It's a Small World
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It's a Small World
News item on Oz TV about the Herc inquest. Up pops an "aviation expert" to give his opinion and it's one of my ex cadets at Cranditz. It really is a small world.
Who out of your past has popped up in unexpected places?
Who out of your past has popped up in unexpected places?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Well there was a well known military aviation expert who didn't so much as pop up but slipped off the chair at the outbreak of GW 2. As Mrs PN acutely observed, 'he's p1ssed.'
Not precisely my own past, but a recent acquaintance was puzzled by why my name sounded familiar. Turned out he did work experience as a draughtsman at Doxfords (steam engine design) in 1946, under my grandfather (same name) who was head of the drawing office.
Recalled him as being a perfectionist and hard taskmaster, so that gene got lost somewhere.
Recalled him as being a perfectionist and hard taskmaster, so that gene got lost somewhere.
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Whils't on a sabatical at the Deid earlier this year, gave a lift to some guys waiting at one of the bus stops. Turned out he was a Yank Controller/LNO at Kabul, ex Upper Heyford who knew my ex SATCO who was at UH as a RAFLO many moons ago - like you say - small world, but maybe a close-knit one. Edited, not an aquantance I met, but a link nver the less
Woody
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A bar, Washington DC, late '70's, me in uniform (wearing beret at the request of my hosts, special forces blah).
I meet my mothers next door neighbours son. Unbelievable. 10 mins of 'what the hell are you doing here?' etc etc before RTB to hotel. Exit bar, only to be instructed by 2 men in cheap suits to 'step away from the vehicle'. This request was backed up by ironmongery of the Smith and Wesson type.
After much British bravado (ie crapping myself), I found out that my mothers next door neighbours son was a major drug dealer in DC and I had walked into a federal anti-narcotics raid.
From spotty Yorkshire schoolboy to international drug dealer (him, not me), shows you what O Level Geography can do.
Further to this, the next morning explaining to the Brigadier at BDLS what had happened, it turned out that I had almost blown the operation by calling the guy by his first name. His name was Marshall. As I pronounced it, as in 'MARSHALL, what are you doing here?', various shady characters left the bar.
Talk about Dodge City.
I meet my mothers next door neighbours son. Unbelievable. 10 mins of 'what the hell are you doing here?' etc etc before RTB to hotel. Exit bar, only to be instructed by 2 men in cheap suits to 'step away from the vehicle'. This request was backed up by ironmongery of the Smith and Wesson type.
After much British bravado (ie crapping myself), I found out that my mothers next door neighbours son was a major drug dealer in DC and I had walked into a federal anti-narcotics raid.
From spotty Yorkshire schoolboy to international drug dealer (him, not me), shows you what O Level Geography can do.
Further to this, the next morning explaining to the Brigadier at BDLS what had happened, it turned out that I had almost blown the operation by calling the guy by his first name. His name was Marshall. As I pronounced it, as in 'MARSHALL, what are you doing here?', various shady characters left the bar.
Talk about Dodge City.
Join Date: May 2008
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On holiday in Malta, chatting to a complete stranger, a fellow Brit. Discovered that we both had a Service background. Whilst trying to work out if our paths had crossed, I mentioned that I had flown Wokkas in FI.
He said, "You will be telling me next that you were the pilot that brought down the feeder wire to a tall aerial near Port Stanley."
I replied, "Yes I was."
He replied, "I was the guy who had to climb up 200 ft to re-attach it!"
It is indeed a small world.
He said, "You will be telling me next that you were the pilot that brought down the feeder wire to a tall aerial near Port Stanley."
I replied, "Yes I was."
He replied, "I was the guy who had to climb up 200 ft to re-attach it!"
It is indeed a small world.
My secondary school maths teacher left school- we never knew where she went to until I was at Brize and went into PSF one day- she was OC PMS! Miss Kellechan, the cat did really shred my homework...
SB
SB
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Standing with the family at the entrance to Disneyworld in Florida in the early 90's, found I was standing about 6 feet from a nav I'd been on a crew with ten years earlier. In all that time we'd only managed to move about 4 feet further apart, it would appear....
Join Date: Jun 2007
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In Belize I knew a Staff Sergeant from the Army, (7 RHA)... Drunk/drank with him across two tours.
A couple of years later, (not having seen him), I'm in a pub in Guildford on my way to Surrey Chief Constabulary and trying to work out how to get there, (no car and the place is 15 miles out in the middle of nowhere. All of a sudden I hear... "Ginge... Ginge... Well **** me..". It's the SSgt... We have a beer and a chat and he's leaving the Army and is looking into joining the police. He's on a tour with a Major and a bunch of other soldiers and they are on their way up to the Chief Constabulary in a big shiney Army bus with lots of seats... A quick chat with the Major and I have a lift...
Now that's a small world... 4000 miles, two years and were both going to the middle of nowhere again...
A couple of years later, (not having seen him), I'm in a pub in Guildford on my way to Surrey Chief Constabulary and trying to work out how to get there, (no car and the place is 15 miles out in the middle of nowhere. All of a sudden I hear... "Ginge... Ginge... Well **** me..". It's the SSgt... We have a beer and a chat and he's leaving the Army and is looking into joining the police. He's on a tour with a Major and a bunch of other soldiers and they are on their way up to the Chief Constabulary in a big shiney Army bus with lots of seats... A quick chat with the Major and I have a lift...
Now that's a small world... 4000 miles, two years and were both going to the middle of nowhere again...
Cunning Artificer
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I was Duty Engineer on the ramp at Bandar Seri Begawan. Stood at the bottom of the 737 airstairs, waiting for the pax to de-plane when my old boss from Northolt stepped out of the door. We simultaneously pointed at each other and said "What the devil are YOU doing here!" He was seconded to the RBAF as a "Brown-Job" Major instead of being a proper Sqn Ldr. I think he was more surprised than I was.
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Small world indeed, I walked into Freemantle emergency department (Western Australia) to hand over a patient to the triage nurse, and was greeted by John Mcarthur, ex RN PO Medic at HMS Gannet, who was also handing over a patient! Needless to say John still talks the talk... and we have even done a couple of shifts together since. Bloody hell, you come 8000 miles to get away from it all and......he must be thinking the same!
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Playing football for RAF Changi against RAF Tengah, put in a blistering tackle on their winger, put him right in the air and then had to apologise to Alan my mate from school four years previously who also lived in the same street as me.
Also bumped into an old school mate at 2 am outside the Red Lips Bar in Hong Kong.
Also bumped into an old school mate at 2 am outside the Red Lips Bar in Hong Kong.
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I once agreed to see a mate at High Wycombe for a beer but unfortunately that day he was in London.
Later, at Baker Street I went on to the wrong platform. Train got in and stopped with a single door directly opposite me. My mate got out and of course didn't see me as how would you expect to see someone in 10 million people!
Later, at Baker Street I went on to the wrong platform. Train got in and stopped with a single door directly opposite me. My mate got out and of course didn't see me as how would you expect to see someone in 10 million people!
Join Date: Feb 2007
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While on exchange with USAF some years back, attended the RAF Week at the USAF ACSC at Maxwell AFB, AL and was hosted by a USAF major. Making small talk at start of evening, was asked if I'd been to the States before. Said I had, blah blah, DC, Illinois etc. Turned out major was from Illinois, so I asked if he knew Knox College in Gaylesburg. He did. My uncle was Prof of Math (!) there I said. He looked at my name badge and told me to wait there. He soon came back with a lady and introduced his wife. Turned out my uncle taught said lady and she knew him well. Unfortunately I hardly knew him as he left UK when I was 5 and died in '79 when I was 18. I learned a lot from her that night about my uncle, happily before a certain flt lt came in with a 'grocery cart' full of G&Ts to celebrate his promotion.
A couple of years later, bought a farmhouse near to a cow shed being renovated by an industrious bloke. Next time he turned up for work, I went to introduce myself as the new neighbour. Mutual pointing - turns out he was on my entry at OCTU!
A couple of years later, bought a farmhouse near to a cow shed being renovated by an industrious bloke. Next time he turned up for work, I went to introduce myself as the new neighbour. Mutual pointing - turns out he was on my entry at OCTU!
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Was training a new intake of pilots, their first day with company doing CRM etc, and at coffee one of them says " You don't remember me do you?"
"No" says I.
"You handed over the Squadron standard to me in CHOM in 198x. I was an engineer then"
"No" says I.
"You handed over the Squadron standard to me in CHOM in 198x. I was an engineer then"
Champagne anyone...?
Whilst in the University canteen many years back I struck up a conversation with young lady who was talking about her time living in Australia. Having lived there myself in the 70s I asked how she'd come to be out there. Her father had been on exchange with the RAAF. Funny, so was mine. Her father was the SMO at a certain RAAF base. Funny, so was mine. She'd lived at 98 XXX Street. Funny, so had we. She'd left 1976 and been upset at having to leaving her beloved back and white cat behind. We'd moved in in 1976 and had been delighted to inherit a black and white cat......
Sitting in a city-centre pub in Bath some years ago, enjoying lunch with two friends, one of them quietly pointed out that a raffish looking individual in the corner kept looking covertly at me. Equally covertly, I turned slowly round and the creature with long blond hair, a fetching purple shirt, and a fringed suede leather jacket quickly looked away, but continued to take quiet little looks in my direction.
Needless to say, my friends teased me mercilessly about this throughout lunch and, as Blondie got up to leave the pub, they went into stitches as “he” came up to me and spoke the immortal words of the world’s worst chat-up line, “I think we’ve met before. May I ask you your name?” Perhaps not surprisingly in the circumstances, I automatically switched to “no need to know” mode and, somwehat stuffily in the circumstances, asked why he wanted to know. By this time my friends were absolutely beside themselves with suppressed laughter.
“Oh,” he said, “I’m sorry to say that I don’t recognise your face, but I would recognise your voice anywhere”. Belatedly, I switched to “I’ll tell you who I am, if you tell me who you are” mode, following which I quickly discovered that Blondie and I had served together in HMS BELFAST when he was an engineer officer and I was a sub lieutenant - twenty-eight years previously! Well, at least it’s nice to know that I hadn’t changed out of all recognition ……..
Jack
Needless to say, my friends teased me mercilessly about this throughout lunch and, as Blondie got up to leave the pub, they went into stitches as “he” came up to me and spoke the immortal words of the world’s worst chat-up line, “I think we’ve met before. May I ask you your name?” Perhaps not surprisingly in the circumstances, I automatically switched to “no need to know” mode and, somwehat stuffily in the circumstances, asked why he wanted to know. By this time my friends were absolutely beside themselves with suppressed laughter.
“Oh,” he said, “I’m sorry to say that I don’t recognise your face, but I would recognise your voice anywhere”. Belatedly, I switched to “I’ll tell you who I am, if you tell me who you are” mode, following which I quickly discovered that Blondie and I had served together in HMS BELFAST when he was an engineer officer and I was a sub lieutenant - twenty-eight years previously! Well, at least it’s nice to know that I hadn’t changed out of all recognition ……..
Jack
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This is long and involved but I'll try to keep it short.
Flying into San Francisco to meet my brother from Hong Kong and my other brother and his mate from London to watch the Oakland Raiders on Sunday and the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.
Leave Detroit and change planes in Minneapolis. The Quarterback of the Raiders is on my plane. I sit next to a young couple who I don't speak to until we
re on finals in San Fran. They live there and, it turns out they have tickets to the Raiders game on Sunday. I laughingly say I'll see you there.
That night the four go out to Fisherman's Wharf, (tourist trap, no reason for locals to be there 'cos the beer is pricey). We're on the lash in a pub when the couple walk in... We have a beer and say "see you at the game" and they leave.
Next morning brother wants to go to the NFL shop on Fisherman's Wharf. Off we go and bump into... Yep... The couple... Same joke about the game and away they go.
Sunday afternoon... 60,000 people in Network Associates Coliseum... We're sat near a set of steps coming up from below. No sign of the couple... Of course...Just after half time loads of people coming up the stairs back to their seats... There they are... They have seats 6 or 7 rows behind us and offset by one block...
Wait... It gets better... There's a really obnoxious twit about 6 seats across from us... Real toothless redneck with too much beer and too much mouth. Next night we're at 3-Com stadium waaaay up in the nosebleeds... Suddenly we hear "Hey, Raiders Fans..." It was our Redneck...
Wait... It gets even better... Next morning I'm at the airport to go home, (via Minneapolis). I'm having that "final smoke", (don't do that now), when I hear "Hey, Red".. I turn to see a man I've never seen before. He says "You were at the Raiders game on Sunday, you were at the 49ers game yesterday"... He had had seats within a few yards of ours at both games. So I jokingly respond "After this weekend.. don't tell me... You're going to Minneapolis"...
His seat was the row in front of me in the window, I had the aisle...
You were warned it was long...
Flying into San Francisco to meet my brother from Hong Kong and my other brother and his mate from London to watch the Oakland Raiders on Sunday and the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.
Leave Detroit and change planes in Minneapolis. The Quarterback of the Raiders is on my plane. I sit next to a young couple who I don't speak to until we
re on finals in San Fran. They live there and, it turns out they have tickets to the Raiders game on Sunday. I laughingly say I'll see you there.
That night the four go out to Fisherman's Wharf, (tourist trap, no reason for locals to be there 'cos the beer is pricey). We're on the lash in a pub when the couple walk in... We have a beer and say "see you at the game" and they leave.
Next morning brother wants to go to the NFL shop on Fisherman's Wharf. Off we go and bump into... Yep... The couple... Same joke about the game and away they go.
Sunday afternoon... 60,000 people in Network Associates Coliseum... We're sat near a set of steps coming up from below. No sign of the couple... Of course...Just after half time loads of people coming up the stairs back to their seats... There they are... They have seats 6 or 7 rows behind us and offset by one block...
Wait... It gets better... There's a really obnoxious twit about 6 seats across from us... Real toothless redneck with too much beer and too much mouth. Next night we're at 3-Com stadium waaaay up in the nosebleeds... Suddenly we hear "Hey, Raiders Fans..." It was our Redneck...
Wait... It gets even better... Next morning I'm at the airport to go home, (via Minneapolis). I'm having that "final smoke", (don't do that now), when I hear "Hey, Red".. I turn to see a man I've never seen before. He says "You were at the Raiders game on Sunday, you were at the 49ers game yesterday"... He had had seats within a few yards of ours at both games. So I jokingly respond "After this weekend.. don't tell me... You're going to Minneapolis"...
His seat was the row in front of me in the window, I had the aisle...
You were warned it was long...