Langeleben

Gordon · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:51 am Post subject:

Mike

Hilarious! One might think, with all your early talent for handling firearms and explosives, the army would have found a place for you in the RAOC or Gunners. But no, they send you to the I Corps.

Gordon
(I Corps; at Langeleben February to August 1958)

BrianK · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:59 am Post subject:

Slightly going off the subject but who remembers the first TV set being installed at home? Came home from school to find a chap on the roof putting up an 'H' shaped bit of kit on the roof attached to the chimney stack. One clever little dick in the crowd that had gathered informed all and sundry thet it was ''a TV ariel'' Went in and there it was sitting on a largish table in the corner. A 12 inch screen in a bloody huge cabinet!! 'Touch it and you lose your fingers' were my instructions. I was told that we'd got it for two reasons. Home Moss was now transmitting and it was the Coronation in a few weeks time. All of a sudden I was the most popular kid in the street come 5pm, Childrens Hour. I was limited to five friends and two had to bring their own seats!
Came the great day, family only of course, young 'uns at the front, elderly got the decent seating and the rest where they could fit in. Curtains drawn. Had an Auntie Carrie who always seemed to be very jolly and smelt permanently of pear drops which she dispensed from a grey draw string bag. She stated that she would have a small sherry evey time God Save the Queen was played and this she did. Was escorted to lay down just after lunch and we kids were told that she felt worn out with all the excitement. Found out years later that she was a bottle plus a day girl and what a war she had had! Very friendly with our American cousins and popular rumour had it that D-Day was planned in her back kitchen!!
Always remember the interludes when something used to go wrong and we were treated to the Potters Wheel, a trip down the Broards or a windmill going round ans round which we sat (in the dark) and gazed at!!! All this well over 50 years ago........................!!

BrianK. D/F OP. Handorf '56 Langeleben '57 '58

paul croxson · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:13 pm Post subject:

How memories have come flooding back!
Young Webber, talking about 'Discriminators'. That's what we were called on the better days. And B Watch too. I had the pleasure for 15 months of that shower 1955-56. Wonderful lot and there are quite a few on the Forum too still. Even young Wells stirs his ancient bones to write a word or two now and again. Wake up Fred and Bill!!!!
All that talk about accumulators. Wasn't there a battery too for the HT and LT. Rubber aprons and vats of acid. Can you imagine it nowadays, letting us 8yr olds carrying those things full of acid? Risk assesments, what are they?
We too had just the one 2 pin plug on the window cill. It looked like a bloody Xmas tree eventually!
Our Tele, a Vidor (made in Wales, £57.00 on HP. The first thing ever in the house not paid for!) arrived in time for the Coronation too. Being a staunch Republican (that was before I was a Pacifist), I didn't want to watch (beneath our dignity) and we arranged to play tennis. The Queen beat us though. The courts on the Rec were closed. My sister had invited half of her Medical School along and our 12' X10' back room was packed out.

ITMA - "Can I do you now , Sir"?. And Funff was always "speaking". No. I won't forget the diver either, Oh, Col Chinstrap, I don't mind if I do, also.
It's Monday Night at 8 o'clock and can't you hear the chimes, it's telling you take an easy chair. We were allowed to stay up only for the 'deliberate mistake'.
Who can name the panel of the Brains Trust?. They were on the Home Service, not the Light Programme

Finally, there was a definitive answer to the radio versus wireless question published in the Time too. Trouble is ... I forget what it was!
What about Uncle Mac and Larry the lamb, not forgetting Mr. Mayor. Life - apart from the V1's and 2's was so simple in those days!
Back to the Horlicks and ... "Goodnight Children everywhere" and TTFN

Bob Wells · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject:

Yes I'm still around Paul and as I'm not playing golf this evening I thought I might go down memory lane.
Collecting the accumulator was one of my weekly tasks during my school days. Not only ITMA but DICK BARTON SPECIAL AGENT, at a quarter to seven each weekday evening. As for the telly well that was something we went to see on a Sunday evening. It wasn't on for that long, just long enough to see 'What's my Line' followed by a variety show.
I remember the 1953 Coronation being on the box, not that I watched it because I was on guard duty in the rain at 6(BTR) Beverley.
Oh yes when I went up to Catterick I did the OWL course which was Operator, Wireless and Line. Now that was in 1954.

paul croxson · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:50 pm Post subject:

Hello Bob, good to read you! I actually enjoyed watching the Birkdale golf. That's a 'First'
Jock and Snowy, two more names for the Dick Barton fans. Wonderful stuff. Were we to have missed an episode the World would have come to an end. Sunday evenings after Church we would all go to Pat and Barbara Brown's house to watch tele until 8.30 and then I would walk home with Liz Stewart who never returned my affections. I met up with her 20 years later but sadly the magic had gone. I just didn't fancy her. That's life.

paul croxson · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:40 am Post subject:

Ron Berg stimulated by our wit and knowledge has finally succumbed and is joining us.
Before doing so he reminded me that our old instructor on all things 'Sigint' taught us
"W/T = wireless telegraphy = morse & R/T = radio telephony = voice".
That seems as good a summary as we will ever get.
Anyway, Ron, from now on you can send your own comments. Hope to see you in Konigslutter iun 2009

GerryK · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 2:34 pm Post subject: Brains Trust

Having nothing better to do on a sunday afternoon. Looked up the "Brains Trust" on Wikipedia. The original panel were, Chairman, Donald McCough, members, CEM Joad, philosopher/phychologist, Julian Huxley, biologist, AB Campbell, naval officer. Hope you approve Paul !!

paul croxson · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:04 pm Post subject:

I still have my modelmaking Emco lathe with every attachment (milling etc) up in the attic. I still dream of bringing it down and using it again. Fat chance!
Is it just me? the older I get the more time I have and the less enthusiasm I have for utilising it. I've got several so-called hobbies and just don't get round to doing any of them.

P.S I am not sure but Ramsbottom and Enoch and me I think 'worked for the BBC' rather than were 'members'.

"What did Horace say, Winnie?" Who used to say that? I'll give you a clue H..... H........
And another thing. Everyone claims to remember the Ovaltinies but they were only ever on Radio Luxemburg so that could not have been true.


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