What's your best Mess?
Sgt's Mess at Abingdon 1959 who let Bridgette Bardot have a drink in their mess after the Abingdon Officer's Mess refused her entry - improperly dressed perhaps?
BB was making the film "Babette Goes to War" part of which was shot at Abingdon.
News cutting below:
BB was making the film "Babette Goes to War" part of which was shot at Abingdon.
News cutting below:
Wyton Officers Mess, late 80's, cocktails on the roof, proper scruffs bar for when the grown ups insisted those in uniform leave the bar on a Friday night at 7pm (with an honesty system that made a profit rather than a loss!) - all a bit of a haze really! Swimming pool was nearer the main gate (other side of the sports pitches) than by the Mess and was still there then (though being outdoors didn't get used much if I recall).
RAF Mess Rheindahlen was a centre of excellence until the forced merger with the army to become "Churchill".
The behaviour of the brown jobs, and of their teen-age children, was totally beyond horse-play and high jinks ........... an Oktoberfest c. 1995 was the last straw for many RAF members and thereafter few of us voluntarily attended any functions ........... it was just a place to stick your visitors in, and a place to pick up your duty-frees.
Sad
The behaviour of the brown jobs, and of their teen-age children, was totally beyond horse-play and high jinks ........... an Oktoberfest c. 1995 was the last straw for many RAF members and thereafter few of us voluntarily attended any functions ........... it was just a place to stick your visitors in, and a place to pick up your duty-frees.
Sad
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Definitely Church Fenton 1971-72 - my first Mess and great people. Up there as well is Kinloss 1975/76 - again, a great bunch and lively 'livers in' who made it a joy to live there.
Most unusual - Fylingdales 1976>78 where there were only 2 livers-in, me and P*** H*********. There were more staff than livers-in!
DS
Most unusual - Fylingdales 1976>78 where there were only 2 livers-in, me and P*** H*********. There were more staff than livers-in!
DS
Well, banned from the bar at Shawbury for being improperly dressed (not helped by supporting friend referring to SDO as "Jack-booted thug!"), 'spoken to' at Cottesmore re entertaining lady friend in room so, perhaps, Thorney Island or Wyton with its location, mix of mess occupants* and brandy Alexanders at Alconbury.
*Recollect French & Portuguese PI students being less than congratulatory re Brit cuisine
*Recollect French & Portuguese PI students being less than congratulatory re Brit cuisine
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Mentioned my best mess at #7 so this isn't strictly an answer to the OP, because it doesn't refer to my best mess just a bl00dy good one.
I had quite a few good experiences in all sorts of messes at all stages of my RAF career:
Back in the summer of 1972 I spent 3 months at the Rehab centre, RAF Headley Court, living in the officers' mess and being tortured, daily, in the gym.
One of the other inmates was an ex-RAF Victor pilot who had been shot down while flying for SOAF. He had good contacts with the hosties working for an airline based at Gatwick and he suggested that we (e.g. him, me and an Ethiopian QFI (back injury following ejection) who had all become friends) should have a small dinner with 3 of these hosties.
He invited the girls and spoke to the Flt Sgt Mess manager. We three pooled the money that we hadn't been spending for the past few months and organized a taxi for the ladies to and from.
They arrived after the normal dinner, for the other mess members, had finished and we had a great time having pre-dinner drinks in the mess bar (believe it or not one of the girls had Babycham). Then the Flt Sgt appeared, wearing his full Mess Kit and invited us into the dining room.
It was dark and all the tables had been moved to the sides of the room, except for one in the middle of the room which was beautifully set with crisp linen, a few pieces of mess silver, some flowers and a silver candelabra. The ladies were stunned.
The Flt Sgt (bear in mind this was in his own time) supervised our meal throughout, which consisted of Prawn Cocktail (well it was 1972!), the best Tournedos Rossini I remember and Baked Alaska.
We repaired to the bar and chilled out with brandy and liqueurs and choclates.
The girls finally left and I reflected on what might have happened if I hadn't had a plaster cast from thigh to ankle on my left leg and my arm in a sling.
I will always remember the generosity of the mess staff for creating such a magical moment for the six of us that evening.
The air round here is getting a bit dusty, best I log out.
Rgds SOS
I had quite a few good experiences in all sorts of messes at all stages of my RAF career:
Back in the summer of 1972 I spent 3 months at the Rehab centre, RAF Headley Court, living in the officers' mess and being tortured, daily, in the gym.
One of the other inmates was an ex-RAF Victor pilot who had been shot down while flying for SOAF. He had good contacts with the hosties working for an airline based at Gatwick and he suggested that we (e.g. him, me and an Ethiopian QFI (back injury following ejection) who had all become friends) should have a small dinner with 3 of these hosties.
He invited the girls and spoke to the Flt Sgt Mess manager. We three pooled the money that we hadn't been spending for the past few months and organized a taxi for the ladies to and from.
They arrived after the normal dinner, for the other mess members, had finished and we had a great time having pre-dinner drinks in the mess bar (believe it or not one of the girls had Babycham). Then the Flt Sgt appeared, wearing his full Mess Kit and invited us into the dining room.
It was dark and all the tables had been moved to the sides of the room, except for one in the middle of the room which was beautifully set with crisp linen, a few pieces of mess silver, some flowers and a silver candelabra. The ladies were stunned.
The Flt Sgt (bear in mind this was in his own time) supervised our meal throughout, which consisted of Prawn Cocktail (well it was 1972!), the best Tournedos Rossini I remember and Baked Alaska.
We repaired to the bar and chilled out with brandy and liqueurs and choclates.
The girls finally left and I reflected on what might have happened if I hadn't had a plaster cast from thigh to ankle on my left leg and my arm in a sling.
I will always remember the generosity of the mess staff for creating such a magical moment for the six of us that evening.
The air round here is getting a bit dusty, best I log out.
Rgds SOS
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Wittering: 1997 - Good fun, plenty of boozing & banter, used to put a card on your door with wake up time and brew order and a member of mess staff would bring you a cup of tea! 
Wyton: 1998 - Half empty, used as a spill over Mess for Brampton as well as for DLO in the Pavs. Scruffs bar was great. Still had the old outdooer pool just over the field out the front, ideal for summers evenings, bloody freezing most of the time.
Brampton: 1999-2000 - Beautiful old building, not a classic RAF Mess. Great days were had in the bar. Top mess staff, average food though.
Aldergrove: 2000 - Very, very drunk! Amazing prizes at the Xmas Ball, a car! Parties all the time. Food was outstanding.
Bruggen: 2001 - End of an era but what a place. Great times, non-stop closure parties and a very active bar scene. Most accomadation looking very tired and no money for works services. Handed over to the Army
Marham: 2001-2003 - Best Mess ive lived in, great food, very active social scene, MONGA ruled the roost. MONGA 'cocktail parties' that always got out of hand, this was the true end of the fun days of the RAF Mess before the fun police stepped in.
High Wycombe: 2003-2006 - Last Mess that I lived in and only for 6 months. Stuffy, average and very formal food, depressing. I got the hell out of there and bought a house.
Chicksands: 2006-2009 - Army mess. Amazingly beautiful building full of history. Terrible food. Spoilt by fun police and Army stuffyness.
Waddington: 2009 to date - Used to be the most fantastic food ... until PAYD came in, now its below average. Never had the life of a Mess like Marham (back in the day) but getting worse. Poorly atteneded functions, no fun or shannanigans, dull. Terrible shame.
Wyton: 1998 - Half empty, used as a spill over Mess for Brampton as well as for DLO in the Pavs. Scruffs bar was great. Still had the old outdooer pool just over the field out the front, ideal for summers evenings, bloody freezing most of the time.
Brampton: 1999-2000 - Beautiful old building, not a classic RAF Mess. Great days were had in the bar. Top mess staff, average food though.
Aldergrove: 2000 - Very, very drunk! Amazing prizes at the Xmas Ball, a car! Parties all the time. Food was outstanding.
Bruggen: 2001 - End of an era but what a place. Great times, non-stop closure parties and a very active bar scene. Most accomadation looking very tired and no money for works services. Handed over to the Army
Marham: 2001-2003 - Best Mess ive lived in, great food, very active social scene, MONGA ruled the roost. MONGA 'cocktail parties' that always got out of hand, this was the true end of the fun days of the RAF Mess before the fun police stepped in.
High Wycombe: 2003-2006 - Last Mess that I lived in and only for 6 months. Stuffy, average and very formal food, depressing. I got the hell out of there and bought a house.
Chicksands: 2006-2009 - Army mess. Amazingly beautiful building full of history. Terrible food. Spoilt by fun police and Army stuffyness.
Waddington: 2009 to date - Used to be the most fantastic food ... until PAYD came in, now its below average. Never had the life of a Mess like Marham (back in the day) but getting worse. Poorly atteneded functions, no fun or shannanigans, dull. Terrible shame.
Bentley Priory circa 1999/2000. Happy hours with beer at 35p / pint, cocktails in the Italian gardens over looking London, a mad dog that scampered down the corridor but always forgot about the 90 degree turn so every evening you heard woof woof woof, scampering paws, thud, whimper whimper whimper, a Mess steward (Sandy IIRC) who was ex Royal Yacht and for whom nothing was too much trouble and Battle of Britain cocktail parties where there were more DFCs in one room than I've ever seen in the rest of my career.
Boulmer was an interesting place. Middle of nowhere, a beautiful beach and a lot of alcoholics (FC studes), one of whom (f) had clothes that always seemed to lose the battle with gravity and end up on the floor after some drunken dare.
Marham - contrary to MRAF's recollection, I thought it sucked. Middle of nowhere and very cliquey. When I was posted back in 2008 it had got even worse as the cliques that had propped the bar up had all gone, half the sqns never even made it round the peritrack to the other side of the stn and happy hour was commonly known as slightly less miserable hour.
I lasted 6 weeks there before I bought a house and got out of dodge.
Not a Mess as such, but the VIP block in Baghdad was a rather nice place to be quartered for a war. Coffee, cake and internet on tap 24/7 and veranda overlooking the lake where you could sit out at night and watch the light and sound show courtesy of the Mahdi Army and Spectres / Spookies
Boulmer was an interesting place. Middle of nowhere, a beautiful beach and a lot of alcoholics (FC studes), one of whom (f) had clothes that always seemed to lose the battle with gravity and end up on the floor after some drunken dare.
Marham - contrary to MRAF's recollection, I thought it sucked. Middle of nowhere and very cliquey. When I was posted back in 2008 it had got even worse as the cliques that had propped the bar up had all gone, half the sqns never even made it round the peritrack to the other side of the stn and happy hour was commonly known as slightly less miserable hour.
I lasted 6 weeks there before I bought a house and got out of dodge. Not a Mess as such, but the VIP block in Baghdad was a rather nice place to be quartered for a war. Coffee, cake and internet on tap 24/7 and veranda overlooking the lake where you could sit out at night and watch the light and sound show courtesy of the Mahdi Army and Spectres / Spookies
Last edited by Melchett01; 16th Aug 2013 at 14:22.
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Wittering 1959 - A mixture of us youngsters and the last few war time warriors. The bar was always full, both at lunchtime and in the evening (that is before we all decamped to "Jim's Lemonade Shop" in Ufford). A bunch of real characters many of whom would be seen with grey parrots on their shoulders. These came from visits to Lagos where they were plentiful in the market and there were no import restrictions. In addition to his parrot one guy also had a siamese cat and an alligator in his room. He eventually went on an arabic course and was last heard of rushing around the Radfan on a camel. Would love to know what became of him, he was a good friend. The other best mess was Headly Court in 1966 - lots of parties and organised visits to London and superlative food. Pity about the necessary daytime torture!
'spoken to' at Cottesmore re entertaining lady friend in room
After the summer ball in the officers' mess at a FEAF station in 1967 a young pilot decided he would "entertain" a WRAF officer, who happened to be his fiancee, in his room. Said WRAF was observed leaving the room by an officious RAFP who reported the incident. To cut a long story short the pair were formally interviewed by the C in C, no less, reprimanded and docked a year's seniority each, a punishment which was subsequently Gazetted. So much for being "spoken to"!
Anyone under the age of 50 will probably find that story incredible, but it is certainly true. Anyway I for one am very happy that in this respect, at least, standards have been relaxed since those priggish days.
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One weekend on a large UK base, early 70's.
At 0 dark.00 hrs, Fg Off SOS and then girlfriend tiptoe down upper wing of the mess headed for the fire escape.
Once we are fully committed, the door to the suite next to the fire door slowly opens, we freeze.
OC Ops Wing steps into corridor ..... shortly followed by WRAF Sgt from Flight Planning. We waited until they had exited through the fire door and then after a few minutes we carried on.
I don't know if he spotted us and I don't know if he knew that I knew etc etc.
He never mentioned it and I never mentioned it.
Rgds SOS
At 0 dark.00 hrs, Fg Off SOS and then girlfriend tiptoe down upper wing of the mess headed for the fire escape.
Once we are fully committed, the door to the suite next to the fire door slowly opens, we freeze.
OC Ops Wing steps into corridor ..... shortly followed by WRAF Sgt from Flight Planning. We waited until they had exited through the fire door and then after a few minutes we carried on.
I don't know if he spotted us and I don't know if he knew that I knew etc etc.
He never mentioned it and I never mentioned it.
Rgds SOS
Last edited by SOSL; 16th Aug 2013 at 17:35.
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Wonder Mess
Probably the Nursing Officers' Mess at Halton in the 60s. Much (proper) fun and the members always made visitors welcome. Halton House Mess paled into insignificance by comparison. Went past the old building, many years later. Sad, but I though I could hear the laughter on the wind!
Riyan officers mess 1967: the walk across the sand, past our parked Wessex within the wire, to the evening meal was always a time for anticipation and pleasure for another satisfactory day. Total number of mess members was 4, the senior a Flt. Lt. and the food interesting,the beer flowing and the company fascinating. Fortunately the building was only one storey high and it was not painful when I stepped off the flat roof on the opposite side to the external steps.(my 21st birthday and maybe associating with G Sqn 22 SAS had something to do with it)Acklington 1969: Andy the chef would check on Friday how and when you wanted your steaks done over the weekend - and would put out a crate of Newcastle Amber in the TV room to keep you going when the bar/pubs were closed.
Last edited by lsd; 16th Aug 2013 at 18:23.
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Anyone under the age of 50 will probably find that story incredible, but it
is certainly true
Was anyone on this thread there?
