Akrotiri Kebab Houses
CB - Halils
It was a cracking place in the early 70s. £C1 for a full Kebab and all the Kokinelli you could drink. With Akrotiri "humming" 2 Bomber Squadrons, 9 and 35, 56 Lightnings and 70 Argosy and C130 mix and 84 Whirlwinds in residence. Most eateries and drinking establishments were kept very busy. Great memories of my tour there and nice to know that Halils got out OK. Black Mack Makarious was winched out of the cr@p by 84 Squadron and brought to Akrotiri from where he was flown to UK I believe. So maybe that's where the story came from.
Smudge
Smudge
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Halil
Smudge - Halil told me that it was 84Sqn who flew him north one dark night - who knows? Maybe worth a punt as a new thread - "Who flew the restauranteur" north over the hills?
CB
CB
Smudge .. you forgot to mention ...1971 .... Akrotiri Village and Heroes Square .. both "out of bounds" .. as were several other places on a weekly changing basis ... arriving crews had to have a Police Brief in the Movements Bar on arrival ... as a very new Sgt Engineer my skipper was adamant I wrote down all the places mentioned and to ensure i took the list out that night .... As a naive youngster (the first time) I was somewhat surprised that the list was given to the taxi driver with the instruction "take us to the best of these" ..... 
It was somewhat surprising that the kebab house "entertainment" was watching the waiters dodge the traffic as they carried your food across the road in Limassol ... side bets on casualties being par for the course ...
It was somewhat surprising that the kebab house "entertainment" was watching the waiters dodge the traffic as they carried your food across the road in Limassol ... side bets on casualties being par for the course ...
Omega -V6
Now, there's another reminiscence. Anyone remember the antidote to a night out on Keo ? Pops soup kitchen, in the square, used to do a very "tasty" goulash for pennies, a great big chunk of bread to mop up the juices. Sober as a judge !!!
I wonder if this would account for the cat shot in an earlier post. Like our modern Beefburgers etc I doubt the goulash was Top Quality.
I wonder if this would account for the cat shot in an earlier post. Like our modern Beefburgers etc I doubt the goulash was Top Quality.
Of course it makes sense that Halils went "oop north" after the invasion because St Andrews street was the heart of Turkish Limmasol. And also Kebab is a Turkish meal !!!!
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5aday,
i was at Akrotiri from 68-70. In those days, a kebab or mezze cost 550 mils or 11/- (55p in new money) Halil's and Niazzis were my favourites and I have many good memories. It was a mark of pride to be able to keep the kokkineli down until you reached the picket post before losing it out of the taxi window. On another occasion, a bunch of us residents decided to go to Halil's on our motor bikes. We had a good night but I fell asleep rounding a corner on my way home and woke up sliding along the road. My friend behind me paused at the scene, remarked that the roads were icy and roared off. I remounted and unknowingly passed another member of our group lying in a storm drain, badly injured.
The place you refer to in Kyrenia might have been Freddy Kerr's. Wonderful seafood menu and tables outside overlooking the harbour. Great days!
i was at Akrotiri from 68-70. In those days, a kebab or mezze cost 550 mils or 11/- (55p in new money) Halil's and Niazzis were my favourites and I have many good memories. It was a mark of pride to be able to keep the kokkineli down until you reached the picket post before losing it out of the taxi window. On another occasion, a bunch of us residents decided to go to Halil's on our motor bikes. We had a good night but I fell asleep rounding a corner on my way home and woke up sliding along the road. My friend behind me paused at the scene, remarked that the roads were icy and roared off. I remounted and unknowingly passed another member of our group lying in a storm drain, badly injured.
The place you refer to in Kyrenia might have been Freddy Kerr's. Wonderful seafood menu and tables outside overlooking the harbour. Great days!
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Niazi moved north the night before the invasion and set up a hotel, Denizkizi, 5 miles west of Kyrenia, stayed there many times when with the UN and wondered when he would get the bullet holes fixed. Halil was in Kyrenia harbour when last seen about 7 years ago, older and rounder.
The Kebab Houses seemd to change in popularity, Chris' was never the same when young Chris took over and Polis and Sylvanas seemed to rule. I was never sure where the pork chops came from, never saw a pig as big as an elephant but the chops always were. Michaels in Irimi, was the place to be if he played his bouzouki, real local colour. Have not been back for 5 years but was stunned by the cost of a Kebab, bl88dy EU.
Mickeys at Avdimou was as long as my piece of elastic would stretch when on call and it was great, off the beaten track and not too many tourists.
I wonder how many people went to Nick the Fish though, the only fisherman living on a mountain at Pakna, that was real colour.
I am drooling so I had better stop
Heads Down, look out for the flack
The Kebab Houses seemd to change in popularity, Chris' was never the same when young Chris took over and Polis and Sylvanas seemed to rule. I was never sure where the pork chops came from, never saw a pig as big as an elephant but the chops always were. Michaels in Irimi, was the place to be if he played his bouzouki, real local colour. Have not been back for 5 years but was stunned by the cost of a Kebab, bl88dy EU.
Mickeys at Avdimou was as long as my piece of elastic would stretch when on call and it was great, off the beaten track and not too many tourists.
I wonder how many people went to Nick the Fish though, the only fisherman living on a mountain at Pakna, that was real colour.
I am drooling so I had better stop
Heads Down, look out for the flack
With Akrotiri "humming" 2 Bomber Squadrons, 9 and 35,...
Rumour had it that they occasionally flew, but the tumbleweed up against the wheels told a different story!
How's about a weekend of kebabs and Keo
With so many reminising about Keo and Kebabs-why don't we all go back for a long weekend? (On the lash as they say today).
We could have Truckie w/e, fastjet w/e, etc
Anyone interested? Can anyone remember the name of the hotel up in the bundu about 20 mins away from LCRA--we would be accommodated there when 101 etc was unavailable. A fitting hotel for a possible reunion methinks?
We could have Truckie w/e, fastjet w/e, etc
Anyone interested? Can anyone remember the name of the hotel up in the bundu about 20 mins away from LCRA--we would be accommodated there when 101 etc was unavailable. A fitting hotel for a possible reunion methinks?
ah the F3 happy times.
1990 - 9 planned, 9 arrived
The fact that a Taceval awaited anyone who didn't escape the UK may have had something to do with it!
F3WMB - Esteemed winner of the Plates Balanced on Head trophy bottle of Keo brandy - now which restaurant was that? I was very, very drunk at the time
Last edited by Fox3WheresMyBanana; 4th Mar 2013 at 12:10.
Indeed it was the Epilpetikopiana! Splendid place but rather isolated. Those prices seem rather high though! See Episkopiana Hotel for more info., although their prices are 5 years out of date. But we are talking about Cyprus....
Until miserable, micro-managing fun detectors stuck their unwelcome snouts in, we had an excellent AAR trail training scheme running with the F3 mates. We would trail them as 2 pairs with 2 x VC10K 30 min apart from the the UK. Overhead Sicily, one VC10K would release his pair of F3s and go into Palermo, the other would carry on to Akrotiri. The F3 mates would have a nice weekend in the sun, then they would be trailed back as a 4-ship, with the Akrotiri VC10K handing over to the Palermo VC10K to bring the jets back to the UK. The Akrotiri VC10K would then QTR for a 'lunch-ching' (or nightstop if we could get away with it) at Palermo, before transiting back to Blighty. That gave us a wide variety of training opportunities (for the groundcrew guys as well - we often took a trainee GE along with the team) and was enjoyed by all and sundry. It didn't cost Brenda much in the way of blatts either. We also took ATSy Pol to Palermo with us now and then and they really appreciated being down route with tanker crews for a change. Those trips really added a lot of intangible benefits to life at the time..... But then the miserable, chiselling wannabe Air Wheels screwed it all up, the barstewards!
Until miserable, micro-managing fun detectors stuck their unwelcome snouts in, we had an excellent AAR trail training scheme running with the F3 mates. We would trail them as 2 pairs with 2 x VC10K 30 min apart from the the UK. Overhead Sicily, one VC10K would release his pair of F3s and go into Palermo, the other would carry on to Akrotiri. The F3 mates would have a nice weekend in the sun, then they would be trailed back as a 4-ship, with the Akrotiri VC10K handing over to the Palermo VC10K to bring the jets back to the UK. The Akrotiri VC10K would then QTR for a 'lunch-ching' (or nightstop if we could get away with it) at Palermo, before transiting back to Blighty. That gave us a wide variety of training opportunities (for the groundcrew guys as well - we often took a trainee GE along with the team) and was enjoyed by all and sundry. It didn't cost Brenda much in the way of blatts either. We also took ATSy Pol to Palermo with us now and then and they really appreciated being down route with tanker crews for a change. Those trips really added a lot of intangible benefits to life at the time..... But then the miserable, chiselling wannabe Air Wheels screwed it all up, the barstewards!
Nemesis of the Proot Dynasty
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You youngsters of today!
Back in the days of Strike Wing (6, 73 and 249), in the 60s, Little Arif’s, Big Arif’s and The Britannia, in Limassol were de rigeur for a Kebab night out. Kokkineli still flowed like a toilet flush (and tasted the same), but the food was classic cuisine from a bygone era. None of this poofy Akrotiri stuff!!
Back in the days of Strike Wing (6, 73 and 249), in the 60s, Little Arif’s, Big Arif’s and The Britannia, in Limassol were de rigeur for a Kebab night out. Kokkineli still flowed like a toilet flush (and tasted the same), but the food was classic cuisine from a bygone era. None of this poofy Akrotiri stuff!!
Episkopiana Hotel
I just phoned the Episkopiana and if we booked 10 singles it would be Eur 45per person B & B or Eur 60 for a twin. That was for 3rd to 5th May inc. The hotel is open despite its website being 5 years out of date-reminds me of Cyprus!