Summer Ball
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Summer Ball
What has been the best Summer Ball theme this year?
For those of you attended a Ball this year, where was it, what was the theme and what were the highs and lows of the Ball?
Do dodgems still make that essential appearance???????
For those of you attended a Ball this year, where was it, what was the theme and what were the highs and lows of the Ball?
Do dodgems still make that essential appearance???????
I'm sure it's just me but I can't stand them any more. I'd rather be down my local with a few folk I actually like. So much easier. Wear what ever I've got on, walk in pub, order pint, pay, drink, smoke, repeat til squiffy, leave, eat Chinese, repeat nightly til dead.
Sorry, just can't stand Summer Balls.
Sorry, just can't stand Summer Balls.
Best theme was Jungle Book.
Loved them when I was young, slim and fit. Drink all night, breakfast, quick kip and then the survivors parties.
The arrival of bumper cars, bouncy castles etc really lowered the tone.
Now, I am with talk- shy, rather go down the pub and enjoy company of my choosing.
Loved them when I was young, slim and fit. Drink all night, breakfast, quick kip and then the survivors parties.
The arrival of bumper cars, bouncy castles etc really lowered the tone.
Now, I am with talk- shy, rather go down the pub and enjoy company of my choosing.
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Quick kip, quick kip? Wot, no stamina, I don't know, these young pups.
remember an Akrotiri ball, well the highlights only I guess, breakfast in No 2 Mess. 16 year old daughter of, still on her feet, thought it had been magical.
Went home, parents still up, worried sick. She was upended infront of the guests and had her backside tanned. Poor lass. Sent the dad to Coventry IIRC.
remember an Akrotiri ball, well the highlights only I guess, breakfast in No 2 Mess. 16 year old daughter of, still on her feet, thought it had been magical.
Went home, parents still up, worried sick. She was upended infront of the guests and had her backside tanned. Poor lass. Sent the dad to Coventry IIRC.
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The bumper cars were great fun, although at Henlow a certain Air Cdre was so enamoured of them he commandeered one all night. The following year a one-star plate was just stuck on one to save him the bother!
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Musta been '69 or '70'ish at Abingdon. Cracking Summer Ball giving it rooty-toot and big licks till the early hours. Then pile into 4 cars to drive down to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice (still in Mess Kit). Drape parachutes over the carefully positioned motors to provide semblance of cover and privacy(!!)then mingled with the Druids at the rising of the sun.
Tell the yoof of today that was the norm and will they believe you? Nah!!
Tell the yoof of today that was the norm and will they believe you? Nah!!
Aah ... Syerston in the late 60s, steel band manager pleading to be paid up front so that he could stump up the bail to get them released for the evening's performance!!
Bl**dy good band tho'
Bl**dy good band tho'
The arrival of bumper cars, bouncy castles etc really lowered the tone.
Wader2, I trust you offered to kiss it better for her?
SUMMER BALL SOPs
Preparation: Spend several days covering perfectly good Officers' Mess decorations in bits of brown paper. Paint same according to required theme. Tell Fire Officer to f*** off on leave or something.
On the night:
1. Go to Boss' pad for some pre-ball sharpeners.
2. Spend a bit too long there and arrive rather shabby.
3. Find fish bar. Discover all the prawns have been eaten and there are only dubious looking bits of fish-smelling rubber left. Go to bar instead.
4. Discuss life, the universe and everything with chums at bar. Wimmin talk about knitting, kittens etc.
5. Miss the expensive guest band playing its 30 min slot.
6. Stagger in to second scoff sitting. Ply everyone and anyone with wine and bonhomie whilst attempting to eat rare cold beef without getting blood on shirt.
7. Corner unsuspecting wench and sway gently towards disco for some hopeful cuddling and groping. Explain opportunisitc wayward hands are result of affluence of incohol.
8. Retire wounded to bar. Repeat serial 4. If married, wench will probably be in favour of this as it will mean no 'in car entertainment' in some field gateway on the way home, followed by a 'summer ball brat' 9 months later.
9. Repeat serial 7.
10. Repeat serial 4.
11. Argue with WRAFs who refuse to wear Mess Kit - even if it is some polyester nightmare which makes them look like sacks of spuds wrapped in turquoise crimplene.
12. Hang around until breakfast is served. Full fry plus a couple of pints - snagless.
13. Stack.
14. Attempt to locate items of mess kit, hat etc some days later.
15. Agree that Summer Balls aren't what they once were.
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........this all sounds dangerously familiar to the current annual RHKYC ball.
The last semblance of Empire perhaps.
The last semblance of Empire perhaps.
Last edited by kluge; 19th Jun 2009 at 15:37.
Gentleman Aviator
BEags
as one would expect from yourself, a succint and accurate description of The Way We Were ..
.. surprising you did not mention the use of the "Two O'clock Crying Steps". Principle for (unprincipled?) bachelor was that by 0200 at least one previously accompanied lady had been deserted by escort or she had found him:
a. Unconscious and/or
b. In flagrante delicto
and was sitting crying in frustrated rage on steps of Mess, grateful for sympathy and a shoulder to cry upon ....
... said slighted lady's revenge on her man could be ..... both interesting and enjoyable .....
as one would expect from yourself, a succint and accurate description of The Way We Were ..
7. Corner unsuspecting wench
a. Unconscious and/or
b. In flagrante delicto
and was sitting crying in frustrated rage on steps of Mess, grateful for sympathy and a shoulder to cry upon ....
... said slighted lady's revenge on her man could be ..... both interesting and enjoyable .....
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Used to have some top Summer Balls in Akrotiri in the early '90s. Seem to remember even having a 'goldpanning' stream running through the anti room on one occasion! Each year we would suceed in running the Island out of Triwalls used to craft the decor....
One of the best was a 'Disney' theme with an amazing 'Sleeping Beauty' made from a 'Resusi-Annie' from the GDT section.
One of the best was a 'Disney' theme with an amazing 'Sleeping Beauty' made from a 'Resusi-Annie' from the GDT section.
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'The Fairground' theme is always a winner.
Judging by the amount of tatoos on show last Friday. Chav's in posh frocks. Mutton dressed as lamb. I'm still having nightmares.
My god, I'm turning into BEagle
Judging by the amount of tatoos on show last Friday. Chav's in posh frocks. Mutton dressed as lamb. I'm still having nightmares.
My god, I'm turning into BEagle
Judging by the amount of tatoos on show last Friday.
I can accept that pirates and some nautical types in the merchant marine have a tradition involving tatoos, but common chavs attempting to display such things in an Officers' Mess should be firmly booted into touch.
Or preferably, shot. For a first offence.
Whilst wasting a few weeks as S/L (Air) at Base Aerea Gringo, Islas Malvinas, I was astonished to see some fat WRAF in the Scruffs' Bar with a bare midriff displaying some piece of scrap iron attached to her blubber roll. Simply appalling.....
A2QFI - how kind of you! I too remember those excellent articles in the pre-'air power'
Air Clues - my inane ramblings are as naught compared to the fine prose of those articles. Back in the days when we had an Air Force worthy of the title, that is....
I remember being a baby F/O with the drinking stamina of half the Scottish Drinking Team combined (God it's depressing getting old 
) and going to several balls north of the border which were a blast. In order to protect the guilty, I shall refrain from names / locations.
One evening, was in the bar repeating Beags' serials 4,7 & 8. One chum was chatting to a lady who became quite taken with a younger Melchett and was becoming increasingly insistent on repeating 4,7 & 8 on a more personal basis. As she dragged me off to the dance floor I turned round to see my chum chatting to another chap who had suddenly appeared. The lady in question looked over my shoulder to see the 2 of them in conversation and whispered "that's where my husband got to" in my ear which prompted a sudden change of step not entirely in keeping with the band's timings.
As we walked back to the bar after much more shuffling everyone was smiling. Melchett was onto a promise, said lady was equally chuffed as she usually found her husband to be a drunken bore at these events, but most of all my chum was grinning like a Cheshire cat. When I asked him why he was grinning he started to laugh before explaining that the reason the husband didn't mind his wife being 'looked after' was that it freed him up to enjoy the evening with the people he really wanted to be there with. Plus as he was the local bomb disposal officer, he would have his revenge the next morning!
Queue Melchett diving into an empty room for the rest of the night and a very very careful check for suspicious objects hanging off the car the next morning!
) and going to several balls north of the border which were a blast. In order to protect the guilty, I shall refrain from names / locations.One evening, was in the bar repeating Beags' serials 4,7 & 8. One chum was chatting to a lady who became quite taken with a younger Melchett and was becoming increasingly insistent on repeating 4,7 & 8 on a more personal basis. As she dragged me off to the dance floor I turned round to see my chum chatting to another chap who had suddenly appeared. The lady in question looked over my shoulder to see the 2 of them in conversation and whispered "that's where my husband got to" in my ear which prompted a sudden change of step not entirely in keeping with the band's timings.
As we walked back to the bar after much more shuffling everyone was smiling. Melchett was onto a promise, said lady was equally chuffed as she usually found her husband to be a drunken bore at these events, but most of all my chum was grinning like a Cheshire cat. When I asked him why he was grinning he started to laugh before explaining that the reason the husband didn't mind his wife being 'looked after' was that it freed him up to enjoy the evening with the people he really wanted to be there with. Plus as he was the local bomb disposal officer, he would have his revenge the next morning!
Queue Melchett diving into an empty room for the rest of the night and a very very careful check for suspicious objects hanging off the car the next morning!
Live elephant? Perhaps Beags's "fat WRAF in the Scruffs' Bar with a bare midriff displaying some piece of scrap iron attached to her blubber roll" could be persuaded to substitute for said elephant?
Do sharpen up....
Alwayslookingup
Do get a grip. Wipe away the salty tears with specially brought handkerchief, all the while murmuring "There there.... or maybe even - there" and then......."would you like to use my room to repair run mascara and cool water to reduce puffy eyes?" And who knows what might come of it?
Worked for me.
The Ancient Mariner
Do get a grip. Wipe away the salty tears with specially brought handkerchief, all the while murmuring "There there.... or maybe even - there" and then......."would you like to use my room to repair run mascara and cool water to reduce puffy eyes?" And who knows what might come of it?
Worked for me.
The Ancient Mariner
Live elephant? Perhaps Beags's "fat WRAF in the Scruffs' Bar with a bare midriff displaying some piece of scrap iron attached to her blubber roll" could be persuaded to substitute for said elephant?
An Air Engineer's idea of heaven!!