Hi all
Originally Posted by Mike Jenvey
Historically, yes! And if you were one of the chosen few (I wasn't!), allegedly the attractive (Dutch) blonde batting lady at one of the Mess blocks at Bruggen would do more than bring you a cup of tea!!
Avoid imitations
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Probably the same as the young "lady" who worked in the East wing of the Officer's Mess at 1 FTS in the late 1970s.
She was known as... "The Goblin Teasmade".
Unfortunately I was in the West wing.
True story
She was known as... "The Goblin Teasmade".
Unfortunately I was in the West wing.
True story
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Obviously Bruggen was similar to Wahn.
It was hard luck if you happened to be at the end of the corridor, sometimes the tea would not arrive because it had been delayed enroute.
It was hard luck if you happened to be at the end of the corridor, sometimes the tea would not arrive because it had been delayed enroute.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Yoou should have seen the T-lady at Yeovilton.
Hairy Matelot, huge pot (tea) in rope cradle, lid inverted, sugar bowl in the lid. Didn't spill a drop. Milk? Already in the tea.
Hairy Matelot, huge pot (tea) in rope cradle, lid inverted, sugar bowl in the lid. Didn't spill a drop. Milk? Already in the tea.
The batty bringing a morning cup of tea tradition ended in the late '80s.
Ofiicers Mess rooms were then supposed to be provided with tea/coffee making facilities instead. Few were - another cost-cutting deceit.
Ofiicers Mess rooms were then supposed to be provided with tea/coffee making facilities instead. Few were - another cost-cutting deceit.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Mike or was that easier to clean? Ie bed in the middle of the room so you could get all round it to make it?
I bet there are still only two layouts in the mess. Rooms that are occupied with a bed against the wall and those for visitors with beds in the middle.
Course the dark blue is different having neither beds nor rooms.
I bet there are still only two layouts in the mess. Rooms that are occupied with a bed against the wall and those for visitors with beds in the middle.
Course the dark blue is different having neither beds nor rooms.
The Officers Mess at Wattisham still has batting and if you are downstairs in the West Wing - the lovely Dawn will bring you a cuppa (no crack of dawn jokes please
.
ShyTorque, I remember Linton mess well - the goblin teasmade was enjoyed by a mate on my course who also had fun with her mother!
.ShyTorque, I remember Linton mess well - the goblin teasmade was enjoyed by a mate on my course who also had fun with her mother!
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Why is it that I have always been posted somewhere just after all this happens, or it happened after I left?
I had a Batman who, despite repeated requests not to, would wash everything I owned at the same temperature to ensure a uniform 'greyness', and then it tasted like he used the washing water to make the tea.
I had a Batman who, despite repeated requests not to, would wash everything I owned at the same temperature to ensure a uniform 'greyness', and then it tasted like he used the washing water to make the tea.
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Originally Posted by BEagle
The batty bringing a morning cup of tea tradition ended in the late '80s.
Ofiicers Mess rooms were then supposed to be provided with tea/coffee making facilities instead. Few were - another cost-cutting deceit.
Ofiicers Mess rooms were then supposed to be provided with tea/coffee making facilities instead. Few were - another cost-cutting deceit.
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Hi All
Slightly off thread - but only slightly. Back in '57, 216 Sqn had brand new Comet 2s (following the Comet 1 accidents) and were newly operating a slip service throught to Adelaide via El Adem, Khormaksar, Katunayake, Changi and Darwin.
Now you have to realize that in 57 there were no upper airways or upper air rules in Europe or anywhere else on the route. There were no mil aircraft up there other than a few fighters or a singleton bomber and certainly no civil acft above about 25000. So as far as the Comet was concerned, you climbed to an initial altitude of about 33,000 ft, set cruise power, engaged the speed lock and drifted up to your max height which of course was achieved at the top of descent. On a long sector - say El Adem to Karachi this could easily be 44,000 ft. I seem to remember we were restricted to 45,000 as we could hold our max diff with an 8000 ft cabin.
We used to fly two sectors before slipping, so El Adem was a one and a half hour tech stop before onwards and upwards. Now the hardest worked crew member was clearly the navigator who used to hit the ground running for flight planning and met. These were also the days when met briefing was a fairly long "interview" with the met man who loaded you up with masses of charts and you then had a complicated session at flight planning working out the fuel required and the point of the initial TOC (worked backwards from the TOD!!). The poor guy was always the last man back on theaircraft.
Now all this is really leading up to the point of the tale. El Adem was of course an unaccompanied tour and I believe the only female on the base was a very elderly lady who ran the Naffi wagon or Sally Anne which would trundle out to meet the Aircraft. A wag of a co-pilot (P G********h) got an old type penny, fixed it to a 2 inch piece of gaudy deckchair material and a safety pin and declared it the G********h medal, to be awarded to the first 216 nav to get his end away on a one and a half hour turnaround at El Adem. There were never any takers!! Aplogies for nicking the thread, but I thought it would fit the mood!
Now you have to realize that in 57 there were no upper airways or upper air rules in Europe or anywhere else on the route. There were no mil aircraft up there other than a few fighters or a singleton bomber and certainly no civil acft above about 25000. So as far as the Comet was concerned, you climbed to an initial altitude of about 33,000 ft, set cruise power, engaged the speed lock and drifted up to your max height which of course was achieved at the top of descent. On a long sector - say El Adem to Karachi this could easily be 44,000 ft. I seem to remember we were restricted to 45,000 as we could hold our max diff with an 8000 ft cabin.
We used to fly two sectors before slipping, so El Adem was a one and a half hour tech stop before onwards and upwards. Now the hardest worked crew member was clearly the navigator who used to hit the ground running for flight planning and met. These were also the days when met briefing was a fairly long "interview" with the met man who loaded you up with masses of charts and you then had a complicated session at flight planning working out the fuel required and the point of the initial TOC (worked backwards from the TOD!!). The poor guy was always the last man back on theaircraft.
Now all this is really leading up to the point of the tale. El Adem was of course an unaccompanied tour and I believe the only female on the base was a very elderly lady who ran the Naffi wagon or Sally Anne which would trundle out to meet the Aircraft. A wag of a co-pilot (P G********h) got an old type penny, fixed it to a 2 inch piece of gaudy deckchair material and a safety pin and declared it the G********h medal, to be awarded to the first 216 nav to get his end away on a one and a half hour turnaround at El Adem. There were never any takers!! Aplogies for nicking the thread, but I thought it would fit the mood!