The varying standard of RAF ladies
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The varying standard of RAF ladies
I attended a (very enjoyable) function at a certain large, secret, midlands airbase last month. All good fun, with lots of ex-chums around. However, and ever-so-slightly tongue in cheek:-
What struck me was the comparison of today's "ladies" with the ones I remember from the 60's and 70's. I'm sure I detect a certain dumbing down in this area. We had the odd Penny Dread-Full and a couple of, er, bottom feeders, but most were girls and ladies who could turn a few heads, with personalities to match.
I know it's not gallant to state explicitly, but based on last month's do, and the odd mess visit, there seems to have been a gradual and relative decline in standards in this area. Most attached and unattached females seem to conform to the Comprehensive School model rather than the pre-Sloane/private school types I remember, again with the personalities to match.
Is this, as I suspect, just a reflection of society in general, or is it that the "gentlemen" are in the same boat and choose a like-minded partner? Whatever, it does seem to make for a more boring mess life!
What struck me was the comparison of today's "ladies" with the ones I remember from the 60's and 70's. I'm sure I detect a certain dumbing down in this area. We had the odd Penny Dread-Full and a couple of, er, bottom feeders, but most were girls and ladies who could turn a few heads, with personalities to match.
I know it's not gallant to state explicitly, but based on last month's do, and the odd mess visit, there seems to have been a gradual and relative decline in standards in this area. Most attached and unattached females seem to conform to the Comprehensive School model rather than the pre-Sloane/private school types I remember, again with the personalities to match.
Is this, as I suspect, just a reflection of society in general, or is it that the "gentlemen" are in the same boat and choose a like-minded partner? Whatever, it does seem to make for a more boring mess life!
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You're on dangerous ground here. I give this thread about 24 hours tops.
Whilst the non-PC 'get your knickers on and make me a cup of tea' side of my personality longs to make a facetious remark and cheap joke the rational side must object to a rather ungentlemanly dig on your part. Perhaps these days ladies are recruited to the RAF based on their ability to do the job of an RAF Officer rather than the job of a catwalk model. Of course I know many who excel in both areas and a few who can do neither but I won't name names.
I don't think our WRAFs would be to impressed to be told that to be successful they have to be 'pretty little things' and provide eye candy to crusty old warhorses who long for the RAF of the 70s, nylon thunderbirds jackets et al.
Whilst the non-PC 'get your knickers on and make me a cup of tea' side of my personality longs to make a facetious remark and cheap joke the rational side must object to a rather ungentlemanly dig on your part. Perhaps these days ladies are recruited to the RAF based on their ability to do the job of an RAF Officer rather than the job of a catwalk model. Of course I know many who excel in both areas and a few who can do neither but I won't name names.
I don't think our WRAFs would be to impressed to be told that to be successful they have to be 'pretty little things' and provide eye candy to crusty old warhorses who long for the RAF of the 70s, nylon thunderbirds jackets et al.
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More to the point - what are they doing out of the kitchen in the first place ???
FFE - I bet you wear a cravat and / or smoking jacket. I think you'll find that most of us dont care what our female colleagues look like as long as they can do the job. I feel that, with climate change approaching fast, dinosaurs like yourself will not be around for long.
FFE - I bet you wear a cravat and / or smoking jacket. I think you'll find that most of us dont care what our female colleagues look like as long as they can do the job. I feel that, with climate change approaching fast, dinosaurs like yourself will not be around for long.
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Priceless.
I bet you're the sort who still likes to be referred to by their old rank when down at the local golf club with your chums. The Major from Fawlty Towers springs to mind.
I bet you're the sort who still likes to be referred to by their old rank when down at the local golf club with your chums. The Major from Fawlty Towers springs to mind.
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I suspect that FFE is primarily referring to wives/partners and is either an exceptionally ignorant dinosaur or is just fishing. If he is genuine, thank god we only have to entertain people like that in the Mess infrequently for reunions.
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FFE, how dreadful that the girls the chaps choose to spend their time/lives with are not up to your standards.
I would have thought, looking rearwards with your rose-tinted specs, that you might remember a time where gentlemen considered discretion the better part of valour.
I would have thought, looking rearwards with your rose-tinted specs, that you might remember a time where gentlemen considered discretion the better part of valour.
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He may be a Troll, but he has a fair point.
In the days of WRAF there were many more babes then Hippogorillamoussepig.
The demise of 'WRAF' with their little hostie hats did much more then make everybody look the same.
<Takes PC Pill>
Time for an EO Course refresher
Unless he is talking about Domestic Leaders in which case he needs to clean the lenses on the rose tinted glasses.
In the days of WRAF there were many more babes then Hippogorillamoussepig.
The demise of 'WRAF' with their little hostie hats did much more then make everybody look the same.
<Takes PC Pill>
Time for an EO Course refresher
Unless he is talking about Domestic Leaders in which case he needs to clean the lenses on the rose tinted glasses.
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"I say, chaps - there is nothing wrong with a dashing young fellow wanting a trim little craft to have on his arm and look pretty for him is there? I mean - they all join the RAF to marry a pilot after all, don't they? What the bally hell is this man's Air Force coming to if it is any different?"
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I wonder if the red misted posters who are queuing up to have a go at the wonderfully anachronistic ("and ever-so-slightly tongue in cheek") FirstFiveEighth, will join in the clamour to get the leadership, mail, pay and admin sorted out too? But in all fairness to him, he didn't have a go at their ability to do their job (which I am sure is fantastic), merely their looks. And lets face it, there are some double baggers about.
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Robin,
I had one - I should know! Would that give me added credibility? And anyway, whats wrong with a 'comprehensive school personality'? Are you really being bigoted and so discriminatory, or do my eyes deceive me?
I know too, when I see someone having a chuckle. But at the risk of losing sight of the humour value here (if its still allowed of course).. is not discrimination a principle anymore, or does it only apply to those things in our workplace? I mean, not much scope for ageism in a military.. perhaps we should include it as part of an arrival briefing. It seems the need has been identified..
I had one - I should know! Would that give me added credibility? And anyway, whats wrong with a 'comprehensive school personality'? Are you really being bigoted and so discriminatory, or do my eyes deceive me?
I know too, when I see someone having a chuckle. But at the risk of losing sight of the humour value here (if its still allowed of course).. is not discrimination a principle anymore, or does it only apply to those things in our workplace? I mean, not much scope for ageism in a military.. perhaps we should include it as part of an arrival briefing. It seems the need has been identified..
with climate change approaching fast, dinosaurs like yourself will not be around for long.
crusty old warhorses who long for the RAF of the 70s, nylon thunderbirds jackets et al.
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Again, should you re-read the original post, you would see that a "comprehensive school personality" is another slight the poster makes against the ladies in question, thus not "merely" judging their looks.
I do not judge "comprehensive school" anything to prejudice it's value, but you'll notice the OP associates it with "a decline". It does not require a brain the size of a planet to deduce it was meant in a disparaging manner.
Could it be that whilst you are vociferously defending the OP's choice to be discourteous to mess guests, you have not actually read and digested his post in full? Have another crack.
I do not judge "comprehensive school" anything to prejudice it's value, but you'll notice the OP associates it with "a decline". It does not require a brain the size of a planet to deduce it was meant in a disparaging manner.
Could it be that whilst you are vociferously defending the OP's choice to be discourteous to mess guests, you have not actually read and digested his post in full? Have another crack.
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Women circa 60's in RAF
Women Circa Now ish
Of course One has to take into account of FFE's Eye sight into account before we judge her (toungue in Cheek )
I bet FFE never met anything like this
Women Circa Now ish
Of course One has to take into account of FFE's Eye sight into account before we judge her (toungue in Cheek )
I bet FFE never met anything like this
Last edited by sikeano; 15th Feb 2008 at 11:40. Reason: Just for a laugh
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Tongue in Cheek?
Gentlemen, whether the remark was 'tongue in cheek' or not is irrelevant - as we all know, the sad fact of life these days is that what matters is how the remark can be perceived, rather than how it's intended. And for as much as it irks me, there are many who would take umbrage with what I consider are the OP's droll observations.
(Chinecap, when are you going to return my greatcoat?)
(Chinecap, when are you going to return my greatcoat?)
