Many of you will probably be sensible people who, when
planning for a long train journey, will find yourself a decent book, a selection of various refreshments and have some sort of idea or plan for your trip. My plan for the long train journey from London
to Holyhead in North Welsh Wales was simple.
I had been drinking solid for three days and so the moment I had stowed my
bags, I sat myself down and fell asleep.
The only good thing about the London to Holyhead train was that it stopped
at Holyhead, which allowed you to sink into a deep sleep and not worry about
missing your station.
I woke in Holyhead refreshed and took my time getting off the
train, rather than join in with the melee that was aiming for the single exit
slot. I could see Norma waiting and was
pleased that I had nipped into a top of the range, dead posh, designer shop in
London to buy her some perfume. That’s a
little bit of a lie, well; a complete porky if you must know. I bought a bag full of supposedly knock off
perfume on Oxford Street. You know the
guys who sell stuff from a suitcase. Well
muggins here bought a bag of perfume, smelled all right to me, and had all the
proper names on the bottles.
I had a lot to do that evening, as in, get back to Valley and
get a bed somewhere, however as Norma had turned up I wondered what the evening
would now have in store. Norma was very
pleased with her present although even that didn’t seem to cheer her up. I asked her what was worrying her, because I
was a caring sort of chap. Norma explained
to me that she had come to the train station that evening to meet her
boyfriend.
I was intrigued to discover that this was not my good self and I put my
lack of observation, or alertness, down to the session I had just endured in
Cricklewood. It occurred to me that I
hadn’t told Norma what train I would be coming in on, I hadn’t even told her
what day I was coming back. With me away
helping the Prince of Wales learn how to drive a fast jet, Norma’s parents
encouraged her to find a nice Welsh chap, which she had done, and was now
engaged to.
As I was returning from a detachment I was theoretically on
duty and therefore entitled to some transport.
I telephoned Valley and they sent some transport to collect me. The guard commander was not chuffed as he
would have to miss his favourite television programme if he had to find me a
bed somewhere, would I not rather spend the night in a cell and start fresh the
next morning? I declined his sweet offer
and was given a bed, in what I can only describe as a store room. I got my head down straight away as I needed
to be fresh for the following day as I knew I was facing a lot of running
about.
Once again I had to arrive at Valley and go around each
section getting my chitty signed. By
lunchtime I arrived at air traffic control and waited for my arrival interview
with the SATCO. I knew that I was
getting a splendid report from Cranwell and I also knew that he would have had
this by telephone. The report was
crawling its way across country in a brown envelope so this was standard
practise.
I was surprised that getting dumped by Norma didn’t really cause
me much concern, well any concern at all, if I was to tell the truth. I still had Catherine and then there was that
girl in Warrington, but for the moment I needed to see the SATCO and ensure that
my aircrew application was active and its progress hadn’t been affected by any
incident at Cranwell. Some fellow poked
his head in and said “I’ll see you now.”
It was only when the admin sergeant said that’s the new SATCO that I realised
Norma wasn’t the only lump of my life that had changed.
He was very nice and welcomed me back. He explained that he had spoken to the SATCO
at Cranwell and was pleased that I had been so well received there and gave a
good impression of the high standards at Valley. When it was my turn to speak I asked him if
he was aware of my aircrew application.
He said no.
I explained that the previous SATCO had told me that I had to
act as a young gentleman would for six months, stay out of trouble and be a
good boy. If I managed that, then he was
going to submit my application for aircrew selection. The new SATCO explained that this was not a standard
way of assessing potential aircrew candidates and was a personal decision by
the previous SATCO. However it was a
good idea so, as he didn’t know me, he would implement the same process. I could conduct myself as a proper young fellow
for six months and if I did so he would consider submitting my aircrew application.
If I had been able to take myself out and punch myself in the
face I would have. Cranwell had offered
to put me forward for aircrew, if I had stayed there, and now I was back with
no girlfriend, well one less girlfriend, and having to start all over again
because of the whim of a failed fast jet pilot.
I explained that I had to go and find myself a bedroom on camp as I knew
that if I hung around much longer, there’s a good chance I would explode. Then it hit me, I would just volunteer for
dangerous duties again and get away from them all.
I told the SATCO that I would want to volunteer for dangerous
duties and he smiled at me. How could he
observe me if I was away running about mountains? No I would have to stay at air traffic
control and impress him if I was serious about this aircrew thing. Now you’ve probably heard the expression
about the bottom falling out of your world however, after my three day session
in Cricklewood, I think the world was falling out of my bottom. I wandered away from air traffic control in a
daze.
I found the bedding store and admittedly had forgotten all
about Louis. Louis hadn’t forgotten
about me and had saved a special room for me on my return. At the end of each corridor of single man
rooms would be a sitting room. These, because
of a single accommodation shortage were now being used as six man rooms. Louis had managed to keep one of these rooms
under the radar and had allocated two people to it. One was no other than myself
and I have to say I was pleased to hear my roommate was none other than Docker
himself. I hoped that he would have no surprises in
store for me.
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