Cyprus style Meze
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Brandy Sour
Just been looking at the Brandy Sour posts.
I have found that cheapest possible brandy you can get from supermarket, ordinary soda water, Angostura and Robinsonson's Lemon Barley Water works rather well. I recommend it to military air and ground crew (see the link to the forum title?).
I have found that cheapest possible brandy you can get from supermarket, ordinary soda water, Angostura and Robinsonson's Lemon Barley Water works rather well. I recommend it to military air and ground crew (see the link to the forum title?).
Slight thread drift - but does anyone remember the magic Limassol taxis? You got in the back, briefly closed your eyes, then slid over to the other door and got out to find yourself at Akrotiri guardroom. Never did find out how it worked 
The taxis were usually old Mercedes 190 diesels - I remember one driver claiming his had done over 600k miles, and judging by the state of the bodywork he may well have been right.
The taxis were usually old Mercedes 190 diesels - I remember one driver claiming his had done over 600k miles, and judging by the state of the bodywork he may well have been right.
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Apologies for the thread drift that follows.
In 74 was but a spotty faced lad on holiday with my Ma and Pa in Kyrenia.
The "holiday" was cut short somewhat with Archbish M being chased off and that bunch of nutters taking over.....................
When the villages on the northern slopes of the coastal hills began to burn my Pa reckoned that it would take Johnny Turk a fortnight to get organised. Well even Dads can be wrong as we were woken the next dawn by the familiar odour of aviation fuel and the scream of a pair of F100s pickling off a pair of naparm canisters into the olive grove at the back of our hotel where some ancient T34s were parked up.
The for real "air display" by a swarm of UH1s going to Nicosia (somewhat higher and fewer on the return journey
), F104s smoking in at low level plus a Turkish CF Adams DDG shelling the old fort was a real eye opener for me and probably had a lot to do with me joining up later.
It was only after a RN Wasp with an Admiral in full formal gear who organised the convoy of hire cars etc to 8 mile beach with the Paras (UN in still wet paint on the side of their Ferrets) + Marines etc for our Helo trip onto HMS Hermes, that we found out that the guys from Akrotiri were flying CAP.
So its a bit late I know but thanks for the top cover guys.
Wonder if our suitcases are still behind the door where we left them.......
In 74 was but a spotty faced lad on holiday with my Ma and Pa in Kyrenia.
The "holiday" was cut short somewhat with Archbish M being chased off and that bunch of nutters taking over.....................
When the villages on the northern slopes of the coastal hills began to burn my Pa reckoned that it would take Johnny Turk a fortnight to get organised. Well even Dads can be wrong as we were woken the next dawn by the familiar odour of aviation fuel and the scream of a pair of F100s pickling off a pair of naparm canisters into the olive grove at the back of our hotel where some ancient T34s were parked up.
The for real "air display" by a swarm of UH1s going to Nicosia (somewhat higher and fewer on the return journey
), F104s smoking in at low level plus a Turkish CF Adams DDG shelling the old fort was a real eye opener for me and probably had a lot to do with me joining up later.It was only after a RN Wasp with an Admiral in full formal gear who organised the convoy of hire cars etc to 8 mile beach with the Paras (UN in still wet paint on the side of their Ferrets) + Marines etc for our Helo trip onto HMS Hermes, that we found out that the guys from Akrotiri were flying CAP.
So its a bit late I know but thanks for the top cover guys.
Wonder if our suitcases are still behind the door where we left them.......
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the magic Limassol taxis?
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For a bit extra the taxi drivers could be persuaded to take one extra in the boot.
Also recall stowing away on 216s' coach returning from the kebab house. On realising it was going way over the other side of the base from us I ran to the front with my hand clamped over my mouth as one of their lasses shouted "He's going to be sick!" and was turfed off just in front of my room. (poetic licence there, I think it took a half hour wander through the bondu to get back!)
I was all of seventeen at the time.
Also recall stowing away on 216s' coach returning from the kebab house. On realising it was going way over the other side of the base from us I ran to the front with my hand clamped over my mouth as one of their lasses shouted "He's going to be sick!" and was turfed off just in front of my room. (poetic licence there, I think it took a half hour wander through the bondu to get back!)
I was all of seventeen at the time.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Allwayzinit, you may have been a passenger of mine. I was flying the C130 at the time and brought back a couple of loads of "refugees". Interesting aside; on contact with French ATC (Marseilles?) the first question was "do you have any French passengers?" If the answer was yes, it was contact military radar and direct Abbeville, if not, the whole airways route. Strangely enough, every aircraft seemed to have a couple of distressed Frenchmen aboard. 
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Held sometime in October I believe TTN.
.. and despite many refillls of the small glass I still remember our group pausing to partake of a kebab from one of the stalls in the grounds and the err incident which quickly followed ...
Scene: three 'tired and emotional' chaps munching happily on kebabs when
Fourth chap says "What do you reckon to these then lads?"
Three x mumbles of something approximating to "Lovely grub, needed this, hic" etc
Fourth chap (in very loud voice) "Excellent.. Glad you're all enjoying this donkey kebab so much!
Enter very rapidly stage left an aggrieved stallholder ..
Stavros: "Donkey? What do you mean donkey? Are you accusing me of selling you fine gentlemen donkey meat in the kebabs you are so obviously enjoying. Would I do that to you / What kind of person do you take me for? etc etc etc etc etc"
Fourth mate (being genuinely sincere): "Yup it's donkey alright. I grew up in India mate and I've had it loads of times. Stop getting so upset - you've cooked it really well which is why we're all enjoying it so much"
Exit stage a very puzzled and suddenly quietened stallholder...
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About 23 years ago I had my 18th in Cyprus...There used to be a couple of kebab houses not far from the camp...Chris's and I think the other one was called the Swan? Anyway at that tender age I sat in wonder watching the crusty old experienced types ruthlessly haggling with the waiter for Kokkinelli...It went along the lines of 'So we'll pay for 5 you give us 15 for free'...And then you'd only be paying pennies for the ones that you did get stung for...Toasted squeaky cheese sometimes sandwiched with a piece of ham was always my favourite!
Off topic but worth the tale...There for a week on the Nimrod(MR2) ...went down town till late O' clock so cab drops off at gate which as most of you know is sodding miles from where you sleep...None of us fancy the walk so set up camp sat on the kerb chatting to guards waiting for other sort of cab to come get us...Getting later now and still no wheels when the milk delivery van pitches up...As he stops at the gate to secure his entry a number of quick thinking Nim guys cling to the back of his truck without him knowing and off he sets...Myself and another dry guy opt to wait and a couple of minutes later a cab arrives...we set off cursing our much cleverer colleagues who are probably in bed by now for free...Get back to 12 man room to discover its empty...Can't think of a solution so bed down as its now really late and briefings beckon in the AM...About 2 hours later the rest stumble through the door coughing, puking and cursing with bits of bondu sticking out of their hair and clothing...The milk truck had set off at a healthy pace of about 50-60 MPH causing them to cling like spider monkies before hanging a right down to the hospital hitting every bump on the way...On stopping at the hospital he was most shocked (near heart attack apparently) to discover lots of people collapsed in a white faced heap at the back of his truck..After much shouting from the driver they were forced to jog/yomp (with bellies full of all the usual Cypriot social products) across open country back to the blocks which I'm lead to believe is no short distance! I miss those days....
Off topic but worth the tale...There for a week on the Nimrod(MR2) ...went down town till late O' clock so cab drops off at gate which as most of you know is sodding miles from where you sleep...None of us fancy the walk so set up camp sat on the kerb chatting to guards waiting for other sort of cab to come get us...Getting later now and still no wheels when the milk delivery van pitches up...As he stops at the gate to secure his entry a number of quick thinking Nim guys cling to the back of his truck without him knowing and off he sets...Myself and another dry guy opt to wait and a couple of minutes later a cab arrives...we set off cursing our much cleverer colleagues who are probably in bed by now for free...Get back to 12 man room to discover its empty...Can't think of a solution so bed down as its now really late and briefings beckon in the AM...About 2 hours later the rest stumble through the door coughing, puking and cursing with bits of bondu sticking out of their hair and clothing...The milk truck had set off at a healthy pace of about 50-60 MPH causing them to cling like spider monkies before hanging a right down to the hospital hitting every bump on the way...On stopping at the hospital he was most shocked (near heart attack apparently) to discover lots of people collapsed in a white faced heap at the back of his truck..After much shouting from the driver they were forced to jog/yomp (with bellies full of all the usual Cypriot social products) across open country back to the blocks which I'm lead to believe is no short distance! I miss those days....
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Hi Herod
Our trip home was not with you I'm afraid, for us it was a -10 facing backwards!
back to tread......................
Simply can't look a glass of Kokineli in the eye without THAT feeling!!And that bloody liverish stuff
.
Do remember,just, having had no chance of reaching the heads being in an end room, making the window..................having finished
looked down to see one of the many ferral cats looking up at me with an extremely p#ssed off expression.
"Don't remember eating that!"
Ah the memories of Her Mag's Ossifer's
Our trip home was not with you I'm afraid, for us it was a -10 facing backwards!
back to tread......................
Simply can't look a glass of Kokineli in the eye without THAT feeling!!And that bloody liverish stuff
.Do remember,just, having had no chance of reaching the heads being in an end room, making the window..................having finished
looked down to see one of the many ferral cats looking up at me with an extremely p#ssed off expression."Don't remember eating that!"
Ah the memories of Her Mag's Ossifer's
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BTW 9 yds or 27 ft was the length of the ammunition belts feeding the guns in the WW1 string bags
9yds was WWII USAAF.Agree on the Lemon barley water making a passible Cyp Brandy Sour but it has to be Robinson's, as you say.
L'sol Wine Festival Fountain usually had a packet of Daz lobbed into it ISTR.
Anyone remember Lofty's bar at the (then, 1969-72) west end of the Bypass. Twas my local for a couple of years.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
After my last kebab meal I went to pay the sqn bill. An old boy, with an impossibly long length of ash on his cigarette was mixing the meat for the kebab sausages. The ash fell into the mix and was duly worked in to the sausages.
But these were really Turkish kebab restaurants.
More recently we had a great fish meze in Epi village. Deep fried baby crab was one delicacy.
But these were really Turkish kebab restaurants.
More recently we had a great fish meze in Epi village. Deep fried baby crab was one delicacy.
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Gainsey
Thanks for the gen re drums & belts. I like being corrected when I've got something wrong; it improves my knowledge base 
. glad you agree about Robinson's LBW.
. glad you agree about Robinson's LBW.
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I forgot about the one thing that is a dead cert for an authentic AKT mezze
Halfway through your meal, another group of men must arrive for their own meal. They will be another a/c type crew also passing through. Amongst them will be someone you haven't seen in 15 years who you end up talking bolleaux to for the rest of the night and probably not see for another 15 years.
Halfway through your meal, another group of men must arrive for their own meal. They will be another a/c type crew also passing through. Amongst them will be someone you haven't seen in 15 years who you end up talking bolleaux to for the rest of the night and probably not see for another 15 years.
It was only after a RN Wasp with an Admiral in full formal gear who organised the convoy of hire cars etc to 8 mile beach with the Paras (UN in still wet paint on the side of their Ferrets) + Marines etc for our Helo trip onto HMS Hermes, that we found out that the guys from Akrotiri were flying CAP.
Alwayzinit - I suspect that the guy to whom you refer was actually a four stripe Captain at the time, but dressed precisely as you say as he strode along the jetty at Kyrenia knocking Turkish soldiers out of the way with his silver-headed Malacca cane! He had only been in command of ANDROMEDA and the 6th (?) Frigate Squadron for about two days when, instead of turning left out of Grand Harbour Malta to sail back to UK for refit, she turned right and headed for Kyrenia - the good news is that he was awarded the CBE for that operation and did go on to become a Vice Admiral - one of the very good guys too.
For an even more significant Military Aircrew connection have a look at Captain Ian McKechnie - Herald Scotland | Sport | SPL | Aberdeen , which is sadly the ANDROMEDA's Flight Commander's subsequent obituary, and read and respect the part he and his Wasp played in the Cyprus operation, as well as how he became a member of the Caterpillar Club as a Sea Vixen pilot.
Jack
Alwayzinit - I suspect that the guy to whom you refer was actually a four stripe Captain at the time, but dressed precisely as you say as he strode along the jetty at Kyrenia knocking Turkish soldiers out of the way with his silver-headed Malacca cane! He had only been in command of ANDROMEDA and the 6th (?) Frigate Squadron for about two days when, instead of turning left out of Grand Harbour Malta to sail back to UK for refit, she turned right and headed for Kyrenia - the good news is that he was awarded the CBE for that operation and did go on to become a Vice Admiral - one of the very good guys too.
For an even more significant Military Aircrew connection have a look at Captain Ian McKechnie - Herald Scotland | Sport | SPL | Aberdeen , which is sadly the ANDROMEDA's Flight Commander's subsequent obituary, and read and respect the part he and his Wasp played in the Cyprus operation, as well as how he became a member of the Caterpillar Club as a Sea Vixen pilot.
Jack
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Episkopi Village
Pontius, your post reminded me that there used to be (1983/84 ish) an interesting taverna in Episkopi village called the Episkopi Village Inn (IIRC).
It was run by a brit. A really entertaining host with a seriously plummy english public school type accent and, aware of litigation as I am, I won't mention his belly.
I remember having a splendid meze in the courtyard one evening, sitting under a Basil bush as big as a big Basil bush and with a fantastic scent.
I was dining with (ex) Mrs SOSL and Miss SOSL No. 1 (4 weeks old) parked in a carrycot next to the table. I seem to remember that there were some 84 Sqn Aircrew there that night and a hairy old winchman revealed his soft side by tickling Miss SOSL's tummy (today he would have been arrested).
The grilled liver was superb.
What fun we had!
It was run by a brit. A really entertaining host with a seriously plummy english public school type accent and, aware of litigation as I am, I won't mention his belly.
I remember having a splendid meze in the courtyard one evening, sitting under a Basil bush as big as a big Basil bush and with a fantastic scent.
I was dining with (ex) Mrs SOSL and Miss SOSL No. 1 (4 weeks old) parked in a carrycot next to the table. I seem to remember that there were some 84 Sqn Aircrew there that night and a hairy old winchman revealed his soft side by tickling Miss SOSL's tummy (today he would have been arrested).
The grilled liver was superb.
What fun we had!
Last edited by SOSL; 13th Jul 2010 at 12:53.
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UJ, Admiral or not the Gentleman concerned was an absolute card, as you say slashing aside whomever tried to get in his way. A chip of the "Nelsonic Block".
Did you see the curious Union Flag that was flown by some tourists on the harbour entance? Made from a white bed sheet, sky blue and pink beach towels. Clever old stick my Ma!
My only bad memory of the whole 10 day thing was narrowly missing out on a Darwin Award, by rushing out to pick up some hot shrapnel form the fort shelling. My Pop nearly laid an egg but was too late to stop me.
Imagine my surprise when on turning around to go back inside, lo, there were some really big sharp bits that I must have "missed" on the way out
.
I had a new one torn for me by my Pop after that.
A chip of the "Nelsonic Block".Did you see the curious Union Flag that was flown by some tourists on the harbour entance? Made from a white bed sheet, sky blue and pink beach towels. Clever old stick my Ma!
My only bad memory of the whole 10 day thing was narrowly missing out on a Darwin Award, by rushing out to pick up some hot shrapnel form the fort shelling. My Pop nearly laid an egg but was too late to stop me.
Imagine my surprise when on turning around to go back inside, lo, there were some really big sharp bits that I must have "missed" on the way out
. I had a new one torn for me by my Pop after that.
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UJ & alwayz
Hey guys, with great respect to your recollections; minor thread drift is usually entertaining, but major thread drift is confusing and defeats the purpose.
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Epi Village Inn is a lovely place in the centre of the village, now run by a Husband & Wife team, Husband (native) - Chef, & wife (Ginger Cockney) - Manager. It is there that I was served what has now become my own signature dish - Beef medalions in Roquefort sauce avec mushrooms et frittes.
It's right posh now. Shame about the brothel across the street (not anymore)
Not to be confused with the Epi Village Pub down the hill on the main road.
Free Kokkinelli? Don't make me laugh!
How do you think they paid for a church this size in a small village?
I can only speak from the early eighties onwards, but 'free kokkinelli' was always based on one free bottle per two people. Of course, if there was a big do, negotiations could take place, but don't insult their intelligence!
Maybe the Cypriots were the first to invent 'Loss Leaders', 30 years ahead of Tesco.
I remember standing on a table in the courtyard in Sylvanas, offering my cigarette lighter up to the rafia roof, demanding free Flamin' Filfar. But it turned into a 'Climb up on Sunshine Mountain' and the table sank down to ground level, once the whole squadron had joined me.
Altogether now:-
'We're climbin' up sunshine mountain........'
It's right posh now. Shame about the brothel across the street (not anymore)
Not to be confused with the Epi Village Pub down the hill on the main road.
Free Kokkinelli? Don't make me laugh!
How do you think they paid for a church this size in a small village?
I can only speak from the early eighties onwards, but 'free kokkinelli' was always based on one free bottle per two people. Of course, if there was a big do, negotiations could take place, but don't insult their intelligence!
Maybe the Cypriots were the first to invent 'Loss Leaders', 30 years ahead of Tesco.
I remember standing on a table in the courtyard in Sylvanas, offering my cigarette lighter up to the rafia roof, demanding free Flamin' Filfar. But it turned into a 'Climb up on Sunshine Mountain' and the table sank down to ground level, once the whole squadron had joined me.
Altogether now:-
'We're climbin' up sunshine mountain........'