Yule

Merry Christmas troops

and Best Wishes for the New Year !   

  From the heart of La La Land, Beautiful British Columbia, Mavis and I wish all our many BAOR friends
a Ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und ein glückliches, gesundes Neues Jahr, or so my instant translator informs me.
Did any one pull duty over the Christmas period - I got stuck with Duty Layabout.

Len (Ciphers)


My 1952 Christmas Card to my parents from 4TR (Gaza Lines) Catterick

Merry Christmas from China hic hic.

Mer..MEr%% mery chri...thnas..hic   

Popped off for a few days of debauchery at my island retreat..

Retreat .... NEVER !! .... Advance to the Rear, maybe.

Len (Ciphers)

A belated Merry Christmas but looking forward to a Happy and Prosperous New Year (I've been away)!! Still got some of my Advent Calender left.    

A belated best wishes of the season to you idle lot.

Happy New year to all you young & old codgers. See my birthday will end on a zero for 2014. Yipee, can't wait for that extra 25 pence in my State pension. Wonder what it will buy ?

All the best in 2014 to Contributors young and old

May the stream of postings remain constant, factual and amusing but never acrimonious

acrimonious how dare you sir , i will have you know i am completly teetotal ,

Old & decrepit but a crimonil, never

A Happy new Year to one and all, may 2014 bring you all health and happiness.

Happy new year to you all

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL COMRADES AND PARTY OFFICIALS COMMITTEE MEMBERS





충청북도 청주시 상당구 율량동
현대 2차 아파트 13동 201호
심수정 님
137-070

Wait till they take over the world, "Yule" wish you hadn't said that !   

Brum, not a cats chance. 'Yule' see.

Yes, a Happy Xmas just past... and a Great New year for 2014. I just hope it is better than the previous 2 years.

I have just finished reading quite an amusing book by a Tony Thorne "Bull, Blanco & Brasso" on his experiences during his 2 years of National Service in the late 1950s. It was interesting to read about infantry unites that no long exist. He was conscripted into the East Sussex Regiment, went through basic training and was put forward for a WOSBY selection for officer training at a place called Easton Hall. I've heard about the usual places, Sandhurst and Mons Officer Training School, but never heard about Easton Hall.

The author's experiences were quite amusing in places, and I certainly identified with some of the tricks squaddies got up to especially during my years in BAOR in the 1960s. It was hard to understand as a green 19 year old when I was posted out to Germany, it was just 20 years after the end of WW2. Yes, the 1960s were interesting times whilst in the forces, and through to the 1970s. I sometime wonder with the reported withdrawals of British troops and RAF from Germany, and the demise of BAOR, just where all these people are going to be accommodated back here in Blighty. I know that many army unites have taken over the old admin areas of vacated RAF bases around the country. With the cutbacks in manpower, there should be enough accommodations to house troops etc who are Blighty bound in the next few years, including all thos coming back from Bastion etc in Afghanistan.

so - all the best for 2014 to all old soldiers, and those still serving and those about to loose their jobs in the forces.   

(Perhaps the Little Fat lard Dear Leader, Komrade Kim Ill-Jug Ears, Pie Eater Extraordinaire will "get his" by some disgruntled cook or other sob......)

unclevanya,
The Easton Hall you referred to in the book you read is in fact Eaton hall - the Country House of the Duke of Westminster, in Cheshire. It was rebuilt in the 1960's to replace the old building.
Jimsigs 1

Ah yes, Eaton Hall.
Not far from here actually.
Commandeered it for a time, while my chateau was being prepared.

Yep Brum, that's where a lot of NS Officers and short service types obtained their pips.
Come across a lot of them in my time. Chip on their shoulder - I mean pip, 'cause their were deemed inferior to that Sandhurst lot