Perhaps ‘RIP’ isn’t the most appropriate sentiment at this time; how about ‘Make some noise!’ Is that thunder I can hear from the clouds?

A great musician, not always appreciated by the purists, his heart was truly in the Blues. Well done Mr.M, a life well lived.

It’s not the only Officer’s mess that’s falling to bits; I can think of one that’s very close 😡

Rotten shame though, I lived at RAF Driffield for a time in 1973 and used to walk the pooch all around the site on Saturday afternoons. We would wander around the control tower, the bombed hangar and you could even get inside the gunnery training dome.

A Hooter!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Project-F-104G-Starfighter-static-aircraft-parts-/280618137103?pt=UK_CPV_Aviation_SM&hash=item415624f60f

Might be a problem with the engine, though, the Dutch Air Force have just commenced a programme to recover and scrap all of their J-79’s after finding asbestos in them.

“Owners of some ex-military aircraft may now need to be issued with a new Airworthiness Approval Note (AAN) and Permit to Fly reflecting the change in policy”

Bear in mind that the issue of a new AAN requires a thorough review and investigation of the aircraft’s status and will cost several thousand pounds in CAA time alone.

Me too; I was once accused of breaking the school barometer, after some girl had said she had seen me tapping it. Ended up getting the strap (this was in Scotland) and I stormed home to tell my Dad. He just laughed and said “That’s for all the times you didn’t get caught!”

I was a bit puzzled by this and it turned out that he had been falsely accused at school as well. He cycled home and expected his father (who was a police detective sergeant) to arrest the head! Dad got the reply that he was to give me all those years later……:)

What are all these claims, for heaven’s sake?

Most claims against teachers are for assaults on children. Usually it’s a case of the child having been restrained because they were about to commit a violent or dangerous act. Sometimes, however, it’s a child making up a story which then has to be followed up, and on investigation, is proved to be false.

I thoroughly agree with you that it’s not right or sensible that things have come to this, although some things about the ‘good old days’ were certainly not so good. I still can see clearly in my mind a Fifth-former (that dates me!) being grabbed and shaken by the hair for talking during assembly, this happened in front of the entire school. Even then we considered it to be a bit extreme, but as it was the headmaster carrying out the ‘punishment’ nobody thought to challenge him.