Issue Number 13

November 2007

The Continuing Adventures of……….

by Adrian Gates

MY TRAVELS CONTINUE

You may remember that Betty and I returned to Ireland in her red Mini after our short tour at RAF Lyneham. I was driving out of the Port of Dublin when I realised that I could not see out of my right eye; I had had a cataract removed from that eye in a Dublin Hospital during 1980. To cut a long story short the loss of vision was caused by a 'detached retina' and the surgeon who operated on me in 1980 again operated. The RAF even paid for the operation in the Dublin Hospital. A year later they tried to make me refund the costs as some one had misinterpreted the rules! Fortunately my knowledge of the 'law' enabled me to fight the case, and win, much to the annoyance of the Station Commander!

Eventually I arrived at RAF Brize Norton in late 1984 to the post of Eng, Plans and Records, rather ironical as 'paper work' had never been a high priority of mine. In addition I also assumed responsibility for the VC 10 Ground Training School, the Regional NDT Section, the BAe 146 on trial and other minor Sections. During the tour there was a 'Scale Review' of both the Passenger and Tanker version of the VC10 and for some 15 months this was my priority. To my surprise I enjoyed the Tour and the experience gained was to prove invaluable for the rest of my 20 odd years working life! You may think such a statement strange as I was then 46; all will be revealed in future journals, providing that others find the time to write and consequently The Entry Journal continues! There was plenty of time for squash, table tennis and model aircraft and I probably flew on most of the hills within a 40 mile radius, transported around by my still trusty 17 year old Renault 16! My daughter Maria was accepted into the University of Ulster in 1984, so the year in the private school, which she detested, had achieved its purpose. We found out several years later that while attending school in Wooton Bassett she had played 'truant' on numerous occasions, preferring the delights of Bath and Swindon to her studies! Alas I needed an operation on my left eye to have the cataract that had now formed in that eye removed, so found myself in RAF Halton Hospital for a few weeks. Oh, how Halton had changed since 1958!

I had been trying to get a posting to RAF Valley and to my surprise succeeded in 1986. Maybe as the post was OC MT, they could not get any one else to go and I was actually helping them to fill an unwelcome position, at an unpopular geographic location. It was an interesting Tour and the first time I had come across so many civilians, many who had worked at Valley for decades. I kept up my squash and table tennis, but there was little time for model aircraft as I undertook a major project. I purchased a scrap 2.3 litre Bedford petrol 'Hawson' van to convert into a 'Motor Home' to take my family on a tour of the Continent. As it was an ex Valley vehicle at least I knew its history, but even though I expended about 120 hours a month, only a frantic effort during the last week, including working until 3 am every night, saw completion as my family arrived for the trip. As I spent so much time around the MT Section during the project, I really knew what was happening as the drivers would call in for a chat on return from their journeys and ask if I needed a hand.

So much happened on the 3000 mile trip that a book could have been written on the exploits. The main memory of the 7 of us was of rain, rain and more rain and we only had 2 days of fine weather, one in Paris and the second in the Black Forest in Germany. The situation was made worse when the large sky light on top of the van was neatly ripped off when I went under a low bridge approaching Paris on the way out. Alas I was unable to seal the roof properly so every thing eventually became very unpleasant with the incessant rain! In Paris, Betty's handbag, containing all our passports etc, was stolen on a Metro Station! One of the younger twins saw it happen and warned us: I and the older twins set off in hot pursuit, but the thief fled across the rail track. Fortunately the bag was found as the thief threw it down an alley at the start of the pursuit. I will skip most of the journey but while waiting to board the Channel Ferry on the return crossing, a rough looking and dishevelled motor cyclist approached and asked if I could lend him a few pounds as he was stranded and had run out of money. Reluctantly I coughed up and to my slight surprise the money was returned with a very nice letter a week later. The trip turned out to be a test of both endurance and family relationships owing to the adverse conditions, but the family often look back on the period and recount some of the events of note! As we approached N Wales at the end of the trip the sun came out and continued shining for several days, such is life! On return to work I noticed a 'sweep stake' had been run concerning how far I would get on the Continent before a breakdown occurred, as it was known I had only the time to drive the finished vehicle 20 miles prior to setting off! I am glad to say there were no winners and in fact all I had to do in the 3000 miles was to re position one of the wind screen wipers on its spine.

During mid 1986 the RAF presented me with the problem of getting both my Renault 16 and Motor Caravan to RAF Brawdy in S Wales owing to promotion. The roads South from Anglesey had changed very little from my first tour there in1979, as I was to find out during the next 2 years.