The Full Lotus

Submitted by Ollie Holman

At 15 and a half we were all stupid and showed off. Herbie Herbison, Ollie Holman, and Huggy Huggins. Bend thumbs back, twist arms, wiggle ears, etc. Then Herbie says can you do this, and at once gets himself into the full lotus yoga position. Wow!! fantastic. However he couldnt get out of it. So we helped him. Oh but that wasnt the last of it. There was the inspection, something to do while we wait. Get in the full lotus Herbie, and he does. Sat on the end of the bed when the inspection team came round. Then unfortuanately was the time Herbie was left on a broomstick between two lockers. Where are you now Herbie?

Initiation Ceremonies.

Submitted by Chris Tofield

Further to Bills memories,Not sure which was worse,soaking in the well or pushing a matchbox with your nose along the polished centre strip whilst blows raining on your body.Not sure if good or bad ?.Best memory- moving bedspace up 1 place!!!!

Extracurricular activity at Denbury

Submitted by Steve Wright

10th August 1966 was the last day of the summer term, instead of going home on leave to Taunton, myself and a JCpl unknown, travelled to Gosport to assist at an ACF summer camp in Browndown Camp…this is where Bad Lads Army was filmed! 
Can remember little regarding the cadet training, however recall the time off, catching the ferry to Portsmouth and enjoying the pubs, one memory was too much to drink in the Long Bar and getting split up, remember running through the streets, ensuring to make it to the last ferry to Gosport and we both made it, on a Saturday remember we picked up a couple of girls who worked in Woolworths. 
At the end of the camp, rather than going home went to stay at JCpl unknown’s home in Basingstoke and we were back down daily by train to Portsmouth to date the girls and had a great time, Happy Daze and where did we get our cash from? 
Does anybody know who this JCpl, sure he was Alexander Squadron and cannot recall the name!

Nunny

Submitted by Douglas Hellyar

I believe Nunny was called Joe Devine and he hailed from Nuneaton in Warwickshire

Learning to Type

Submitted by Tony Gask

I remember learning to type – a skill which has served me for years – often is the remark at work from the young lads on the computers, “You should watch Tony type he can do it without looking at the keys”. They seem fasincated with the ability to touch type. 
My Instructor was Sgt Fred Mortimer a great bloke if not slightly over weight. I remember typing to music but can’t remember the tunes. 
Once we had reached a certain typing speed we moved across the road from the Nissan Hut to the building with the veranda which stood in front of the Church Army building. In this building we progressed to the Siemens T100 teleprinter. Each lesson we were given a sheet of 8 typical signals messages to type over and over again. We soon got tired of this repetitive lesson. When the instructor wasn’t looking used to switch on the tape ‘thingy’ so when we typed it produced a tape of all the 8 messages. The trick was then to form a loop of the tape and just let it cycle through time after time producing the hard copy at the same time. With all the noise of the other T100s going the instructor could not hear the high speed typing from certain individuals. We then just sat back with our fingers covering the keys, pretending to type, looking out of the window at the world going by. 
This worked fine for a while. The instructor used to check your typing by reading the hard copy. He then began to notice how come the same typing error kept appearing in exactly the same place on each cycle of the message typed. He soon realised what was happening and soon put a stop to it. 
How did it go – ‘2 carriage returns, BT , 12 line feeds, BT, 4 n’s, 12 Letters Key’.

Josie Campbell and the Taxi

Submitted by George Wilkinson

I was a NIG in 1964 and remember the Josie Campbell taxi ride. I can assure you that this was not the only taxi ride Josie took. Josie was a pal of mine in 4 div and were both selected to go to Silberhutte on some kind of winter/skiing/survival thing. I do remember, however, that on one particular day we were taken out into the Hertz mountains and told to Ski back to the camp, or rather the accommodation block we were staying in. Which from what I can remember was this massive room with about 200 stinking squaddies staying in it in bunk beds. anyway, Josie and I set off together. We had worked together on various things during our time there. We built an igloo to spend the night in, that was useless as it was too small inside for one let alone two. We build a hollowed out hole in a snow drift unfortunately we did not dig it low down enough as there was not enough snow on top and as soon as the instructor walked across the top he fell in, anyway, back to the story. We attempted to ski back but neither of us were very good and it wasn't long before we became very thirsty. Oh look a Gasthaus, well how nice. Off came the skis, in we went, had a few and then a few more, yep you guessed it. We got a taxi to take us the rest of the way. Just getting back in time with the late finishers. I have many stories about my old mate Josie. Anyone know if he is still about?

Driver Training Memories

Submitted by Pete Penfold

Anyone remember their driver training days whilst at Denbury?. I was lucky, took to driving like a duck to water so moved onto 3 ton Bedford (pre HGV days!) training very quickly. One memory I have is calling into a Cafe who had a "Video Juke Box" I think it cost a shilling and for that you got 3 tracks each with it's own video on a small black and white screen. Early days for such technology. My favorite was "Oh Carol" by Paul Anka or it could have been Neil Sedaka. I remember it showing a pretty girl on a swing.. Anyone else remember those driving days and specifically that Cafe where we got our tea breaks whilst on the road? Regards. Pete

Drum Major

Submitted by Loft Foster

My very first memory of Drum Yates was as a very new Nig sitting on my bed in nig wing attempting to "bull" my knobbly boots with, I might add, very little success, when what to me seemed a very big man loomed in the doorway and, seeing me sat on my bed approached and sat down beside me and, putting his arm round my shoulder said, "How would you like to join my band son." 
I replied "I haven't really thought about it Staff." Yates'y looked at me in disbelief and said, " No, no son, you misunderstand me, how would you like to join my band." 
So that was me in the band. I became a Trumpeter/Bugler and thoroughly enjoyed every minute, so much so that many years later whilst a serving Police Officer I joined the Cleveland Police marching band as a trumpeter/bugler although as one of the biggest members more often than not found myself on the big bass drum.

The Wrestling Drum Major

Submitted by Dave Hopkins

During my time Drums Yates would select various boys in their last term to act as RP staff while the regular RPs went on leave. Obviously, they came from the band the more prominent members had the misfortune to be chosen. Drums was into wrestling at that time loved to demonstrate how good he was by pitting himself against any unfortunate boy who happened to be on his staff. One day he decided that I was to be that boy! He threw me across the room where I hit the corner of what I believe was a safe, scattering the highly polished shell casings. As I lay crumpled in a heap Pufkin flies across the room pins me to the floor. At the same time, grinding his knuckle into one of my ears. In walks the RSM, Drum Major, what the hell are you doing to that boy? . Yates replies, Disciplining him, Sah! RSM, Very good, carry on ....At that point I gave up the ghost..........no help, no hope.

The Regimental Tie

Submitted by Joe Inguanez

I was just reading how Jim Harris was presented with a regimental tie by John Topping and it brought back a long forgotten memory. I'd been in the guardhouse for 7 days and on the morning of my release I was marched into the C.O's office and lectured by Lt. Col. Gregory on my undisciplined ways. As everyone knows the Col was a gentleman and to mitigate his harsh remarks to me he produced the new regimental tie and asked my opinion of it (I think it was maroon with little jimmy’s on it). As I stepped forward to take a gander his dog Major growled and stood up quickly and in a reflex action I kicked the poor mutt in the head...A deadly silence followed...When he saw that the animal was not injured he turned to and said: "maybe you should try out for the football team Inguanez.