More MOD Silver up for Sale
Sorry, I suppose I'm just getting a bit old and jaded.
And you know what, he was spot on. There are very few officers I have worked with over the years that left such an indelible imprint in one short sentence, but he managed it. And much of what we are seeing happen to Defence, the gradual chipping away of capability and erosion of standards is exemplified by this sort of issue. And now, if I am ever in doubt over a decision, I stop and ask myself - is it the correct decision or is it the right decision.
I can imagine some Fast Track Johnny sitting around with some senior civil servant and some senior officer "We need to save money now, and as nobody can come up with a reason why we shouldn't get rid of it, then it must be the correct decision."
Have a look in the Telegraph today (Britain calls up Dad's Army of spies to watch Russia - Telegraph )the story about having to back to the 'Cold War warriors' to plug gaps because with the end of the Cold War we wouldn't need to speak Russian. I suppose that was a 'correct' decision at the time too.
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: The Fletcher Memorial Home
Age: 59
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Has Lossiemouth moved?
Perhaps this an intentional piece of misdirection, designed to mislead any potential wrongdoer into thinking the pipeline is actually somewhere else.
Or it could just be bad Geography. I once overheard a conversation between two MOD civilians who could not work out why it took so long to get to Saxa Vord from Kinloss. A quick check of the map of the UK in his pocket diary showed it was just off the East coast, level with Aberdeen. His failure to notice the line around the Shetlands map that was meant to show that this section had been moved to fit on the page was shared by his colleague who agreed with him
Or it could just be bad Geography. I once overheard a conversation between two MOD civilians who could not work out why it took so long to get to Saxa Vord from Kinloss. A quick check of the map of the UK in his pocket diary showed it was just off the East coast, level with Aberdeen. His failure to notice the line around the Shetlands map that was meant to show that this section had been moved to fit on the page was shared by his colleague who agreed with him
Precisely what happened at the SAR policy meeting in 1986 in Empress State when a beancounter produced such a BBC weather map with Orkney and Shetland some miles east of Sunderland. He flipped over an acetate with a series of 200m radius rings drawn and said, if there were two SAR bases inside any ring, one must close. An Air Cdre was chair and he simply couldn't get a word out. About half a dozen of us shouted "Time on task", but the BC was gone. That was the day we "finalised" the conversion programme for CSAR aircraft! That was quietly ditched as well.
I went Stateside with one such self-appointed expert who went out and loaded up with " Extremely Good Value" electrical goods in Washington to bring home on the VC 10.
We let him.
We let him.
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FYI I think the Falmouth line is no more
They have dug up the large tank farm at Swanpool Bay (which always had an Aldermaston telephone number on the gate)and are building houses there now
They have dug up the large tank farm at Swanpool Bay (which always had an Aldermaston telephone number on the gate)and are building houses there now
Last edited by Heathrow Harry; 10th Jun 2014 at 15:32.
Interesting that the Purton site, is likely to be shut down, due to safety concerns in the near future.
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: N London
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tis true, the tanks at Swanvale are being built on. Not sure if the pipeline to Coastlines wharf is still intact as that is under threat also. I do not know how St Mawgan aka Newquay airport gets its fuel from.
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
so in summary the whole thing is knackard and they can't afford to maintain it.
They also can't afford to de-commission it and clear it up.
So they are hoping to sell it/get rid of it. In the event of it being bought and then the company holding it goes bust it becomes someone else's problem.
They also can't afford to de-commission it and clear it up.
So they are hoping to sell it/get rid of it. In the event of it being bought and then the company holding it goes bust it becomes someone else's problem.
Mad Jock,
"So they are hoping to sell it/get rid of it. In the event of it being bought and then the company holding it goes bust it becomes someone else's problem."
Of course, under the present government it becomes the taxpayers problem, their natural selection to bail out private enterprise. Which begs the bloody question, why sell it in the first place ?
Smudge
"So they are hoping to sell it/get rid of it. In the event of it being bought and then the company holding it goes bust it becomes someone else's problem."
Of course, under the present government it becomes the taxpayers problem, their natural selection to bail out private enterprise. Which begs the bloody question, why sell it in the first place ?
Smudge
