MPA bars
Join Date: Sep 2003
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The best bar by far was on the MV Brandon down in Mare Harbour. One of the few places you get get spirits, heaven!!
Invite only and they had some gay boy chef (John I think) who used to camp it up and then cook you all breakfast when the sun(?) rose in the morning after a blurry eyed session. The scramble egg did taste a bit funny but hey ho.......... Apparently his 'dark' side was kept sustained by the duty RN bleep who liked a bit of rum, bum and baccy!
Best night was onboard ship in dock with a BBQ for bonfire nite (I think?). Upset one young chiny loadie (oops crewman!) when asking if his beloved groupie liked a bit of up hill gardening. Didn't go down to well, unlike the pretty (for the falks!) SES girly who could suck ping pong balls thru a tube. Should have been in films.
Happy, happy memories indeed.
ISITD
Invite only and they had some gay boy chef (John I think) who used to camp it up and then cook you all breakfast when the sun(?) rose in the morning after a blurry eyed session. The scramble egg did taste a bit funny but hey ho.......... Apparently his 'dark' side was kept sustained by the duty RN bleep who liked a bit of rum, bum and baccy!
Best night was onboard ship in dock with a BBQ for bonfire nite (I think?). Upset one young chiny loadie (oops crewman!) when asking if his beloved groupie liked a bit of up hill gardening. Didn't go down to well, unlike the pretty (for the falks!) SES girly who could suck ping pong balls thru a tube. Should have been in films.
Happy, happy memories indeed.
ISITD
The Bristow bar may have been known by some as Eric's, but it was officially "The Spider's Web". It was open to company staff from end of flying each day, but generally had open nights each Sunday night (as Monday was our day off). Often got temporarily closed due to overpopularity........
Sadly, Bristow lost the contract to Brintel in 1999 after 16 years operations in the Falklands - haven't heard whether they continued to offer the same hospitality ??
Sadly, Bristow lost the contract to Brintel in 1999 after 16 years operations in the Falklands - haven't heard whether they continued to offer the same hospitality ??
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Brintels
Oh, yes. Brintels still run a good bar.
78 Sqn always had an open invitation as we worked in the same hangar. Although, there were numerous times when 78 people were banned (usually aircrew I might add (well, loadies anyway)).
The NAAFI mafia have gradually taken over down there and shut almost all of the bars now.
There are still some illicit bars still hanging on though!
78 Sqn always had an open invitation as we worked in the same hangar. Although, there were numerous times when 78 people were banned (usually aircrew I might add (well, loadies anyway)).
The NAAFI mafia have gradually taken over down there and shut almost all of the bars now.
There are still some illicit bars still hanging on though!
Join Date: May 2000
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Although, there were numerous times when 78 people were banned (usually aircrew I might add (well, loadies anyway))
Join Date: Jan 2001
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I hate to admit this but I rather wish I had done a (very short) stint down there before I left. Then at least I would know a bit about the locations you are all discussing. It certainly seems that the many and various watering holes at MPA are essential if any hint of good morale is to survive in what seems to be a very depressing outpost. So ease off, BEagle.
The sketch map at the beginning was ace and is the best representation of the layout of MPA that I have seen. Thanx ZH875. I don't suppose any of you have some (sanitised) photos of the place that you can publish here. The last one I saw showed a bomb crater in the runway!
The sketch map at the beginning was ace and is the best representation of the layout of MPA that I have seen. Thanx ZH875. I don't suppose any of you have some (sanitised) photos of the place that you can publish here. The last one I saw showed a bomb crater in the runway!
Join Date: Oct 2005
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I hate to admit this but I rather wish I had done a (very short) stint down there before I left.
Believe me, you didn't miss anything!!
To date, I've served 4 sentences down there!
"The last one I saw showed a bomb crater in the runway!"
That was Stanley, Puerto Argentino - not MPA, Base Aerea Gringo!
I've heard that some people are volunteering to go to the Malvinas these days - as a change from Bliar's desert adventurism.
That was Stanley, Puerto Argentino - not MPA, Base Aerea Gringo!
I've heard that some people are volunteering to go to the Malvinas these days - as a change from Bliar's desert adventurism.
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Retired to Bisley from the small African nation
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Zoom
Wrong airfield.
The bomb (no 21 from Martin Withers Vulcan) landed on the runway at Stanley, and caused problems for several years after because the filled hole was not as solid as the surrounding terrain and the steel matting runway surface moved on top of it.
MPA (Mount Pleasant Airfield) is just north of the Stanley - Goose Green road and south of Pleasant Peak, about 45km west of Port Stanley.
It opened in 1985. The first fixed wing aircraft to land there (just before the official opening) was the C130 that lost half a wing in a midair with a RN Sea King.
Actually I'm really depressed I spent enough time down south to know all that.
Sven
Groan - beaten on the keyboard by a Bl00dy truckie!
Wrong airfield.
The bomb (no 21 from Martin Withers Vulcan) landed on the runway at Stanley, and caused problems for several years after because the filled hole was not as solid as the surrounding terrain and the steel matting runway surface moved on top of it.
MPA (Mount Pleasant Airfield) is just north of the Stanley - Goose Green road and south of Pleasant Peak, about 45km west of Port Stanley.
It opened in 1985. The first fixed wing aircraft to land there (just before the official opening) was the C130 that lost half a wing in a midair with a RN Sea King.
Actually I'm really depressed I spent enough time down south to know all that.
Sven
Groan - beaten on the keyboard by a Bl00dy truckie!
Hmmm - when the Malvinas war began I was on F4s.... But parted acquiantance with that aeroplane about a month before I was due to go down to Stanley.
So I did all my time down there defending bennies from the comfort of a far more civilised aeroplane. Apart from a short stretch in an office, that is.
Never did any truckie trips there though!
So I did all my time down there defending bennies from the comfort of a far more civilised aeroplane. Apart from a short stretch in an office, that is.
Never did any truckie trips there though!
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Apologies Beags - I had you pegged from a different background!
My favourite southern bar remains the Navy Point mess. 30-odd people from all three Services, all the fun police on the other side of the harbour, and all the boats controlled by NP residents.
OK the place was a dump but time fades out the bad bits.
Sven
My favourite southern bar remains the Navy Point mess. 30-odd people from all three Services, all the fun police on the other side of the harbour, and all the boats controlled by NP residents.
OK the place was a dump but time fades out the bad bits.
Sven
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Ah Friday night at MPA. Quickie at the Dog and Badger at 1600. Mess for food 1700, pick up Mrs and troops. Castaways Tubthumping 1900-2100, Shady.s 2100-2300. Mess 2300, Goose 0001 til 0400ish, an d still got change from a Fiver. Attempted to visit all the bars, most were great had some brilliant times in the Goose despite not being aircrew. Great place, well run and very amusing. Good pole too I remember!
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MPA/Stanley Bars
A little bit of BS perhaps there KENNYR. Unless there was an 'Erics' at RAF Stanley. MPA didn't open until 1985 so you couldn't have been there in the early 80s.
I think they was a bar called the 'shed' in the coastels at Stanley which was frequently quite regularly. I think the term 'getting a shed on' comes from there.
I think they was a bar called the 'shed' in the coastels at Stanley which was frequently quite regularly. I think the term 'getting a shed on' comes from there.
Icecoldetc mate - sorry to correct you there, but KennyR and my good self were in FI at the time MPA was being completed. (So was SilsoSid, a mere whipper-snapper, but let's not go there). As it happens, we had the pleasure of returning home on the first 747 out of Dodge.
Eric's was situated in a house in Stanley (was it a Wednesday? I thought it was Thursday nights). We were at Murray Heights (open house, except for Harrier pilots, on Friday nights). Short tab into town from Lookout Camp for a quiet beer. Followed by the traditional 'loads of noisy ones'.
Eric's was situated in a house in Stanley (was it a Wednesday? I thought it was Thursday nights). We were at Murray Heights (open house, except for Harrier pilots, on Friday nights). Short tab into town from Lookout Camp for a quiet beer. Followed by the traditional 'loads of noisy ones'.
Last edited by diginagain; 23rd Oct 2005 at 10:14.