Things you don't see anymore


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Some folks only request information, which is fair enough by me. Maybe they don't want discussion, chat, banter etc. Different people want different things from a forum, and that's fine.  If

Things you don’t see anymore (times 2) A 1945 photo of my aunt, wearing a turban and scrubbing her front door step on Queens Grove, Meadows. She dug her heels in and refused to move when the

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I'm assuming that was National Service, PP?  Dad's arrived in 1942 and his apprenticeship had to end until 1946.  I recall one of my cousins getting married in September 1960 to a chap who'd just had his call up papers and they wanted to have the wedding before he went into the army.  The marriage didn't last...they were too young.

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I missed national service as I was in the 6th. form at school. I’m sorry I missed out. Some people absolutely hated it but I knew a lot of people who enjoyed their time and learnt a trade. I think the problem, towards the latter years, was that there was not much for the recruits to do and ‘none jobs’ like painting coal were invented to keep them fully occupied.

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My dad's call up papers were in 1941. They were call up papers for the war though, not for National Service. At 28 he was quite old for call up and he was on Z reserve. He did six years, safeguarding the Empire for the last couple. Fat lot of good that did us!

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I failed the medical to become an airline pilot because of my eyesight. I had never worn spectacles and had passed my driving test with the ability to read a number plate at 25 yds. British Airways required 20:20:vision without specs. Some years later I passed my private pilot’s exam, with spectacles, subject to the proviso I had to carry a second pair whilst flying.

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Our eldest son applied for the BA Cadet Programme when in the 6th form at school.  He was invited to join and went down to Hounslow.  He jumped through various hoops successfully but failed the medical as he was/is colour-blind.  When entering his school at the age of 10 all boys had a medical and the school doctor reported to us that he was colour-blind.  We weren’t convinced but this fact was confirmed by our own GP who  used to be an RAF doctor and he happened to have the book with all the different colours and dots that is used in the test.  Our younger son was tested by the GP at the same time and he was colour-blind too.   This isn’t obvious with either of the boys and it’s certainly never been an issue for them.  

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Colour blindness is a strange condition. I once detected a problem when watching a boy in my class who was using different coloured Unifix. Cubes to solve a maths problem. He couldn't see the difference between two shades of green. His mother had him tested at the hospital and, sure enough, there was a problem but not one that was ever likely to cause him difficulties in life.

 

I'm told I'd have passed the sight test for the RAF with flying colours...no pun intended! My problem is my ears. Excruciating pain at even low altitude. Terra firma for me!

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Lizzie, is their dad colourblind, too?  My dad was colourblind, and our second son is , too.  He's OK with the red/green thing, but when he was younger and finding socks to wear, he couldn't differentiate between maroon and dark brown.

I suppose I must be a carrier of the colourblind gene but our other 2 children are OK

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My application to British Airways was back in the days when they had their own training college at Hamble. Nowadays you have to fund your own training and build up hours at enormous expense. Racking up hours as a flying instructor once you have a licence is the usual way to go. Despite the cost lots of people do it and there is still a pilot shortage. Six monthly medicals throughout your career as well. Those who went on to become airline pilots when I was training have mostly now retired. 

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57 minutes ago, MargieH said:

Lizzie, is their dad colourblind, too?  My dad was colourblind, and our second son is , too.  He's OK with the red/green thing, but when he was younger and finding socks to wear, he couldn't differentiate between maroon and dark brown.

I suppose I must be a carrier of the colourblind gene but our other 2 children are OK

When the boys were tested by our GP, 30 years ago, he told me that it was ‘Male-hereditary’.  Their dad has never been tested and has always insisted he’s not got a problem.  Typical man, not taking responsibility! I must say that I have never ever noticed they have a problem.  

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19 minutes ago, Jill Sparrow said:

Mansize tissues will be disappearing as Kleenex bows to pressure after 60 years to remove sexist language from its products! Has this world gone stark raving mad?

 

 

Yes.

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1 hour ago, philmayfield said:

My application to British Airways was back in the days when they had their own training college at Hamble. Nowadays you have to fund your own training and build up hours at enormous expense. Racking up hours as a flying instructor once you have a licence is the usual way to go. Despite the cost lots of people do it and there is still a pilot shortage. Six monthly medicals throughout your career as well. Those who went on to become airline pilots when I was training have mostly now retired. 

 

A friend of mine was a pilot with BA  he started on 707s  and retired as a captain on a 747.  He made it via the RAF.  He was a pilot officer there and was able to move straight into BA.  Seems like that was the cheapest way to do it back in the early 60s.

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