NAAFI Cowboys

[Stax]

This is a general interest thread here. In my (much) younger days at a bijou V bomber base north of Lincoln, we had our share of "NAAFI" cowboys. They were the airman equivalent of the "City Fathers" you found in the Snecks mess and every pigs bar had one (or two). They were normally fairly nerdy, wore leather or denim jackets (sometimes with the name of a rock band, Quo or Rainbow, on the back). Wore cowboy boots or Motorcyclists boots (despite owning neither horse nor motorbike). Had "their stool" and "their glass" (unless of course they drank Newcie broon out of the bottle). Tended to "head bang" together at the bop and if they were 5hagging anyone it was normally the NAAFI barmaid (the porky one with the hygiene problems and lazy eye, every NAAFI had one in the old days, it was mandatory!) They were invariably comittee members, knew the NAAFI manager by his first name, were in the bar ever night at opening time leaving after closing and, like Billy Bleach, the annoying git off the fatts show, knew the best way to get anything out of the fruit machine (hold the bells, now cancel it, hold the cherry, play, go for re-spin oh! well that worked the last time, can't understand it) My question is, in these days of XL leisure and PAYD bars are they still out there or is there a 21st century equivelant. Also Officers and Seniors do you still have "City fathers" in your respective messes? Discuss.

 

[Bitburger]

This is a general interest thread here. In my (much) younger days at a bijou V bomber base north of Lincoln, we had our share of "NAAFI" cowboys. They were the airman equivalent of the "City Fathers" you found in the Snecks mess and every pigs bar had one (or two). They were normally fairly nerdy, wore leather or denim jackets (sometimes with the name of a rock band, Quo or Rainbow, on the back). Wore cowboy boots or Motorcyclists boots (despite owning neither horse nor motorbike). Had "their stool" and "their glass" (unless of course they drank Newcie broon out of the bottle). Tended to "head bang" together at the bop and if they were 5hagging anyone it was normally the NAAFI barmaid (the porky one with the hygiene problems and lazy eye, every NAAFI had one in the old days, it was mandatory!) They were invariably comittee members, knew the NAAFI manager by his first name, were in the bar ever night at opening time leaving after closing and, like Billy Bleach, the annoying git off the fatts show, knew the best way to get anything out of the fruit machine (hold the bells, now cancel it, hold the cherry, play, go for re-spin oh! well that worked the last time, can't understand it) My question is, in these days of XL leisure and PAYD bars are they still out there or is there a 21st century equivelant. Also Officers and Seniors do you still have "City fathers" in your respective messes? Discuss.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh Stax your post brought back many memories of the 80s, one thing you forgot, the cowboys never ever ever went off camp

 

[MiniG]

Quite agree with old Bitty on this, but whilst on the subject, don't forget the Sticky Bun....

 

[vim_fuego]

At ISK in the mid to late eighties the Naafi was the best place to go...in fact most of the local blue, see through skinned, gingered haired temptresess made the trip in from Forres to attend the bop on Saturday night, to get picked off by a bunch of airmen desperatley trying to drink them pretty!

At STM around the same time I have fond, if not worrying memories of the engine bay staff having a 'few' after lunch 'sharpeners' down the Naafi before returning to work for a well earned snooze...

Naafi's seem to have died a death at most of the camps I have been at recently..There was a bring a boss at my camps Naafi the other week where the bosses who turned up outnumbered the hosts by 2:1.

I think back with a smirk on my face as I remember the fumbles, Proper Christmas pi*s-ups and shenanigans I experienced at the STM Naafi back in the late 80's.

 

[Chox Away]

Stax

NAAFI barmaid (the porky one with the hygiene problems and lazy eye, every NAAFI had one in the old days, it was mandatory!)

Made me giggle..... Reminded me of an occasion many moons ago when saying goodbye to this very person after a moonlight fumble around the back of Club 47. Her last words to me as she rearranged her clothing was ' I'll have to keep an eye out for you!'

 

[sausage2]

There was a bloke on 60 Sqn (Wessex) in the early 90's who was the epitome of a NAFFI cowboy, down to his biker boots and denim jacket adorned with Motorhead.

Now this bloke never left the camp, ever. He got married to the hanger cleaner, who he courted in the bop, and they set up a nice home in quarters.

However cos he never left the camp, and spent all his money in the NAFFI, they were permanently skint. So being on a field squadron, he had unlimited access to rat packs, and that is what they lived on for the 2 years that I knew him. It was not unusual to see him eating "biscuits brown" during tea break. I shudder to think of the state of his toilet!!!

 

[Stax]

We had a bloke who married a (large) NAAFI bird and had 7 kids. He had 2 MQ's with a door knocked between them. His missus used to mine sweep sandwiches after beer calls to feed the kids for school. He bought a Morris Marina as some of spares we had for Hawson vans, particualry wheels and engine spares, fitted his motor. When he RAF ried to adin dischrge him, it turned out he was in so much debt that they would have been homeless, penniless and the kids would have gone into care! The RAF kept im on, took his cheque book away and helped him pay off his debts, once he left it was up to him! At least we did care back then.

 

[HilstonPols]

Memories

Memories

Loved this post, brought back so many good and cringing memories. My formative years were spent in a NAAFI in West London (join the RAF and see the world! my arse!) The dodgy NAAFI bike was always there. At the NAAFI in question the monster concerned was given the nickname of "Biffa" after a departing Mover SNCO had serviced her in a green bin out the back.

Bar flys still exist I am sure of it. Our Mess has the regulars, but I think the days of "my bar stool" and "my glass" have gone.

 

[Stax]

May have to change the name of this thread. I see from the latest HIVE magazine the NAFFI has now been redesignated the "Leisure Complex". Sorry it's not a complex and I don't think many people laze in it! Doesn't sound right does it "Leisure Complex Cowboys" Ah well, ce'st la vie!

 

[rest have risen above me]

NAAFI Lasses

NAAFI Lasses

I seem to remember the NAAFI Bints having their own rooms at the rear of the NAAFI's. Just so it was easier to ensnare the young SAC's. At my first camp (Robin Hood International Airport) there was one lad who was so entrenched in the bar he had his own stool from which he would dutifully fall every night shouting that the crows were going to get him.