[Hucknall Airfield]

My father was in the Auxiliary Air Force 504 Sqdn in the 30s which I think was based at Hucknall, since it was the county of Nottingham squadron. He did weekend training as an airframe rigger. They had a fortnights training at Hawkinge every year. They flew mostly Hawker Horsleys think, from the air to air photos I have from his time in the AAF. The riggers often had to fly as ballast when the official rear seat observers were busy playing cricket etc. When the fortnight was up he would sometimes cadge a lift in an Airplane coming north. He left in the late 30s but the government caught up with him in 1943 when he was conscripted and stationed at Little Rissington/Windrush with No8 maintenance and storage unit. He was 35 when conscripted and quickly got his  sergeant stripes. In his first week there a lanc was in for Mtce and the senior ac gave him a box of 96 spark plugs and told him to clean and adjust. Ha, what a task. Riss I think was also a conversion training unit and my father relates some tragic stories through lack of experience and the rush of training. He often volunteered to stay up into the night as official guard over the wreckage around the airfield and its environs. 504 was re-equipped with spitfires and sent to the southern airfields in 1940 finishing the war on Meteors. His advice to riggers on merlins, don't drop a plug down the V. I think all this is roughly accurate, put me right if it ain't. Sorry to go off subject but when I start rambling the thought train goes anywhere. Father passed away in 1992 after retiring as SEO in the civil service.

[Spread Eagle pub]

I went to evening classes in the Technical College in the early 60s our lecture room overlooking the Spread. In winter the rule was if it was getting foggy and we can't see the lights of the Spread we went home early.

Via the Spread of course.

It only happened once in 2 years

[Reg Guest - Guitar/Vocalist]

I remember playing in a band with blond Ivan supporting RGTrio in The Beacon Aspley in 1960. There was also a skiffle band on the same gig. Reg asked me if I would join him as a bass player but I had other things doing. I next saw RGTrio doing a week at pontins near Lowestoft in 1963? Great atmosphere in those gigs. Last I saw was a band calling itself Reg Guest Trio playing upstairs in the Thurland in Nottm  in 1984ish but I didn't recognise him in the band.

[Nottingham Bands in the 60s]

On 20/10/2013 at 1:15 PM, Radford Boy said:

Anyone remember a band called MI5?

They used to play a fair bit at the Blue Ball at Risley.

I remember MI5 playing at the Cherry Tree at Calverton. The guitarist I believe was Ian Rowe. He attended Ellis same years as me.