RAF Haydock

[Swo.man]

hi jacqui got your message  but they cut out your email address for safety reasons the only way to make arrangments is to suggest meeting out side the mount hotel in orrell not far from where you are visiting the lads we live just yards away so its a date sunday aug 29  how will we know each other  idont know will think of something and let you know regards frank irene

[Sunshine Girl]

Hi Frank!
I'll ask Jan's boys to tell me where the place is you mentioned. We'll be with the boys probably till late some time in the afternoon and will find our way to where you are when we leave them. How will you recognise us?  A tall 60+ Yank with two old birds - one white haired with glasses and the other brown haired maybe with glasses. Aw heck, I hate posting my picture on anything but here we are.  We're the couple standing!
Hope that helps!
Jacqui

[Swo.man]

hello jacqui thanks for your reply and photo you all look great you wont have far to go to meet us i cant get photo of us two on the message sheet im not gened up  at this stage to do so  regards frank

[Swo.man]

hi jacqui weather bad dont know if you are on line or not ut will look out for you late afternoon regards frank

[Swo.man]

hi jaci sorry we missed you we came over sev times but no luck  where im i now try frankmigy at hotmail dot co dot uk you may be able to get me on there have agood trip home  re gards frank

[jumbo368]

Jimbo.
Soory to bother you, I have only just found this website while also looking for into on RAF Haydock. It was my first posting from Boy Entrant. I was there in late 1963 when the TASS System was all the vogue. I can remember some of our Warrant officers and DSOs, WO Tommy Tomkinson, ChTech Phillips. As you said there were only three of four airmen/women on each shift. The slag heap used to catch fire regularly. In reply to another member who asked where the name of the NAAFI came from, the S.P.I.D.E.R. [Acronym for Superior Performance in Determined Error Reduction...what a  mouthful. A SPIDER award was given to each commcen with no errors in their message tapes. If memory serves correct I believe that some stations actually cheated before sending in their message tapes by 'editing' them. Naughty. You mentioned a young airman who later was shot in Aden, was his name Shantilal Pankania? He was the only airman whom I recall being shot. Terrible times.
Best Regards
Jumbo [No relation]

[jumbo368]

Hello All you ex Haydockers. Who said nostalgia is dead? Not here with all the names I have seen on this forum. The Cpl medic was Dennis Wells, his WRAF assistant was Kay Chance, an incredible blonde with big blue eyes. I think she was about six foot or thereabouts. The name Jaqui  may have been Jacqui Clay. The clarinet player was Joe Watkins, and of course the caff over the East Lancs road was Evelyns, one huge bacon butty and a pint mug of tea for a shilling. Other names I remember were Cpl Alan Manson and Diane Bowie, and of course everyone knew Spud Murphy. One other name has just hit the button was WO Sergison, and I think his wife was behind the bar in the Spiders Web. It may have been WO Sergison in charge of the mess but I am not too sure of this. It is nice to know that there are still people out there who remember that wonderful little camp
Regards
Jumbo

[Sunshine Girl]

Hi Jumbo!

No, it wasn't WO Sergison in charge of the mess (though I've been trying for years to remember his name as he was so nice) and as far as I know, from Jan 64 through till all the WRAFs were posted elsewhere, I was the only Jacqui at Haydock. Maybe the Jacqui person you're talking about was there prior to that -

Jacqui (who worked in Accounting)

[jumbo368]

Hello Sunshine Girl.
How about WO OVENS [Appropriate or what?]  in the Mess? I plead a senior moment with your name, the other Jaqui was at RAF CHANGI later on.
Best Regards
Jumbo [aka Alan Marshall]