Worthy Down

[LilStill]

Looks like I'm going to be on the first Phase 2 Training course at our new home. Anyone got any useful gen on the place and the area?

 

[Climebear]

The chefs and caterers are already there having moved down from Halton last year.

All of them, I spoke to said it was OK.

It's a bit of a way out of Winchester; but, then again, South Park is not exactly a walk to Pompey. Winchester has good rail links. And WD is close to the A34 to head north and M3 towards London and Southampton and A303 to head west (though full of tourists in the summer).

Place has been predominantly Army for a while so it will be good to see more light blue around. Worthy Down has an RAF history between the wars. Both Harris and Portal were Squadron commanders there. The senior officer at Worthy Down is an RAF group captain.

Accommodation for OR and officer students isn't too bad; however, the Sgts' Mess isn't great. Still as a Phase 2 you won't need to worry about that as it should all be demolished by the time you make Sgt with a shiny new college for Shinies and Loggies with new accommodation being built in the latter half of the decade.

 

[LilStill]

Sounds good then, was pretty much wanting to see whether it was established and reasonable, or knocked up 5 minutes ago!

 

[Climebear]

You'll be in existing training facilities and training alongside the Army equivalent of RAFSA -SPSTS. Though Phase 2 training is undertaken as specific single Service courses.

Also on the site is the Army School of Education (which alongside SPSTS and RAFSA form the Defence School of Personnel Administration) and joint Army/RAF Food Services Wing of the Defence Logistics School (which also has elements at Deepcut, Halton, Brize, Cranwell...). Both these schools, along with the Defence School of Transport at Leconsfield and the Navy loggy training at Torpoint form the Defence College of Logistics and Personnel Administration that will be concentrating into Worthy Down with the new build.

The facilities aren't new but there is a new (to WD) temporary accommodation block.

 

[Warwick Hunt]

And at least you'll be able to look down directly on the AGC chimps who will be there, safe in the knowledge that they will NEVER be trained or employed in the same calibre as you! If you ever feel like life in TG17 is getting you down, just remember, you could be one of those dipsticks!

 

[LilStill]

Climebear: Cheers for all the info. Absolutely appreciated.

Warwick: Makes a change from Armourers, some of whom populate my section at present. God's children my arrse!

 

[Climebear]

LilStill

I was at Worthy Down today. You must be a week into the course now. How's it going?

 

[Warwick Hunt]

I find it quite sad what Sec TS/RAFSA whatever, has become. When I first came into the trade, we had Sec TS at Hereford, with a whole building to ourselves and the PWOG attached to it. We were easily the largest school at Hereford and outnumbered everyone there. The school soon moved to the old Appo buildings at Halton - a bit of a comedown as we weren't the only occupiers of the buildings, but we still had control over a decent proportion of it. 2006 came the move to South Park, the former HMS Dryad and the strange new world of tri-service. On my first visit, it broke my heart to see the newly-renamed RAF School of Administration reduced to a couple of half-floors of a 1960s office block that wouldn't look out of place in Slough. Now, we've been sold onto a bloody Army garrison into the control of the AGC monkeys. It breaks my heart to see what's become of us.

 

[Climebear]

I find it quite sad what Sec TS/RAFSA whatever, has become. When I first came into the trade, we had Sec TS at Hereford, with a whole building to ourselves and the PWOG attached to it. We were easily the largest school at Hereford and outnumbered everyone there. The school soon moved to the old Appo buildings at Halton - a bit of a comedown as we weren't the only occupiers of the buildings, but we still had control over a decent proportion of it. 2006 came the move to South Park, the former HMS Dryad and the strange new world of tri-service. On my first visit, it broke my heart to see the newly-renamed RAF School of Administration reduced to a couple of half-floors of a 1960s office block that wouldn't look out of place in Slough. Now, we've been sold onto a bloody Army garrison into the control of the AGC monkeys. It breaks my heart to see what's become of us.

It is under control of an RAF Gp Capt from the Pers Branch (both AGC organizations there - the Training Support Uni, and SPSTS - report to him); RAFSA report directly to the Gp Capt not through either of the AGC organizations.

When I went through SecTS initially at Hereford we shared the building with the Caterers. Strange how we find ourselves back at the same training establisment as the caterers.

 

[UlsterExile]

I find it quite sad what Sec TS/RAFSA whatever, has become. When I first came into the trade, we had Sec TS at Hereford, with a whole building to ourselves and the PWOG attached to it. We were easily the largest school at Hereford and outnumbered everyone there. The school soon moved to the old Appo buildings at Halton - a bit of a comedown as we weren't the only occupiers of the buildings, but we still had control over a decent proportion of it. 2006 came the move to South Park, the former HMS Dryad and the strange new world of tri-service. On my first visit, it broke my heart to see the newly-renamed RAF School of Administration reduced to a couple of half-floors of a 1960s office block that wouldn't look out of place in Slough. Now, we've been sold onto a bloody Army garrison into the control of the AGC monkeys. It breaks my heart to see what's become of us.

That's a pretty big claim considering Supply were there as well.

 

[busby1971]

That's a pretty big claim considering Supply were there as well.

Swampies don't count, back in your hole.

Hereford was class, local area too, but that Air Force was nearly a 100k with at least 7k shineys and a high PVR rate compared to others, now lumbered with the Barmy it just won't be the same especially when you see the kind of crap that sucked up the Army promotion system due to their even worse recruitment and retention issues.

 

[LilStill]

Climebear: Going very well indeed. DS are great, area's nice, camp is much nicer than Halton, food is much better and that's even with it being PAYD. Couldn't ask for much more, really, it's just a nice place to be. Same as everywhere, I guess, ups and downs. Great sunshine today... went back into the office until 1900 to finish stuff. AGC Corps Day on Saturday? Gutter here I come DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Climebear]

Climebear: Going very well indeed. DS are great, area's nice, camp is much nicer than Halton, food is much better and that's even with it being PAYD. Couldn't ask for much more, really, it's just a nice place to be. Same as everywhere, I guess, ups and downs. Great sunshine today... went back into the office until 1900 to finish stuff. AGC Corps Day on Saturday? Gutter here I come DT_Xtremez_30:

Glad to hear it. Good luck with the rest of the course.

 

[Warwick Hunt]

. AGC Corps Day on Saturday? Gutter here I come DT_Xtremez_30:

'AGC' and 'gutter' - I couldn't put it any better myself.