My Weekend Visits to Brum in 1957...
My apprenticeship completed, the dreaded brown envelope came, I was conscripted into the RAF, oh well there was a 'Cold War' on.
After basic training I was posted to the 12th School of Technical Training RAF Melksham Wiltshire.
We could not quite let go of 'civvy street', so with 36 hour passes at weekends most of us would rush home.
Five minutes before midday on Saturdays there would be motor bikes, cars, and coaches, engines revving, waiting for the camp gate to open.
Midday the gate opened, a Grand Prix start down to the road, London guys turning right, Brummies turning left.
We sped through Melksham, Malmesbury, Cirencester, no motorways, so up the narrow A435 through the glorious Cotwolds, to arrive in Brum mid afternoon.
Saturday night out on the town, girlfriends, mates, not much money to spend, but almost like normal life again.
Sunday possibly late getting up, nice dinner from Mom, maybe lazy afternoon, then catch the 8.00pm bus back to town.
In town there would be crowds of servicemen walking down to all the coaches which were parked in side streets off Digbeth.
On the coach, then off down the Pershore Road, through the night, along country roads towards Wiltshire.
2.00am off the coach in country darkness, often marvelling at the night sky, the Milky Way clearly visible in all it's splendour.
Creep quietly into the billet hoping your bed had not been dismantled as a joke by the guys who had stayed on camp.
Monday morning, feeling tired, a camp breakfast, and back to training, our National Service continued.
I've brought a couple of my earlier pics here, they bring back memories of my National Service. I'm glad I served !
Basic training at RAF Padgate our smart billet.
We could polish for Britain !
RAF Melksham, we are relaxing (or studying) in the midday break.
Standards had slipped, but weekly inspections forced a tidy-up.