Hi Pete (Beau) and fellow Brats,

I was in the 80th at Halton where I learned the ancient art of aero engine spanner throwing, and graduated with honours in nocturnal juggling with spark plugs, props, and scavenge filters. Spent time on Shackletons (my first love!), Hunters, Meteors, Chippies, Anson, the Tin Triangle (Avpin version), Hastings, Hercules and sundry other types best forgotten.

Pete, our paths may have crossed at Halton, Gibraltar, Colerne (me on 24 Sqdn), definitely at West Raynham! (see my avatar), Khormaksar/Nairobi-Eastleigh, Herc course at Thorney, Bersatu Padu at Changi (me on 48 Sqdn), and probably elsewhere down route (slight case of brain fade after all these years).

I can’t say I enjoyed every minute of my service career but for the greater part of it was the most fun you could have in uniform.

Reply to Mark 12 (post #2965):

The Spitfire and Dakota both flew spirited displays at the RAF Lyneham Sgt’s Mess ball that same evening (outside the mess, of course!).

Unfortunately:
a) light was not good at 19:30-19:45-ish.
b) didn’t have my camera with me 🙁 – baby-sitting duties in Lyneham village.

Great story!

On a much smaller scale, I once saw a sparrowhawk take out a sparrow from a chirping flock that were perched in a bush. This was in a front garden of a house on a busy road. The hawk swooped within about 5 feet of me at a fair rate of knots and took one of the sparrows from a branch of the bush just like plucking an apple from a tree: this caused instant panic within the group as the other more fortunate birds scattered in all directions – nature at work.

‘It’s far too easy to scoff. We all know that the show comprises of watching a bunch of idiots doing very little.‘

So why watch it then?

Just because Stephen Fry, Brian Sewell, etc, need some light relief from having their ego massaged on ‘serious’ programmes doesn’t mean it is good television.

Earlier this week i found myself about to eat a slice of humble pie. Out of the blue (well, postman’s bag actually) I received a communication from HMRCS consisting of a covering header sheet to which was attached a cheque for a significant sum (almost 300 quidlets). The covering letter said I would be informed of the calculation under separate cover (and at further cost to the taxpayer, of course).
Postponing my pie-fest for a day or so, I awaited the said ‘calculation’ which, to my amazement, was for the tax year 2004/2005. Did they only check my account for the last 6 years? – who knows?
As I my sole income has been from government pensions for the last 13 years or so, how has this ‘error’ only just come to their attention?
The revenue system had been applying the wrong tax code that they themselves issued to another government agency – what chance has an individual working in the private sector have of receiving a fair deal from these people?
Coupled with the arrogance of the head of HMRCS who claimed that he has no need to apologise for their ****-ups, it is little wonder our country finds itself in a fiscal pickle.
I suppose I should be thankful that THEIR ERROR was made in my favour: my sympathies to those who find themselves on the other side of the balance sheet.

I have successfully avoided contact with this totally idiotic format since the trailer for the very first programme some years ago when I discovered that it was to be presented by the talentless Davina McCall. My opinion of her is based on my having seen – and heard – her screeching her way through the only episode of the awful show called Street Mate (or similar) that I managed to sit through.
Along with most other ‘human interest’ or so-called ‘talent’ shows the modern TV programme format seems to be aimed mainly at the phone-in fanatics and the Twitter/Facebook/iPhone-bore. With the forthcoming cuts in BBC budgets, this broadcaster will surely go in the same direction as the commercial channels: they have already started along this downward spiral with the likes of Dancing on Celebrity Ice and other such drivel.
Thank goodness for the OFF switch (and the Key Publishing forums)!

Brilliant shots (as usual), Nick!
Thanks for posting.

One law for them – they make a mistake, we pay; you pay it back (if the error was in your favour), even though the tax people issued the wrong coding notice.
Happened to me once. Had to pay it back, which is right and proper, isn’t it?
What happened to the person who made the error?
(Answers on a P45 please).