Stargate SG1

Paul and Val - most recent piccy

As I am currently on leave I took advantage of my darling wife's decision to take Alice and Alisha to the pictures. I got to have a few hours to myself, so I settled in front of the telly and put on my last SG1 dvd. The end of series 9. I now have to wait till the end of August for the release of series 10. How am I going to manage it eh???

Uncle Christopher has been commenting again so without further ado I hand over the blog to "Suffolk Sojourn 14 of 137 - Phew! Good to see HR has come in on it -Leon will now be asking if he is still as good on the Gibson Balalaika Flying V as he looks - if so he'll sign him up (Step aside Alvin Lee).Farewell Kathy - I'm sure if I'd have met you, you would have left an indelible imprint on my life too. In peace. Trying hard not to make this a blog of my own but it's late and am buzzing after giving statements to local police after vandals started a fracas outside as I was about to turn in.Photo's are (at last)in post - not good quality - but I'm sure you'll be able to sort.Oh, by the way Leon - Wishbone Ash brothers were Martin and Ted Turner. (sorry Paul - just imparting the info as Leon's never in, after rock quiz in Suffolk). Plus Dave the Rave hasn't got back to me - yet. And finally - Podga's organic veg count - carefully nurtured I may add - 4 Cucumbers, 13 tomatoes and 1 Green Pepper to date - pig out!Blue Skies. "

As a matter of interest there was also a Glen Turner on guitar associated with Wishbone. Was he another brother?

Just gone eight and Val is downstairs with her mate Lin who is around with her granddaughter Alisha who went to the pictures with Alice who is going to be picked up by her mum Cheryl. You will now realise why I am upstairs on the computer!!!!!!

As you will see from the piccy above I have decided to differentiate the picture comment from main text by italics and pink. Thought it may stop confusion as the photo's I publish rarely have anything to do with the text!!

You all look after yourselves and hope no one got caught in the rain. Podga - gardener ..... nah!

Happy Birthday for yesterday

My sister, Mary, celebrated her **th birthday yesterday. Tried to get a photo of her without a hand wrapped around a glass. Went back a few years but found one! However, I think Val has had a few judging by the glazed look in the eyes!!

Happy Birthday Mary.

Wii

It was our friend Kathy's funeral last week. Val wanted a more up to date photo than we had and her hubby, Dave, kindly let us have this one. Some of you would have met Kath in Munchengladbach when we were there. Thought it would be nice to have a piccy of her on the blog.

As you will be aware there has been a fair bit of the wet stuff heading in a downward direction in the UK over the past month or so. Add this to the school holidays. Add both to the looking after the granddaughter scenario. The result is alternative entertainment required.

Given all this on Friday Alice and myself headed in the direction of the City Centre. Into Toys'R'Us and out with a Wii. For the uninformed a Wii is a games machine that you play remotely. It has the added advantage of requiring a bit of exercise when using it. Especially if you are a little on the competitive side - two fire signs apparently so Al and I do get a little carried away sometimes!

Anyway. I would recommend a Wii to all those who have the responsibility of young one's over the summer holiday period. It's also bloody good fun when Al goes home and I can get on it by myself!!

HR rang up tonight for a chat. I have added him to our "humour" e-mail distribution list and banged off a few of the 2005 e-mails for him to have a giggle at. He has sent a couple of comments so I will hand over to him. I was going to allocate the colour brown to him as he used to dress that way in his previous occupation. Well, brown with a bit of green chucked in for good measure. And a touch of black here and there. Anyway, when I told him his colour allocation he pleaded on bended knee, and I am sure I heard a little simper and possibly a sob there as well, to have the red allocation. He has this thing about the Red Army. Sort of latter day Sealed Knot Society from what I can gather. So being the kind hearted guy you all know I allocated him brown. Here is his bit. "Hi all, my first attempt at a reply (there is no going back!). Paul I am really chuffed you sought me out again and I promise I will come to Plymouth bearing biscuits to replace the ones I ate in Germany ! " Yeah, I know. I'll put it down to colour blindness. And he followed up with "Hi, just scrolled down,only to stumble over my bald patch! I hope these comments get through.I will put something constructive in when I get the knack ! " If you see a large lorry headed down in the direction of Plymouth with a whole load of biscuits on board that could very well be HR heading for a "repay the biscuits consumed" visit!

On the subject of biscuits. The S.B. Investment Club is no more. We had our final meeting on Friday and doled out the cash (how did you think I paid for the Wii???). Ten years we were at it and we outperformed some of the professionals. We had some good and some not so good, looks as though we choose the right time as well! Still, the market should be higher come the end of the year. At least I don't have to find tea and biscuits every month or so for my fellow members anymore. Enjoyable but it ran it course!

RAF Upwood Old Boys Association!

I can look a prat without too much encouragement!

And so can Val, Gnome, Al and Ches. 2004.

For those of you who have been following the thread, Cheryl's car blew up and Alice and her mate came rushing in to our place yelling "the cars on fire". Well, it didn't blow up and it wasn't on fire. However the clutch had burnt out. The guys in work did point out that it used to be our car with Val the main driver, you may be interested to know that Val had the same driving instructor as Barry Sheen. Yep the real Barry Sheen , and believe me the driving speed is about the same!!! Still. Car all fixed thanks to Mike and the guys at Vospers. Ches is now £265 light. I think the idea of blaming it all on Vals driving ability (?) is valid!!!

Got a couple of comments so here goes. In the order I received them. Blue Skies the world is your oyster. "Suffolk Sojourn No. 14 of 137.I got in again - I think. Hope Cheryl's car will be ok - all will be well - she has a goodly Dad with excess cash available from his carefully considered investments!So - onwards and upwards. My finely nurtured piece to you on Tuesday disappeared into the ether. However, am trying again:Ref Leon's "Up - Up and ...Hold". Whilst you were at home, carefully nurturing Emerson, God Bless Him, with his supper (Tarkus from ELP in the background rather than TV) I was at work in the gym running Ladies Keep Fit - with a dozen or so wives who weren't into Corrie. Unbeknown to me, all the singlies,(Leon, Barry, Derek, Ron & Spike)- allegedly playing volleyball with the Iranian English students -were actually peering through the holes in the fitness room door at a bunch of girlies lying down with their legs in the air. My carefully phrased commands have been part of Leon's vocabulary ever since.Rang Dave the Rave last week to encourage him to join you/us, and contribute - but he hasn't a computer. He wasn't actually in -he's been nursing for the last 25 years and had left for the night shift at Huntingdon hospital - so his partner Geoff advised me. He'll ring me though - allegedly.Leon rang this afternoon - much ground covered, for later publication, but he was impressed by HR's Gibson Balalaika Flying V in the photo - reminded him of Andy Powell at the Melody Maker Poll Winners concert at the Oval in 72.Blues Skies (Well here anyway - every where else is awash!)Porky Middleblocker - News at 10 - Stowmarket. "

Talking about rain, If anybody reading this is involved in the recent floods then our thoughts go with you. Lets hope things are sorted sooner rather than later.

Not to be outdone Leon is giving a little background to those keep fit sessions. Me, I was off playing five a side in that cracking court we had in the hanger. We even had a couple of bats hanging on for dear life behind one of the goals if I remember correctly. I wonder what happened to the Iranian and Iraqi guys who played in our team, they were OK guys.

Right Leon serve up your course. " Hallow............Just read Blue Skies comments which somehow were above this blog I am writing..............Hope the car did not cause too much of a problem for you...... I think they are able to pop a new clutch in now pretty quickly, as opposed to weeks, years ago. I had to laugh at Groucho's comments about the keep fit class.......... He was the original Mr Motivator, although as this occurred in Upwood he was known as " Mr Rotavator ". It used to be so funny when we said come and play football/basketball etc and he said he couldn't as he had things to do !!!! yeah right !It was more like up, up, up, (little swig from the beer can, couple of quick puffs on a ciggie), and hold.......... Oh sorry missus ........ and relax !!! Great fun for all.Interesting Paul that you said you met up with McQuiston and Wilkinson at Innsworth...SNCO'S Wonder what they are doing now?Incidentally Orange was the format of speakers that I started out using, (for Music Videos and playback for various bands but as time went on I started using a company called Bluebox (bright blue like blue skies blogs), then changed to black custom made for me by a mate. The reason for that was you could hide them easier on a shoot and get close in without being picked up by the camera. They have been used in countless jobs with my catchphrase of " Heard but not seen " which most production companies liked. However as time has marched on I don't do those anymore as now they use runners for playback and pay them 20 pence a day for the privilege as they " want to join the film industry ".......blah blah. Any way that's another story.It's now just after midday and I must go into town to collect a few bits and bobs as got a busy time starting tomorrow. All the best and cheerio..........Leon "

Well that's it for today. Anyone else feel like adding a bit feel free. As you can see it's an open forum!!

Mum's car is on fire!!

Last night I was sitting in my study working on the wind up of our Investment Club, more on that later, when Alice (granddaughter) and her friend, Josh, come running in shouting that her mum's car was on fire. Those of you up to speed will realise she was talking about my daughter, Cheryl.

Went rushing out to the smell of burning oil. The car wasn't on fire but it was certainly poorly. Ches had the bonnet up, something my time on the fireman's strike in the late 70's told me not to do. However, too late at this stage.

We pushed the car into the side of the road to park up and I gave a shaky Cheryl and adrenalin running Alice a lift home. Today the breakdown man arrived to have a look. One burnt out clutch. The car was only serviced a couple of weeks ago so more expense for Ches. Lost her job last month, car expense this month - I think she is feeling a little "what have I done"!! Thank goodness she has listened to her financial advisor (me) over the years had has saved for the inevitable car problems. Ah well, she starts a course via JCP on Monday and, hopefully, will be looking at training or job hunting with a vengeance very soon.

Back to the S.B. Investment Club. As when we started all the members were Benefit Agency Fraud Investigators we thought S.B. (Scroat Busters) was a good name. Started April 1997 so we have been going for 10 years. Longer than we thought when we first set out. We have had some cracking investments. RPS and Sutton Harbour stand out, and some dive. Greenwich Resources and Jarvis stand out here! Over the period we have made a profit, but a good interest rated account would probably done as well. But we have had some good fun and some very interesting meetings!

All in all glad we started but the enthusiasm was going so "now is the time to say goodnight - goodnight" as Pete and Dud would say!!

Uncle Christopher AKA Blue Skies has had a few technical problems. A shortened version arrived. So without further ado.

"Up Up and Hold....This is my 3rd attempt at leaving a comment since Tuesday (now Friday pm). It used to be easy - this is no. 13 of 137 - all of a sudden I can't get in.Good to see Leon is in on this. Sweated over a major piece for you both on Tue but it just hasn't appeared so I'm not going to repeat it unless I get in.Yours frustratingly, oh and Blue Skies! "

Hmmm. Not sure what is wrong. Sounds as though someone doesn't know what the save facility is all about!!! I'm sure he'll figure things out, he's quite switched on for a muscle mechanic you know!!!!!!

Speaking of Mechanics - where's the comment from the ex Brown Job!!!!! Come on HR - join the fun.

From Podga's pieces to Leon's letters

You know we having been talking about Leon AKA Mike Russell - well for those of you that have worked out how to open the comments here he is in person.

Barry Wilkinson and Colin McQuiston (AKA Billy Mac) were with me at RAF Innsworth in
P Man 6a. Both respectable and upstanding SNCO's or is my memory playing tricks again! This would have been 86 -88 time. I must admit I thought Spike was discovered in Aussie, most people seem to end up there somehow!

Now over to Leon. Wasn't sure what colour to give to Leon. Podga was easy with the blue. Then I thought of Orange speakers - there were such a thing weren't there? Suitable for a sound man?

"Good Moaning........This is Leon aka Mike Russell here......... Very interesting reading from the dark haired moustachioed suffolk one, (it is very dark, the hair that is). Well news of other folk too..... Had a long letter, (e-mail attachment), from Derek Bottomley me ole mucka from TSF days at Upwood. Now married wiv 2 kids and living in Canberra oz. Been working in immigration for donkey's years after finishing his stint in the RAF and by all accounts really loves the lifestyle in oz and will probably remain there. Would love to find out where " Spike " is...... Both Pdga and I did try and make contact once but we were met with a wall of silence and denials........ all very strange !!! Mcquiston and Wilkinson have not shown up either on the friends re-united site yet but maybe one day.Better sign off now as have to go to work. Hope your all well and will check this blog out as much as poss. TTFN and up up and hold. Cheerio."

Suite and ladder arrive

Real interesting stuff today. Our new suite turned up and the combi ladder I bought off a very nice ladder on e-bay arrived. Val is happy with the suite so that's me out of the mire for a day or two. Combi ladders is a bit more complicated - bends at avery rung. I have to have a think about how this will work!!

Podga has posted again. I am very impressed with his ever increasing IT skills - e-mails, blog comments .... where will it all stop I ask myself!

Most of the Knebworth weekend is a bit of a blur for me. I think it may have been the couple (or how many?) bottles of wine Podga brought on to the train that started it. I do recall wondering the London underground offering drinks of orange to all and sundry. There was another drought on and I was bring West Country refreshment to our Capital City. I was tickled pink when a city gent, pinstripe suit and all, opened up his briefcase took out a cup and had a drink on us. I reckon he recognised us for the rather drunken yokels we were!!

The concert was outstanding and we slept out under the stars that night. Stones were brilliant and Skynyrd outstanding.

Over to Mr Thorn

"The Dark Haired One here. The only way I can post a comment now is to right-click on Comments (not Links) and then left-click on the top of the Drop Down - ie Open. This wasn't the usual route previously - but I'm finding a way! I'm about as IT savvy as an empty coke bottle - but getting there.Anyway, further to your email to Leon following his Suffolk Sojourn - the last time we were all together was, as you recollected, the August Bank Holiday Friday night of '76 - prior to you and I moving to Knebworth for 2 days of Stones/Skynyrd etc - 120,000 of us.We booked into my sister Claires' pad in Kentish Town on the Friday afternoon, then sat outside on the steps in the evening sun with a few Carlsbergs. We waited patiently for Dave Litchfield (Dave the Rave + Robert Plant lookalike)to appear up the escalator of the tube 100 yds away. I had his Knebworth ticket, and we were then moving on to meet Leon.An hour later, and now having finished a bottle of wine as well, we gave up and left a note for him on the door. No mobiles in those days! We moved on to the Red Lion in Fulham where Leon was setting up for the house band - New York Public Library (?!) - The 3 us of spent the gig sitting at the foot of the stage - facing the punters. Precocious brats! We didn't care. Having helped pack up post- gig Leon dragged us, with the band, (now 0100 Hrs) to some dive - I don't know where. Somehow got back to Claire's and still no sign of Dave. Dragged ourselves out to Hertfordshire the next morning in bright hot weather. Sister Claire and her boyfriend of the moment somehow found us, and a good time was had by all. Particularly remember some outstanding aerobatics from various aircraft that appeared over the site through the afternoon. And the hundreds of Confederate Flags that appeared as soon as Skynyrd came on.Anyway - Still got Dave's ticket, Mint and Intact. Sell it on ebay? I don't know how!Greetings from Suffolk and love to all. (No. 11 of 137).Blue Skies. "

Old friends part two

This photo ... Read on


After the sad news of Kathy passing on last Thursday I got to wondering about all the friends we have made and mislaid over the years.


Back in our Osnabruck days at 12 Field Workshop (REME) we had a lot of fun with a Brown Job by the name of Robert Holden-Rushworth. I got to thinking that there can't be many around with that name so had a blog search. I came up with Philip Holden-Rushworth in Canada (I think). We knew that HR's old man was RAF and was called Philip, so we e-mailed him. He kindly replied with a contact e-mail address for our very own HR.



To cut a long story short, an exchange of e-mails lead to a telephone call this afternoon.



It appears HR is alive and well and living in darkest Wiltshire. It was lovely to hear him again and, hopefully, we will not let contact slip away so easily this time around. It is reassuring to realise that people don't really change with age, so many years have past and HR's mind still has three things going on whilst he is trying to tell you about one! He is still doing his own thing, mind of his own, living at a tangent to (most of) the rest of the world. That's what we love about him and are really glad that life's hiccups haven't soured him - as far as I could tell from one telephone call!!

We hope to get together soon for a major chat, don't worry all will be updated on this blog.

Now, if there is anyone else out there who remember Paul and Val Mann from their RAF days. Or if you recall Cheryl or Emerson Mann, two Scalee brats!

Old friends

Todays photo is one of Ches and Al taken in the summer of 2003. We like this one so thought we would share it.

We have the latest update from "Blue Skies" in this post. I was talking about old friends and the way that service friends seem to slip out of contact. Well, I received an e-mail from a real "blast from the past" - Leon AKA Mike Russell. He has been to visit Podga and picked up my e-mail address from him. The old Upwood crowd will soon be packing their zimmerframes and getting together if we don't watch ourselves!

Mind you, if their memories have gone the way of mine...........

Some time ago in a previous post I informed all about PTI's and their affinity with mirrors. Leon tells me that Podga's hair has turned black. This is an unusual state of affairs in the human male as the hair usually gets a little lighter as one moves down the passage of time. Now Podga has come up with an excuse. Yeah sure, got me convinced! Read on.

"Phew! Got in at last - don't know how - trial and error. Usual route didn't want to play. Anyway - here now. So, another Suffolk sojourn (No. 10 of 137)and greetings to the Plymouth brethren. Emails have been exchanged and comms remain intact. I am now dark haired and moustachio'd following (successful) attempt to transform into Groucho Marx, with Bil as Harpo for nephew's 21'st bash. We was good. Photo's to follow. Our old 'oppo Leon Russell popped in last w/e and was introduced to this blog. Expect some more useful revelations from Upwood days. He became a sound engineer on exit from the RAF and has many fascinating stories of working with Robert Plant, Hale & Pace, Shirley & Pepsi(?),BBC Etc. His memories of our gigging at Wishbone Ash & Wild Turkey are crystal clear, (including the fisticuffs we had in Cambridge Market Place after 2 bottles of Greek Wine and the separate taxi's back - TARTS!) as are his observations of me taking the twice weekly Wives Keep Fit - 'up - up and down, ....and relax' etc.Blue Skies to you all.PS In haste, prepping speech for my parents joint 80th Birthday Party at Woodstock Town Hall this w/e. No. 1 son lumbered again! "

If any of our other readers wish to comment please feel free. Always glad to see how folks around the world are getting on - even if you happen on this blog by accident.

Kathy

We received some sad news today. A friend of ours from the old days, Kathy Helliwell, passed on yesterday.

The news got me thinking, Service life is really strange in one very peculiar way - you have friends that you are very close to, you live in each others pockets doing everything together then one of you gets posted. A few telephone calls, a couple of letters and maybe even a couple of visits. Then after a while it's Christmas cards until somewhere along the line the address book goes missing (or crashes nowadays!). If you are lucky you pick up again a few years down the line.

We made from cracking friends during our RAF days. Some we remain close friends, some we keep promising ourselves we have got to visit, some we are renewing friendships with again, others are just good memories. It's a helluva shame, I know we all move on, change ideas, life partners, have families, have different priorities. But when you get an e-mail out of the blue from a husband you have never met about someone who was so close to you for a couple of years it makes you think - well, it did me.

All I can say is wherever Kathy is now her laugh will be long remembered by us!!

How to comment on a post

Photo today is my Nan and Grandad. She was lovely, I really didn't know him. I think the kids are my dad and my Auntie Dor.

Just thought I would let you into the "how to post a comment" secret. It appears that the wonderful readers of this blog have been getting a mite confused.

Just go to the post you want to make a comment about. Have a look at the bottom of it and you will see "comments". Simply click "comments". This will bring up a drop down. Just type in your comments (leave a name if you want, I always do). Click the "anonymous" circle to put a dot in it. Then publish.

To read a comment just have a look at the bottom of a post and it will say how many comments there are. To the right there is a "links" bit. Just click that and you are in.

You do not need a password for any of this.

If you are uncertain feel free to mess about and test, I am OK with that!

If you go to the "Alice and Alice" post you will find 3 (at the moment) comments.

Go on give it a try. Remember - Blogging is fun fun fun!!

Secret visit

Who said Val couldn't take a decent photo? But I suppose when the subject is so photogenic ....

Joan, Val, Ches and Lin. AKA the shiny face mob. They will be really happy when they read this.

Bored with the ramblings of the older generation - the youngsters retire to the card room.

Joan came down from Bournemouth for a surprise visit over the weekend to celebrate Val's birthday of last week. She came down and caught Val sweating buckets, stripping wallpaper, beer can in hand, surrounded by wet, sticky, stripped wallpaper. Val didn't seem to understand that it was a SURPRISE visit, the explanation is in the word. So, the house was a bit untidy and she usually hammers around tidying and cleaning for a couple of days before any visitor. This time she didn't have to. Did she thank me? What do you think??

A relaxing time was had by all. Lots of talking done by the women folk so I just watched a couple of Stargate SG1 episodes to keep myself busy. I might actually get another in before heading for a shower, if, of course, I can get near the telly!