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Sisemen wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:40 pm

I was there 90-93. I suspect it was OK then but age and weather may have caused the problems.

Was the 90-93 version 'genuine'? It was probably replaced by a plastic replica as allowing genuine Spitfires to deteriorate and decay is not economically sound.

Benson's gate guardian.

I note G-CPTN's link says since 2012. Google Earth has the anhederal version in 2011 which is the same deformed one I recall from 2008. The one in my clip is pointing towards the entrance whereas the later one is pointing the other way, The display boards are different too.

This was taken in Dec 90 and the droop doesn't seem to be as pronounced.

Agree, that it straight. By 2008 it was around -5 or 10 degree on that side.

Whose is the chap who forgot his hat?

The three dogs didn't have their hats on either. Do you think the four without hats were of a similar level in the hierarchy?

‘Tis moi! Didn’t forget it - was requested to leave it off for some unaccountable reason.

Sisemen wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:52 am

‘Tis moi! Didn’t forget it - was requested to leave it off for some unaccountable reason.

Dog in middle told to watch any suspicious men without hats.

One Saturday at Finningley in 1963 I was sitting in the afternoon when I was asked 'told' to come to the dog section for a look. There was a number of ARC Cadets there too. The dogs only became agitated with the only person not in uniform - me.

OTOH, during a minival at Kinloss, OC Regt John Hopkins (IIRC), ordered the RAFP to unleash the dogs of war against the protesters in the runway. Not very friendly as it was only an exercise. Still, alls well as ends well. The dog but John on the bum.

The dogs wouldn’t DARE bite the squadron commander

I had proof of that shortly after I arrived to take up my post. I was doing the rounds of my flights and wanted to see the police flight dogs in action at night. Off we trudged into the dark by the hangars - the sergeant i/c and me - and, as advertised the dog starts barking, challenge issued and told to stand still. The handler and the dog approached with the dog snarling and barking like a good ‘un. When it got to us the dog calmed down and proceeded to lick my hand. The handler was embarrassed, the SNCO IC was embarrassed, and I explained it away by saying that the dog had obviously smelt my golden retriever and decided that I was a “friendly”!

I can remember an early shift one cold winter morning at Marham.
When the Houchin was started, the copper and his dog were woken up and they leapt out of the cable storage rather rapidly.

Sisemen wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:52 am

‘Tis moi! Didn’t forget it - was requested to leave it off for some unaccountable reason.

If the others had taken their hats off, they would have resembled flower pots.

Those three brains-on-a-chain probably had an IQ greater than the total between the rest of the group in that photo - NWS their boss!!

I had a prospective RAFP Officer on my IOT Flight, name of Savage..

Really!

One of the great drawbacks of being an IOT flight commander, especially R Sqn, was that they all remember you, whereas one has to do mental gymnastics trying to fit face to name and which IOT.

I generally kick of with “Have you caught up with any of the other guys at all?”, which hopefully comes up with a name that will give me a reference point.

Fortunately doesn’t happen as often now I’m in Oz but does occasionally when back in the UK

Was doing a demo at a woodwork show today, so sent my tools in ahead, with some boxes that were to go on display.
When I unpacked for the demo, two of the hard-to-come-by tools were missing. My guess is that while the display boxes were being unpacked and set up, someone walking past has spotted the tools and taken the opportunity to lift them.
They are marked and are readily identifiable, but I suspect I won't see them again.

At the same show, my blind mate bought an expensive hand saw. When he got home, it wasn't in his backpack. Possibly came out when he took his lunch out, or possibly stolen when his backpack was left at a stand for a while.
This has been a ***** of a week, one way and another.

Hydromet there are shits about.

A few months back, rushing in to the supermarket, not only did I not lock the car but left the door open. Nothing nicked. I guess people thought I was standing near by.

Recently I saw a car in a retail park, tailgate open, no one about. Pressed the button and it shut.

Two weeks ago at a seaside car park, saw a car with big bunch of keys in door lock. Opened door and dropped them in. Hope they found them. Years ago, same deal. Put keys in car. The son (40) panic mode retraced his steps around the woods. Back at car park, worried sick, no car ketsr, no house keys. Dad tries pax door, it opens, tells son he had left car open keys in
Found this out when I met them later.
p

This part of the world has gone from empty to full overnight. The quality of people has dropped from a nine to a one, as the visitors are all French. Loud, intrusive, arrogant, don't signal when driving, don't look, God-given-rght to park anywhere, etc.

Don't you mean 9 to 0?
And you didn't mention that they are somewhat malodorous, and spendthrift.

Once again, the BBC shows its shabby standards on its news page.

(my bold) The Queen watched the ceremony - which this year parades the flag from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards - from a dais in Horse Guards Parade and she also inspected the lines of guardsmen.

It should be ' the Colour of...'. After all the years they have covered the event, you would think they could get basic facts correct.

I note that the Wail on Sunday names and pictures 8 out of 11 of the opportunist crew hoping to be the next PM, who have allegedly admitted using illegal drugs. I suspect that few if any of them owned up purely out of remorse for their law breaking, it's more likely that they were ratted on by others from their murky past, so 'fessed up in the hope of being regarded as "a bit naughty, but at least honest about it" ...

What an unlovely bunch of arrogant "I know best" types they come over as.

Perhaps Drake's Drum will be heard beating in the depths and Flashheart will appear to save us....

How they even got selected yet alone elected is a sad indictment. We are used to the spectacle in US politics of political appointees being grilled live on television.

By contrast our great and good are selected by a largely secret process before the lucky 600 get elected. There are simply too many for proper scrutiny before election. Once in office they are exempt from security vetting though the security service will have a watching brief.

The Wilson Governments certainly had the security services in a spin. A recent BBC series, Summer of Rockets could have been based on this albeit set a decade earlier. One clue at the end was someone named WALTER.