Pick Me Up!

[The Duke]

Yes I had that with my oldest when he hit 17 tho tbh it actually made our relationship better, after the sulky years.  I spoke about it last week or so, can’t recall I’d on her or mm. But I ended up in the dog house!

His younger brother (by 18 months), and and the more ‘harder’, witnessed that night actions, and he never bother to repeate his brothers actions.

Tell you want if they wanted to actually wrestle with me, especially now they are 23 and 21, with my back I wouldn’t last long. But we’ll keep that to ourselves ?

[Bob Williams]

Defo keep that to ourselves! My lad is built like me but bigger and broader, a real heavy lifter. His son my No.2 gson, is a monster, looks like he could bend people in half, but is a quiet, gentle lad, unless pushed too far. Only trouble he had at school was 2 older bullies who pushed him until he snapped. One had to be hospitalised and the other ran off. Gs was suspended for one day, lots of his mates went to the Head and said that they had all been bullied by these 2 thugs. Three good things to come out of that: 1- he was never bothered again. 2- he got confidence in himself. 3- he never became a bully himself. One bad thing: granddad was blamed by grandma for teaching him how to defend himself.

I think that when your son becames more like a mate, you have a great relationship.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

He is currently at uni, we’ll completed 2 years and was fed a load of sh*t to do a placement  year by the Royal Hospital in Liverpool, he isnt happy. The corse he was never thrilled with, the placement had turned out not to his liking and he is collecting debt like the treasury.

so today he had his first interview with the Raf, so I’ve been in Wrexham all day, he past his first round tests, to prove he isn’t a potato.

So now he needs to get a few papers together, (new gcse papers as old one saw shredded by mother!) college and somthing form uni, and attend the formal interview.

He is hoping to join doing the same(ish) thing as on the outside but as an officer, then move up to the roll that he is in the process of getting the NHS to fund on the outside. But even with funding for minor surgery, he will still need to find rents and sustenance money, so another job on top will be needed. His first two years of uni he was doing uni, compulsory voluntery work! And working two crappy jobs.

He realised he can get to the same point in life, and have the raf fund it, his food and board and give him a wage. With a proper work balance life.

It’s the only time ever (and I mean ever), that he said he should of listened to me. I had him and his younger brother at the Wrexham recruitment office 4 years ago, when he was debt free, telling him the way to go was via the services.

He thought uni sounded a better option.  at that point didn’t understand debt, and how much life costs.

There still is a possibility of him going down the NHS funded route, but I hope he doesn’t.

Did you know an raf medical officer (MD)  can stay in service untill 65 or 70, and join up until the age of 54. And the money is alot! £40k while in training and £70 on qualification then rises with your NHS peers. Not bad.

[Drezha]

If he needs a hand with the process, let me know having just gone through it all for the RAF (other than OASC… though I have that to come in May now, though that’s for a Cadet Forces Commission rather than the Regulars commission that I wanted and because on 1st April they change the RAFVR(T) to the CFC commission!)

Not sure if he’ll have to do CBAT as well at Cranwell. That’s tough, but not a bad day once you settle into it. Medical officer might be very different though as it’s not one that’s on the CBAT list to pass out from.

When I went the first time round (2004), they suggested I go to Uni, so I did. Then 2008 they wouldn’t take me (cos they were cutting down from 50,000 to 35,000 personnel) and I didn’t have the right degree. I actually gave it all I had this time round and was well prepared. Did my P2 presentation, did CBAT at Cranwell which I passed quite well at, aced my interview at the London AFCO and then got let down on medical grounds after my medical. I could potentially appeal the decision but I think one of the reasons they failed me, I’d have a really hard time proving I’m fine (my back – they could come to the gym and see me deadlifting and that should solve that issue!). Next step would have been Officer and Aircrew Selection Course. But alas.

 

So now it’s off to Manchester (with a trip to OASC the two days before I start my new job! :wacko: )

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[The Duke]

Thanks Chris, I’ll give you a shout if anything crops up.

Count the raf thing as a near miss and than God that instead your going to be a Northerner ?

Jk aside my friends lad (18) just got sent home early for PRMC, it’s a week down a CTCRM (Lympstone) you have to pass before your excepted, a week long interview. Well it was 6 day when I don’t it I think it’s a little shorter now. Anyhow.

He torn his ligaments in his knee, (not for the first time) and he is a bit cut up atm. He gets a mother chance at it, but I the chances of passing for second attempt are alot slimmer than your first.

Though one lad got though who entered with me that couldn’t do a press up! We suspected he brother done his PRC (as it was called then).

Good look with you nothing up north.

[Bob Williams]

Steve they were doing PRC’s when I joined up. At first I couldn’t get the knack of “curls” –  lifting onto a bar, they were telling me I would have to go to the APTC at Blandford Forum. Then I suddenly found it, daft because I could run any distance, lift weights, climb ropes etc. To this day, I can even shock my gdaughter by doing it at the local play place, have done that with all of them. It embarrasses them of course, which is what granddads are for.  B-) :yahoo: Strangely, I did go to Blandford eventually, for athletics, Aikido and Judo. Jacked the Judo, kept the Aikido as more useful in NI with a baton.

I have to see if I can contact my gt. nephew and his sister, both RAF. Gt niece is a nurse I believe, have not see her since she was about 10. We are a far-flung family, scattered everywhere and many in or have been in, the Forces.

Good luck in the new job, Chris.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Bob I think we have had this conversation before, when I joined up, fit as a fiddle, or thought it was, (8 months later I was), but still on a bar I could do pull ups alot of them, but on the old wooden beam, I struggled to do ten. Such a subtle change in the hand grip made such a big, negative, diffence.

All the way through phase one, gym work and ropes, before theh let you on the bottom field and assault courses, I was in the “ramedial” group because of my poor form. But as I was fine with all the cardiovascular, and especially rope work, which is mainly what your aiming to achieve,i was fine. But always struggled with the beam.

To pass out of phase one, (first 5weeks) you had to be capable on the ropes, be able to hold on with feet and knees, and adopt a fireing position, get up and down about 20″ so many times in a give amount of time, and the grand finale, hand upside down on the rope about 2/3s up the rope and hold you arms out, like an upside down the cross. Alot of brushed knees and sore insteps later, it all clicks.

You put all that effort in, just to advance to a worse torture lol.

I say I was fitter at the end, i don’t think that is entirely true, I may of been “fitter”, but that training breaks bodies, I don’t know any Marine that survived with out long term issues, usually with lover back, (like me), knees or shins.

It’s why most burn out within 8 years. If you say past 8 your in for life.

Pussers to the core,as they say. I wonder if Pussers (it probably is t spelt like that) still does the majority of military kit. You must remember the Pussers arrow marking on all your kit?

 

Edit – and I just found out you pongos called it a “crows feet” mark. And learn it was originally the supplier of prison uniforms. Remember the old ones with the big crows foot on. Then they got the military contracts. Pussers arrow is a navy term, which comes from Pussers rum.

Find out somthing new everyday. Most on her want care lol but interests me.

[Bob Williams]

Steve I knew what “Pussers” meant right away, my much-missed big bro was on the battleship HMS Nelson. When they scrapped it, he was expected to go to a minesweeper, saw it as an insult and bought himself out. He was 17 years older than me: when I came here to the Close in 2003, there was an old guy who had the same birthday as me, also 17 years older. He served on a Carrier during the Korean War, but had met and remembered my bro on the Nelson before being posted to carriers. Unfortunately brother passed in 1988, Albert wanted to meet him again, was disappointed. He passed in 2014. Tea ready, more later.

Bloke in the Close is a Hull supporter, wants to pass on his condolences. :wacko:  :negative:

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I bet he does!  :unsure:  😥

[Bob Williams]

The Hull supporter has lived here for a few years and has had to get used to the rest of us comparing his team to a Yo-Yo.?

Have to give him a bit of leeway, all season others in the Close have been telling him that they are going back down. Again. I don’t criticise his team much, though: Forest have not lost for 3, but I genuinely thought we were headed for League One at one point. I have been wondering why they have not played Academy lads: the younger teams are all playing well. Then the useless French manager gets the chop (that’s 8 since December 2012*) and they come back for Gary Brazil, Academy manager, as caretaker for the second time. He puts 3 kids in and a 17 yo scores the winner last night. And for the second time, under Gary Brazil, they start winning again. Somebody should draw up a graph for Al-Hasawi the owner.

He has stated that he will not sell the club. I have a mate on the Ground Staff there and he has told me what he knows about a proposed takeover by some American billionaire whose family originally came from Nottingham. “The talks broke down” was Al-Hasawi’s comment. Unofficial explanation of that from my mate, is that A-H wanted all debts paid off and they laughed at him. Mate says the Yank and 3 mates had been walking around the car park eating fish and chips and talking to fans, after one of the games they went to. If they get the club, maybe A-H can stop selling our best players for peanuts.

*When Brian Clough took over in 1975, he was only the 15th manager since 1897. That’s 15 in 96 years. Since Clough resigned in 1993, we have had 26. That’s 26 in 27 years. Bloody revolving door. We must be the most loyal and patient fans in football. :unsure:  🙂

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

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