You Lad! 'Aircut!
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You Lad! 'Aircut!
I just finished paying the Oz equivalent to almost 10 quid for a fairly run of the mill trim. It seems a far cry from popping down to the Station Barbers for the same service which only cost a quid.
I came across quite a few characters during my service; the bloke and his horny missus and Alsatian dog at Finningley back in the late 60s; and who could ever forget the overpowering pungency of the chain smoker at Honington! Most of the Station Barber's had operated from their little cupboard for decades.
Is the Station Barber still operating? And how much does he/she charge nowadays?
I came across quite a few characters during my service; the bloke and his horny missus and Alsatian dog at Finningley back in the late 60s; and who could ever forget the overpowering pungency of the chain smoker at Honington! Most of the Station Barber's had operated from their little cupboard for decades.
Is the Station Barber still operating? And how much does he/she charge nowadays?
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If the station barber had charged me a quid back then I would have 
. Only got seven guineas a week you know. Might have been worth it for the gen he passed on though!
s37
. Only got seven guineas a week you know. Might have been worth it for the gen he passed on though!s37
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Fagash Flo' at Halton would give you a "special" non-reg haircut for a two-bob tip. That was a fair wack of your thirty bob pay, and reserved for "48s", when we were let loose on London for the weekend. Otherwise it was the standard five strokes of the shears and a scissor job on top. The strange thing is, Fagash Flo's handiwork would be the height of fashion these days. 
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I just finished paying the Oz equivalent to almost 10 quid for a fairly run of the mill trim.
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£7.50 for a trim round the sides and back and thats on pensioners day when it's half price!
The barbershops in Limassol gave an excellent service and the closest shave ever. They too knew the destination of your next, highly secret, detachment.
The most modern Station barbershop I ever experienced was at Brize.
The barbershops in Limassol gave an excellent service and the closest shave ever. They too knew the destination of your next, highly secret, detachment.
The most modern Station barbershop I ever experienced was at Brize.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
He also had a copy of the DCI detailing how a barber's shop was to be run, hair brushed from the floor etc. It was pinned on his wall and it was RESTRICTED.
Of course I had not alternative but to report his security violation to the Feds, after all who knew what the baddies might have gained from our nit picking secrets.
Laarbruch72 would have been proud of me.
Gentleman Aviator
Best deal ever was the "Chogi Shop" at Aldergrove in the early 80s.
NAAFI would barely touch NI then, so the whole Province worked on Chogi Shops (can I say that these days?), even at the Mill at BBK - where you could get a burger and buy toothpaste 24/7. There was so much competition for the (very lucrative) monopoly concession, that good deals were brokered. At Aldergrove, one of the deals was free haircuts for all uniformed personnel! And not too bad ones either IIRC.
Also (allegedly!!), OC Admin was asked by the Chief Chogi what colour he wanted his Mini (car, not skirt), as that was the going rate for the "thank you gift" from the successful bidder. I'm sure OC A made his excuses and left.............
NAAFI would barely touch NI then, so the whole Province worked on Chogi Shops (can I say that these days?), even at the Mill at BBK - where you could get a burger and buy toothpaste 24/7. There was so much competition for the (very lucrative) monopoly concession, that good deals were brokered. At Aldergrove, one of the deals was free haircuts for all uniformed personnel! And not too bad ones either IIRC.
Also (allegedly!!), OC Admin was asked by the Chief Chogi what colour he wanted his Mini (car, not skirt), as that was the going rate for the "thank you gift" from the successful bidder. I'm sure OC A made his excuses and left.............
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Reminds me of Joe the Barber's shop in the NATO Air Base at Geilenkirchen a good few years ago.....
The girls were not recruited for their hair dressing prowess, but in summer when they wore sleeveless T-shirts and little else and asked the question... "How much should I take off?" or "How long would you like it?", there were many bitten lips.
If you were unlucky though, you got Joe complete with cigarette. I wonder if they are still there?
The girls were not recruited for their hair dressing prowess, but in summer when they wore sleeveless T-shirts and little else and asked the question... "How much should I take off?" or "How long would you like it?", there were many bitten lips.
If you were unlucky though, you got Joe complete with cigarette. I wonder if they are still there?
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Now there was one barbers where there was no pressure whatever to get the guys to go. Haircut every week, $5 Singapore at Vincent's at Raffle's Square, head massage and glass of whiskey too.
Or at Ascension Island where she did your ears and then blew in them
Or at Ascension Island where she did your ears and then blew in them
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Oh yes, and the two girls who 'operated' the hair cutting 'salon' at MPA in the mid 80's.
They offered more than pure Tonsorial Services! Until, that is, someone grassed them up and they were sent back to UK.
Word was, they made a fair bit of dosh out of their 'enterprises'.
It made the term "Anything for the Weekend, sir" a whole new meaning.
They offered more than pure Tonsorial Services! Until, that is, someone grassed them up and they were sent back to UK.
Word was, they made a fair bit of dosh out of their 'enterprises'.
It made the term "Anything for the Weekend, sir" a whole new meaning.
"NAAFI would barely touch NI then, so the whole Province worked on Chogi Shops (can I say that these days?)" (see Teeteringhead, above)
Interesting that the word chogi has survived, even though it seems to have lost its racial (racist?) connotations. In most overseas theatres east of Suez the term referred to the local civilians, who would invariably be non-white. It was certainly a slightly offensive term, if not downright derogatory. I was told it was a shortening from the Indian "chowkidar", a sweeper, or cleaner, thus someone in a low-grade job. Presumably the "chogis" in NI were mainly fair skinned, so it seems the term has moved on somewhat.
Interesting that the word chogi has survived, even though it seems to have lost its racial (racist?) connotations. In most overseas theatres east of Suez the term referred to the local civilians, who would invariably be non-white. It was certainly a slightly offensive term, if not downright derogatory. I was told it was a shortening from the Indian "chowkidar", a sweeper, or cleaner, thus someone in a low-grade job. Presumably the "chogis" in NI were mainly fair skinned, so it seems the term has moved on somewhat.
Last edited by Tankertrashnav; 23rd Mar 2009 at 15:58. Reason: addition of reference to another post
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Presumably the "chogis" in NI were mainly fair skinned, so it seems the term has moved on somewhat.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
And how about the sandpit? Any delicious barbers there or do they have the hump?
