'Sparks For The Grinder'

bigpee · Post by **bigpee** » Tue 22 Sep, 2009 2:14 pm

Morrisons C.1987 a young lad started working in the butchery department and was sent to "Fetch some helmet cheese for the special sausages!" from the Deli manager - only problem was he didn't ask her for it - he shouted from the doorway to the other side of the deli where some of the 20 or so customers in there at the time looked a bemused.

Arry Awk · Post by **Arry Awk** » Fri 25 Sep, 2009 5:27 pm

BLAKEY wrote: When we were posted in the RAF to our underground radar sites we were all eventually subjected to something similar. After being shown the layout of the cabins and the latest equipment new arrivals (including me) would casually be asked to go the electrical stores and bring back some calibration pips. The storemen would say "what colour do you want" and when we looked blank would say "go back and find out." Returning to the cabin we would ask "what colour pips ?" and then the laughter would break out and we realised we'd been "had." Hiya BlakeyYou never mentioned being in the RAF before?I joined in 1947 and was demobbed in Jan 1956.My trade was Telegraphist, 'Sparks', and was a Cpl from1952 until demob! Ambitious or what! lol.Did you go overseas at all? I was in Germany.BelgiumEgypt and Iraq. Oh! and another foreign place called'Scotland'!!

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Fri 25 Sep, 2009 6:23 pm

'Arry 'Awk wrote: [Hiya BlakeyYou never mentioned being in the RAF before?I joined in 1947 and was demobbed in Jan 1956.My trade was Telegraphist, 'Sparks', and was a Cpl from1952 until demob! Ambitious or what! lol.Did you go overseas at all? I was in Germany.BelgiumEgypt and Iraq. Oh! and another foreign place called'Scotland'!! AYUP A A !!Yes 'arry, I did my two years National Service from October 54 - 56.I was a Radar Operator PPI and was an SAC (often called less complimentary things). Did I go overseas ?? well no, but "underseas" very nearly - I worked deep underground beneath the Humber Estuary at Spurn Point (Holmpton) and you can't get much nearer to an overseas posting than that !!

Uno Hoo · Post by **Uno Hoo** » Fri 25 Sep, 2009 11:28 pm

[BLAKEY wroteAYUP A A !!Yes 'arry, I did my two years National Service from October 54 - 56.I was a Radar Operator PPI and was an SAC (often called less complimentary things). Did I go overseas ?? well no, but "underseas" very nearly - I worked deep underground beneath the Humber Estuary at Spurn Point (Holmpton) and you can't get much nearer to an overseas posting than that !! Would Holmpton be part of Sunk Island? I gather there's quite a complex of "secret" government & military installations out there

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Sat 26 Sep, 2009 1:17 am

I look forward to Bigee99's exposez on it.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sat 26 Sep, 2009 9:26 am

'Arry 'Awk wrote: RichT wrote: Trojan wrote: I remember an apprentice being sent across to our office for a long stand. I believe there is one of those very items on the 'Tools' page Brought back a few memories to me too!They missed out,'A bucket of blue steam' of course.Actually, I think Rabones did supply replacement bubblesfor their spirit levels!Anyone remember pairs of 'Footprints' which wereadjustable pipe dogs? I still have a pair! They weremade obsolete by Mole Grips.Stocks and dies for threading electrical and plumbers'tubing Held in a floor standing pipe vice. Hard work'screwing' tubingover 3/4 of an inch dia!Also 'Chipchasers' a sort of ratchet operated stocks and diesfor larger dia. pipes.Talking of screwing,remember the old Headline referringto a mad rapist escaping from Rampton who dashed intoa launderette and 'serviced' three lady customers.Headline!'Nut bolts,screws washers!'Sorry! I worked in an electrician's stores when I first started work at 15. My boss didn't play tricks on me but considered himself something of a comedian and would call me "our Eli" like the "thick" character in Jimmy James's famous act (a-a-a-a-ave yo-yo-you b-b-b-been pu-pu-pu-ttin' i-i-i-it abb-b-bout th-th-that I'm b-b-b-army") Needess to say this didn't go down too well the the fifteen year old me.I remember well the footprint wrench (dogs) and the screwing vice () There was also a copper and mineral coated cable system called pyrotenax which had various fittings called "glands" and needed a "crimping tool" Happy days

Post by **chameleon** » Sat 26 Sep, 2009 9:26 am

Cardiarms wrote: I look forward to Bigee99's exposez on it. I was going this weekend but my submarine sprang a leak.

Brunel · Post by **Brunel** » Sat 26 Sep, 2009 9:51 am

http://www.rafholmpton.co.uk/3.html

Arry Awk · Post by **Arry Awk** » Sat 26 Sep, 2009 5:55 pm

BLAKEY wrote: 'Arry 'Awk wrote: [Hiya BlakeyYou never mentioned being in the RAF before?I joined in 1947 and was demobbed in Jan 1956.My trade was Telegraphist, 'Sparks', and was a Cpl from1952 until demob! Ambitious or what! lol.Did you go overseas at all? I was in Germany.BelgiumEgypt and Iraq. Oh! and another foreign place called'Scotland'!! AYUP A A !!Yes 'arry, I did my two years National Service from October 54 - 56.I was a Radar Operator PPI and was an SAC (often called less complimentary things). Did I go overseas ?? well no, but "underseas" very nearly - I worked deep underground beneath the Humber Estuary at Spurn Point (Holmpton) and you can't get much nearer to an overseas posting than that !! Great stuff Blakey. Looks like we came out (oops! Can I say that??)the same year! ( '56). PPI ? planned position Indicator?Long time ago now. They didn't have radar in Iraq ,49/51Just HFDF (Morse) and VHFDF (voice operated.).I believe they caught the Jerries by surprise when our nightfighters were fitted with it! Couldn't work out who was firingin the dark from 500 yds! They soon twigged how we were doing it!Gotta go now.Cheers

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Sun 27 Sep, 2009 1:28 pm

Uno Hoo wrote: [BLAKEY wroteWould Holmpton be part of Sunk Island? I gather there's quite a complex of "secret" government & military installations out there Not quite Uno Hoo. Our domestic site was at Patrington Haven on the road to Sunk Island, and the old WW2 radar site was just beyond - it was still RAF property then, ghostly isn't the word, and we had to do night guards there in pairs. Long since now it was returned to the farmers for its proper purpose.The new "state of the art" underground site was at Holmpton - and is now a Defence Archive museum and well worth a visit. I went the year it opened as such - just fifty years since I climbed those stairs into the "disguise" bungalow guardroom after my last shift before Demob. That day I was the only member of the party to have been down there before and what a nostalgic experience it was for me - and sobering to think that the officer showing us round was not even a radar detectable blip in his father's eye when I was alst there. I mean to go again soon, although of course all the equipment is different but the "atmosphere" is still there.