What's your best Mess?
I remember a summer ball at Machrihanish, early 1980s. I was a member of the station golf team, as we're several other Sgts Mess members. Due to its northerly location, midnight arrives and the WO Golf team manager suggests a night stroke play match. Over the crash gate we go and do a full 18, in Mess Kit, from 10 to 18, then back to 9. Wives, in ball gowns were caddies and no one lost a ball. About an hour after arriving back at the Mess a small trophy was awarded at the Champagne breakfast.
Machrihanish was a great little Sgts Mess, around 30 members maximum, a connecting door for the few living in Officers to come through to use the bar, we often insisted that stay and join whatever was going on. But the Golf match was great fun, I left before the next Summer Ball, but I believe there was a plan to continue it as a tradition.
Machrihanish was a great little Sgts Mess, around 30 members maximum, a connecting door for the few living in Officers to come through to use the bar, we often insisted that stay and join whatever was going on. But the Golf match was great fun, I left before the next Summer Ball, but I believe there was a plan to continue it as a tradition.
at the end of the 1970s?) the head batty went around a wing of the Filton Block accommodation at Finningley and locked any Nav Student who was "entertaining"
1. That happened even at the end of the 70s - when Bas was safely and happily ensconced in civil aviation.
2. That a batman would do such a thing. Even in the 60s/early70s the great batmen seemed to 'know' when one had company and two cups of tea would be left discreetly OUTSIDE one's room.
Mess steward (Sandy IIRC) who was ex Royal Yacht and for whom nothing was too much trouble
Which reminds me to say that the Wardroom on the Yacht would be very hard to beat as the best mess.
Jack
Which reminds me to say that the Wardroom on the Yacht would be very hard to beat as the best mess.
Jack
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Cottesmore 1966.
Walk to the pub in Greetham in less time than it took to getb your car of out the garage and drive there.
Full livers in including 2 of the 3 seco huts.
Good batting staff.
Good parties - if livers out moved in livers in moved out. Sometimes two parties in the mess. Livers out with lights on and livers in with lights off.
The Ball. None of your allocation of rooms to sqns. Jeff Grubb (35 I think) said he would organise all the decoration. Took over the front hall and had entrance through a side door - head to head with the staish and he won.
And great bunch of blokes on all the sqns. TEL Jarron for one and many others.
Walk to the pub in Greetham in less time than it took to getb your car of out the garage and drive there.
Full livers in including 2 of the 3 seco huts.
Good batting staff.
Good parties - if livers out moved in livers in moved out. Sometimes two parties in the mess. Livers out with lights on and livers in with lights off.
The Ball. None of your allocation of rooms to sqns. Jeff Grubb (35 I think) said he would organise all the decoration. Took over the front hall and had entrance through a side door - head to head with the staish and he won.
And great bunch of blokes on all the sqns. TEL Jarron for one and many others.
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Cadets Mess RAAF Pearce - well in the '80s anyway!....Can't do what was done then now...(Dress 
of 'guest' serving staff on the occasional 'members only' evenings was of particular note.)
of 'guest' serving staff on the occasional 'members only' evenings was of particular note.)
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Changi Airmen's Mess 67-69.
Counted 56 different choices on the menu one lunchtime.
Notice at breakfast one morning, 'Sorry we have run out of tinned grapefruit, you'll have to put up with fresh.'
Counted 56 different choices on the menu one lunchtime.
Notice at breakfast one morning, 'Sorry we have run out of tinned grapefruit, you'll have to put up with fresh.'
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Wittering 85-87. Probably because I was the senior liver-in and between wives.
And in response to the OP there was one particularly delectable Air Training Corps pilot officer who we made feel very welcome. Caused me to be late for work one morning - well, I couldn't go in the state I was in
Benson was rather good at times - particularly when I was PMC
Honington - because Mike Shaw allowed the strippers in for "entertainment" one happy hour.
And in response to the OP there was one particularly delectable Air Training Corps pilot officer who we made feel very welcome. Caused me to be late for work one morning - well, I couldn't go in the state I was in
Benson was rather good at times - particularly when I was PMC
Honington - because Mike Shaw allowed the strippers in for "entertainment" one happy hour.
Laarbruch O'Mess weekends in the early 80s, the "Aussie breakfast"
- steak, eggs, bacon, mushrooms.
Even after I moved out, I would go there for breakfast... oh, and for the beautiful serving wenches !
- steak, eggs, bacon, mushrooms.
Even after I moved out, I would go there for breakfast... oh, and for the beautiful serving wenches !
Anyone remember the dining out of DC by Binbrook Sgts' Mess in 82 - OCAW, OCPMS and I were advised to leave before the entertainment - rumour is that the photo of the stripper on DC's lap was through the letterbox at his MQ (trying to remember the names of the houses - I know OC 11's was Eagles Eyrie and OC 5, Maple Manor) before he was home.
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RAF Leuchars, late 70's when the old HMS Ark Royal was being de-commissioned and 892 RNAS was being stood down. There were more section do's, beer calls and farewell parties in a few short weeks than you could shake a stick at on a wet Sunday.
Final, final beercall in the OM. Matelots install loudspeakers and clear the central area in the bar, loudspeakers start blaring out "The Stripper" music small blond lady wearing chiffon cloak, high heels and little else dances in the cleared floorspace. Matelots gently nudge RAF Staish to the front of the crowd (funnily enough his name rhymes with Staish).
Next morning in mess reception there is an A0 size (I know A0 didn't exist then but that sort of size) of the Staish licking beer off the young lady's mammaries. Courtesy of the RN Photo G trade.
Rgds SOS
Final, final beercall in the OM. Matelots install loudspeakers and clear the central area in the bar, loudspeakers start blaring out "The Stripper" music small blond lady wearing chiffon cloak, high heels and little else dances in the cleared floorspace. Matelots gently nudge RAF Staish to the front of the crowd (funnily enough his name rhymes with Staish).
Next morning in mess reception there is an A0 size (I know A0 didn't exist then but that sort of size) of the Staish licking beer off the young lady's mammaries. Courtesy of the RN Photo G trade.
Rgds SOS
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Boulmer was always an interesting place, despite almost all the regular personnel going home on Friday, just as we arrived to run courses for local Air Cadets / adult staff. The bar was rather quiet with just half a dozen of us, but the duty crew from 202 sometimes joined us for lunch. (I think they took pity on us, surrounded by all our friends!...
)
I vividly recall my first evening in the bar at Machrihanish one weekend, as a rather junior Pilot Officer (with a note from home allowing me to stay out that night), when staffing an Air Cadet Summer Camp. A member of mess staff came in asking for me, requesting I contact the guardroom asap. One phone call later, and I was informed the SDO had been injured, and was on route to Campbelltown hospital."Who did I want to inform?" "What action did I want to take?" I suggested the Gaurdroom contact the most senior officer available, who would be able to either deputise for the SDO, or appoint another. "We just did...!"
Attending camps or courses were often enjoyable, simply because the messes were full during the week...
)I vividly recall my first evening in the bar at Machrihanish one weekend, as a rather junior Pilot Officer (with a note from home allowing me to stay out that night), when staffing an Air Cadet Summer Camp. A member of mess staff came in asking for me, requesting I contact the guardroom asap. One phone call later, and I was informed the SDO had been injured, and was on route to Campbelltown hospital."Who did I want to inform?" "What action did I want to take?" I suggested the Gaurdroom contact the most senior officer available, who would be able to either deputise for the SDO, or appoint another. "We just did...!"
Attending camps or courses were often enjoyable, simply because the messes were full during the week...
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RAF Seletar West Camp (Aircrew) Sergeants Mess in 1962. The bar had a VHF fit for ordering dinner prior to landing. Loud underpants nights, loud tie nights, etc. Was eventually closed down by the staish because we never held a formal function.
Bob C
Bob C
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Bruggen Airman's, more bars than you could shake a fist at, steak bar, omelette bar, outside barbecue, and if you wanted alcohol have one of the sweets they did, you could have got drunk on the trifles.
If you had the best chef on who was practising for when he came out ( Jag era ) Bruggen on Q
..
If you had the best chef on who was practising for when he came out ( Jag era ) Bruggen on Q
..
Last edited by NutLoose; 19th Aug 2013 at 18:54.
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"Wittering 85-87. Probably because I was the senior liver-in and between wives. "
I was a liver-in then too. I seem to remember the senior liver-in being OC Ops. That wasn't you, was it???
I was a liver-in then too. I seem to remember the senior liver-in being OC Ops. That wasn't you, was it???
I was a very lucky boy, well, a very lucky C130 Aircraft Ground Engineer. Allocated to a route that had all the looks of " something to be forgotten very quickly". Our task, take some "boffins" to Ascension Island so that they could observe something. On completion of their observations, bring them home. Nothing special, ASI would give us the opportunity to uplift some South African Port, and Castle beer to bring home. Off we went.
The usual, night stop Dakar southbound, with a planned Banjul night stop on the way back. It was only on arrival at ASI that OC Ops, at the time an Albert Captain, explained the reason for our visit, and the presence of all the American reconnaissance hardware on the pan. The latest phase of British Trident missile was about to be tested, before acceptance into the British Nuclear arsenal (or was it Man Utd)? Anyway I diverge, as usual, ASI was in fact the target for the trial and the missile was fired as I remember from the Carribean.
Come the night and all of the crew, including my non commissioned self, were invited to witness the event from the Officers Mess. What a night. The place was full of people who knew every in and out of Nuclear warfare that I had ever heard. Certainly several G & Ts were quaffed, during briefings and advice from experts, but sitting watching the "dummy" warheads "MIRV" over our heads, exactly on time, was the most sobering thing I have ever seen. If you ever see it, all you can think is "Jesus, if this was for real, I'm a goner". The post apocalypse party was tremendous, as one of the survivors I was able to claim my extra ration. A sight I will never forget, people I will never forget. An Officers Mess I will always remember with respect and gratitude for an experience I could never dream of having.
Smudge
The usual, night stop Dakar southbound, with a planned Banjul night stop on the way back. It was only on arrival at ASI that OC Ops, at the time an Albert Captain, explained the reason for our visit, and the presence of all the American reconnaissance hardware on the pan. The latest phase of British Trident missile was about to be tested, before acceptance into the British Nuclear arsenal (or was it Man Utd)? Anyway I diverge, as usual, ASI was in fact the target for the trial and the missile was fired as I remember from the Carribean.
Come the night and all of the crew, including my non commissioned self, were invited to witness the event from the Officers Mess. What a night. The place was full of people who knew every in and out of Nuclear warfare that I had ever heard. Certainly several G & Ts were quaffed, during briefings and advice from experts, but sitting watching the "dummy" warheads "MIRV" over our heads, exactly on time, was the most sobering thing I have ever seen. If you ever see it, all you can think is "Jesus, if this was for real, I'm a goner". The post apocalypse party was tremendous, as one of the survivors I was able to claim my extra ration. A sight I will never forget, people I will never forget. An Officers Mess I will always remember with respect and gratitude for an experience I could never dream of having.
Smudge
Farnborough 1984
Barely a dozen officers, amazing history on every wall, staff who couldn't do enough for you and a set of mess rules that basically left things to the discretion of the individual. They don't make 'em like that any more!
Barely a dozen officers, amazing history on every wall, staff who couldn't do enough for you and a set of mess rules that basically left things to the discretion of the individual. They don't make 'em like that any more!