably smoked (ugh!) wearing the same jacket,jumper and trousers for years on end! Still, they wore ties and therefore must have been fantastic controllers.
Rant continues, I remember Mike Walton telling me that, when a cadet, he had turned up for work one hot day at Hurn Twr (c1971)wearing open-toed sandals and was sent home to change!
Back to my bathchair.

[chevvron]

There was a controller at Bedford used to wear open toed sandals. He eventually became the boss at ATSD, and still wore open toed sandals.

[Mr_Grubby]

1970's a controller on D Watch at LATCC was spoken to by the Watch Manager about his attire. He was wearing jeans !!!!! Heavens above.

By the next shift he had gone to Moss Bros and turned up in full top hat and tails and a cane.

We all thought it was great. Watch Manager didn't see the funny side though.

C.

[ZOOKER]

I remember an early 80s nightshift when a colleague turned up in a tee-shirt with bullfighters on, purchased on his first holiday abroad since becoming an ATCO2.
Sent home to change.

[Brian 48nav]

I recall at a ATCOs union meeting at Stockport in c'84, a member of the LATCC delegation wore a T shirt with a penis on legs chasing a fanny on legs and written over the top was something like 'Life's one f**king thing after another'. Didn't go down too well with older delegates!

No prizes for guessing which dark-haired short Scotsman called J** it was!

[chevvron]

Did he once get his national insurance paid by HM for a week?

[GAPSTER]

That's the one.Same T-shirt appeared when said fellow was on Flow Control one afternoon duty...into the office for bollocking from,if I recall correctly,Frank Weigheddownwithmoney

[Spitoon]

There was a controller at Bedford used to wear open toed sandals. He eventually became the boss at ATSD, and still wore open toed sandals.

Not the boss....but he did wear the sandals on occasion.

[DC10RealMan]

I was told that the boss at Bedford was a highly decorated World War II ex-RAF Bomber Command Lancaster pilot who was one of Guy Gibsons flight commanders. Although I never met him I certainly have heard of him and in my opinion he could wear what he liked and I would call him Sir and mean it.

[Loki]

That was Pete Ward Hunt.....he never wore sandals.

Nice chap, quite often bought me a beer at lunchtime.

The controller in question was someone else altogether.

[DC10RealMan]

Fair enough!

[Talkdownman]

All about Pete Ward-Hunt

[DC10RealMan]

I think Peter Ward-Hunts obituary says it all.

We old timers are considered to be unresponsive and unreceptive to the present day fads and fashions of present day "management".

We had people as managers who had flown Hurricanes and Spitfires, Lancasters and Mosquitos and even though they had many faults and "issues" by and large we did respect them.

Present day "managers" do not have our respect because they have not earned it and an MBA in Business Management does not confer respect.

Treating employees with courtesy and consideration confers respect,

It really is that simple.