My guess is that they'll keep that stuff under wraps for a few years yet.
Wasn't there a Yes Minister episode on that sort of thing?
Tim Landon scooped hundreds of millions of Pounds and Dollars in fees and commissions, not to say bribes, some very shady deals, including arms sales involving British companies. He was able to shelter his financial shenanigins behind Diplomatic Cover awarded to him by HM Sultan Qaboos. I can't help thinking how many rural clinics could been established with all those hundreds of millions of OMR that he pocketed.
On the positive side, I will say that he a brilliant Intel Officer in Dhofar and elsewhere in Oman. He had also been a true and reliable friend to the then Crown Prince when they were at Sandhurst together. Qaboos was bullied there in a racist way which almost certainly could not happen there. Landon was the only cadet who stood up to the victim of that bullying. Also, he was probably the only man in the world who could have emboldened Qaboos to go ahead with "the Accession" at the time. It was a very brave thing for the young to do at the time. He was under house arrest at the behest of his father, the Sultan and if the thing had gone a little bit wrong it probably would have been fatal for the young man. Landon certainly stiffened his resolve and for that Oman did owe him a certain amount of gratitude.
Coincidentally both Halliday and Langdon died at the early age of 64. There is a Beatles' song somewhere in that.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:52 pm
by EA01
‘My dear Mother, the albatross is world famous as a bird of ill-omen
... I certainly did not know this....My old Flying school was called Albatross, and Albatross is the name of the Naval Aviation base in Southern NSW, and further, an Albatross is something I'm unlikely to ever score in Golf.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 3:12 am
by llondel
I thought it was killing an albatross that was considered a bad idea. Hence the ancient tale.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 4:46 am
by OFSO
A weighty bird to have hung around your neck as a punishment. Not that one knows from personnel experience......
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:52 am
by Pontius Navigator
From that episode, my unit estate had been bought from the local farmer in 1990. The sale documents and other leases were kept in file. It was one of the files I reviewed regularly and noted that if the unit closed with 21 years the vendor had the right to repurchase the land and all improvements thereon at the original purchase price.
The Army made the decision to close the unit which now included a workshop, offices, grandstanding and a five story tower. The farmer became aware of this and also the clause in the sale documents and duly repurchased the land. It was then put up for auction at 20 times the original price though it did not sell and is now a holiday let.
It is fully booked until October 22 at well North of £1,000 per week.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 9:50 am
by Boac
Was Russia banned from the Tokyo Olympics for doping transgressions? They are currently 4th in the medals table as the "Russian Olympic Committee".
Crazy world!
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 9:58 am
by 1DC
Going across the Great Australian Bight in my seagoing days I was keeping the morning eight to twelve watch and the weather was fresh (what a bloke from Grimsby would call good fishing weather). I had an Albatross keeping station a few feet from the bridge wing all through the watch. he/she never moved more than six to twelve feet away from the bridge wing and I never saw it flap its wings. It was a wonderful sight that I will never forget and disaster did not come upon us.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 10:05 am
by Wodrick
Morning all,
Crystal, only 25c with a guess of 26c, expect we will comfortably reach that.
SM at the Health Centre for the last antibiotic jab.
Doctor saw her yesterday and has given her a further course of another antibiotic.
If no improvement by next week he is sending her back to The Hospital team.
I am seeing a Neurologist in Malaga City later to see if I can stop some medication.
My doctor's idea not mine.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Going across the Great Australian Bight in my seagoing days I was keeping the morning eight to twelve watch and the weather was fresh (what a bloke from Grimsby would call good fishing weather). I had an Albatross keeping station a few feet from the bridge wing all through the watch. he/she never moved more than six to twelve feet away from the bridge wing and I never saw it flap its wings. It was a wonderful sight that I will never forget and disaster did not come upon us.
What a wonderful experience!
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 10:16 am
by OFSO
One word missing from: "Disaster did not come upon us."
YET.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
I expect it was dragged along by the draught of the ship - which was why it was there.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 10:45 am
by 1DC
Spot on
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:00 pm
by Ex-Ascot
Afternoon folks. Scheduled twice monthly town day. Had to go and renew my driving licence and replace Mrs Ex-Ascot's which was stolen in the last robbery. After my £75 fine for not having a licence the police said go to the front of the queue as an OAP. Knew it would cause problems. 08.00, 50 in the queue, some had been there since 04.00. The 50th would be there until 17.00. Checked with the staff that it was OK to go to the front they said yes. Then we got 15 mins of racial abuse from one guy who said that we thought that we were white and superior and could do what we wanted etc, etc. Others in the queue were obviously embarrassed, we were the only whites, many told him to shut up. Someone took him down a dark alley or summat. 5 mins later he was back grovelling with apologies. Eventually got in, rules changed as over 65 I needed a medical and Mrs ex-Ascot needed a form from the police. Went for a private medical, only £20, just a 5 min wait. Obviously passed, he had to take a blood sugar test and asked which finger I would like pricked, I told him his but he wouldn't. Said blood pressure a bit high would I like to have a consultation. Said yes but they couldn't find my file so I walked out just paying for the examination. He said to see him again next week, sod that.
Blazing sunshine but cool this morning.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:05 pm
by TheGreenGoblin
Two views of the man (played by a band with aviation in its veins) and the bird...
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 2:02 pm
by Boac
Could never get him to sing on the PA, or even just scream a few lines in the cockpit.........................
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Could never get him to sing on the PA, or even just scream a few lines in the cockpit.........................
So you flew with him at Astraeus Airlines?
I never had you down as a rock fan Boac? Image of Boac playing air guitar and miming with his first officer as their Boeing bimbles on autopilot across the Atlantic, crosses The Goblin's addled transom...
I preferred Saxon though I must admit...
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 2:33 pm
by Boac
He eventually moved from F/O on the 737 onto command on the 757 at Astraeus (I think he was kindly pumping dosh into the company so our 'meetings were only in the crewroom (and no, he didn't sing there...). He did autograph an LP cover for No 1 son, though
With the 757 command he was able to drive the beast around his concerts. He was 'appointed' 'Commercial Director' near the end.
Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV
He eventually moved from F/O on the 737 onto command on the 757 at Astraeus (I think he was kindly pumping dosh into the company so our 'meetings were only in the crewroom (and no, he didn't sing there...). He did autograph an LP cover for No 1 son, though
With the 757 command he was able to drive the beast around his concerts. He was 'appointed' 'Commercial Director' near the end.
I see he set up a maintenance/training/consultancy organisation with a full motion simulator etc. at St Athan... Was called Cardiff Aviation but now Caerdav... I wonder if he is still part of the operation?
and duly repurchased the land. It was then put up for auction at 20 times the original price though it did not sell and is now a holiday let.
so our 'meetings were only in the crewroom (and no, he didn't sing there...). He did autograph an LP cover for No 1 son, though 