Memory lane

At Blandford camp in 1954 I was paying 9pence a pint. Old money, of course. My weekly pay was twenty five shillings, as I remember. Needless to say, we did'nt go out much.

"john boy" wrote:

memories!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think these were the favourite of us school kids growing up in the 70s can't remember the price but they were cheap compared to to-day . There always seemed to be a packet of these or No10s on the guardroom table If only we could calculate how much we spent over the years and put all that cash together we might be saying words like "This time next year we'll be millionaires" well not quite depends how much one smoked I guess

It was No6 for me, man & boy lol.

I used to spend my 12p dinner money on ten No6 and a box of matches. 10½p for the fags, 1½p for the matches, boy those were the prices!

five woodbines for 4d now that was value for money , ginger

When we were kids we rarely had enough money for a whole pack of fags, the local shop owner seeing an opportunity would open a pack and sell us as many as we could afford bless him. Can you imagine that happening these days?

OK since this is 'memory lane' ...

Me & a mate went up to Hamburg as we had done dozens of times previously. We usually drove up on Saturday afternoon and left on Sunday...ish. Anyway on this particular occasion we got back to the car at...five or six in the morning and it would be fair to say we were not exactly 'compos mentis' As we searched our pockets we realised we had lost the car keys, I thought fek it and kicked the passenger side quarter light through then reached in and opened the door, we decided to worry about the lost keys after we had got some kip. A few hours later we came round, I slowly remembered I'd bust the quarter light, I then remembered we had lost the car keys, my mate then pointed out something that struck me as rather odd, the steering wheel was on the wrong side of the car! We got out and checked the number plates, I thought bugger me we've been kipping in someone elses car, and I've bust the bloody window! We quickly buggered off and after a short while found our car, oddly enough exactly where we had left it. I did feel bad about busting someone elses window but we were buggered if we were going to try and explain it to those nice GCP types.

I remember when my Dad was a BSM and one of his lads, who I only know of as "Swamp Rat" went on a binge into Soest.
He broke into a gents clothes shop and went back to Salamanca Barracks with his spoils, only to find out the suit didn't fit him!
I assume he was still blathered when he took the suit back to change it only to find the german Police waiting for him. Ha
This "Swamp Rat" must have been one of me Dad's favourites because he was always telling us stories of what the lad was getting up to.
Those were the days. Great.

Hiya Biggsy ...

... call me a pedant but are you RA or REME?

Wilf, RA

Does anyone else remember eating what I understand is called zollei in the German pubs ?
It consists simply of cold hard-boiled eggs which one shells then cuts in half . the half yolk is removed and a few drops of olive oil and then vinegar are put into the hollow in the white . This is followed by salt and pepper and finally a smear of senf ( German mustard). The loaded up half egg , with its yolk replaced , is then put smartly into the mouth....delicious , and proof positive to the family that one's 2 years national Service had not been a complete waste of time.

Wilf wrote:

OK since this is 'memory lane' ...

Me & a mate went up to Hamburg as we had done dozens of times previously. We usually drove up on Saturday afternoon and left on Sunday...ish. Anyway on this particular occasion we got back to the car at...five or six in the morning and it would be fair to say we were not exactly 'compos mentis' As we searched our pockets we realised we had lost the car keys, I thought fek it and kicked the passenger side quarter light through then reached in and opened the door, we decided to worry about the lost keys after we had got some kip. A few hours later we came round, I slowly remembered I'd bust the quarter light, I then remembered we had lost the car keys, my mate then pointed out something that struck me as rather odd, the steering wheel was on the wrong side of the car! We got out and checked the number plates, I thought bugger me we've been kipping in someone elses car, and I've bust the bloody window! We quickly buggered off and after a short while found our car, oddly enough exactly where we had left it. I did feel bad about busting someone elses window but we were buggered if we were going to try and explain it to those nice GCP types.

It was you, Bastard!! What happened to the 200 No 6 in the Glove Compartment?

biggsy wrote:

I remember when my Dad was a BSM and one of his lads, who I only know of as "Swamp Rat" went on a binge into Soest.
He broke into a gents clothes shop and went back to Salamanca Barracks with his spoils, only to find out the suit didn't fit him!
I assume he was still blathered when he took the suit back to change it only to find the german Police waiting for him. Ha
This "Swamp Rat" must have been one of me Dad's favourites because he was always telling us stories of what the lad was getting up to.
Those were the days. Great.

I recall that there were certain offences which were classified as "Prevalent Offences" and published as such on Regtl Part 1 Orders. These consisted of, among others, Stealing a flag, Absence without leave, Stealing a bike, Stealing a coat and, if you were charged with one of the above, when the Commanding Officer said "March the guilty Bastard in, Sarn't Major", a Court Martial could be taken in to consideration. One was deemed to be a bit of a legend if you woke up in the morning with a flag on your bed, a coat in your locker and a bike in the corner of the room.

Excellent......it would seem that "swamp rat" was after the full set then.

It he got himself a bike..........the world was his Lobster!

I've just been on to Facebook, 32 Minden Battery and found a bloke; Andy Anderson, who's being tagged as "Swamp Rat".
I will have to try and get in touch to see if he remembers my Father.
Does any one on here recognise the name?