VT, did you drink in UK or just duty free down route?

Be thankful you were never force fed Brandy Sours in Transit Bar at Luqa, kokinelli in Niazis,Tennents in Gan, or Tiger with Horses' Neck chasers in Changi.

VT - The price of drink in MoD bars is not subsidised. In Mess bars, the contracted supplier (whoever that is these days?) sets the 'trade' price based on the volume ordered. The Mess committee then set the profit margin (and get it approved by the membership). Not surprisingly, this profit is set very low hence the reasonable prices at the bar! Sqn bars, line bars, sports club bars follow a similar model. 'General' or non-membership bars on the bases are run on purely commercial basis so will have prices set by the contractor running the facility. However, even they know that if they don't keep prices below the local area, the 'troops' will go there instead.
Any organisation could opt to run a bar under the 'mess' model and many ex-service clubs do just that. When I were a lad, the cheapest beer near me was in the Dowty club at Staverton - comparable prices with Innsworth messes at the time I believe.
With the advent of PAYD and sole-contractor arrangements for Station bars, all the above may have now changed :{ - but that was how it was in my experience.

VT - apologies if that is not what you were getting at with your post re the great unwashed not getting beer at £2 a pint. Just wanted to put to bed the idea that all service men and women are drinking at prices somehow directly subsidised from the taxpayer. Next people will be thinking they get free accommodation as well!

Back in the early 90s in RAFG if you weren't drinking heavily five-six nights a week there was something wrong with you.

Jayand - must be why my old man did so well at Bruggen! His bicycle seemed to have a tendency to steer into the ditch along the path from base to Elmpt on a regular basis!

I regret the intensive 30 years training I had in various locations over my Service years, ranging from Bugis Street....

I thought that had to do with target classfication and weaponeering rather than alcohol.

One always thought Bugis Street was the origin of the Flight Safety slogan: "Don't assume, check!" :E

Strangely, when strolling in Birmingham recently, en route to the ballet from New Street Station, one saw a restaurant named after said Singaporean thoroughfare. But I shudder to think what the dress code might have been!! :eek:

Or the real gender of the lovely waitresses:eek:

He was lucky, rumour control when I was there, had someone waking up in the morning after passing out in or near a ditch on the married patch to find he had a sore arse, I believe they traced the bugger.. pun intended.


.

The rule of thumb was 'if it's ugly you're ok, but do check for pox next day'

Well, as you divert to that aspect, 'Christine' was a nice chap ... we had our regular table at Mick's makan stall in Bugis Street, and 'Christine' would come and chat if there was no trade around. 'She' even bought a round occasionally. 'She' was no trouble - just saw things from a different perspective than the rest of us.

'She' told us her clothes were bought for 'her' by a BA Captain :ouch:

MPN11

I took Mrs G down Bugis St. with a party of friends. The wives were really peed off because the 'chaps' were better dressed than they were!

A, now deceased, RAF Argosy captain went off with one and subsequently pleaded that he thought it was a girl.
OK, Skip; if you say so :rolleyes:

Basil
A work colleague who had served in the RN told me that's what he did.
He said 'I put my hand there and found a bloody 'toggle and two'!

Some years ago my local publican went out to Singapore and came back with some pics of the Bugis St talent.
One night the local rugby team were in and to a man, when shown the pics, they said they they would definitely shag any one of them.
They were in utter dis-belief when he told them they were blokes. I took great joy in confirming their worst fears.

Our wives were really peed off because the 'chaps' were better looking than they were.

Agreed FED but we blokes thought it best not to tell our wives!

Not that anything like that goes on these days. There is no Insane Equine nor Social Establishment of Juliet's Partner in the Multistory Establishment of Ladies.

DAMHIKT

One night we took three PMs down there from Changi and the Chinese waiter with a sense of humour walked up and asked "What you six gentlemen like to drink?"

Many happy memories of the 'culture'. Down to 4-5 pints, 3-4 nights a week now; these days I call it medicinal. Everything in good working order, brain excepted :ok: