After successfully completing my three years at RAF Locking, I was posted as a Junior Technician to the Radio Engineering unit at RAF Henlow, in Bedfordshire. This came as somewhat of a culture shock after the easy life we experienced as  senior entry at Locking, things had become quite easy, and our arrival in the 'real' air force was not what we expected.

All airman were expected to march in flights everywhere, even after dark we marched with a man at the front and back carrying lanterns. I never saw this anywhere else in the rest of my time. I was only at Henlow for a year before I was posted to RAF Wilmslow in Cheshire, preceded by a six week course on Transistors at RAF Newton. 

RAF Wilmslow was actually closed at this time, having once been a WRAF training camp. We were living in what was the old sick quarters (SSQ) and used the camp as a base for our new venture as trainees for the Bloodhound MkII ground to air missile at Ferranti's  Wythenshawe factory. Life at Wilmslow was idyllic, no parades, no bull, we even had a Flight Sergeant to look after our every need. After a year here we were posted to RAF North Coates in Lincolnshire, near to Cleethorpes, on the 17 JSTU, (Joint Service Trials Unit).  I remained here for over five years, and began to think this is where I would finish my RAF time. I had carved a nice little position for myself at North Coates, I was running the Astra cinema, on very good terms with the Station Warrant Officer, and had joined a rock band playing at many of the local hot spots.

Then my world crashed as the trials unit came to an end, I got posted to RAF Cranwell, another culture shock, just like Henlow. It was at Cranwell that I got my third stripe and became a sergeant, so life got a little easier. However the travel back and forwards to Cleethorpes to play in my band was quite a pain. Then I decided that as I now only had three years left to demob, it was time I had an overseas tour. This I applied for on the grounds that I had not been out of the country since joining the RAF, and so, got posted to Cyprus for my last 2½ years.

I arrived in Akrotiri to find I had been posted as AWOL, this was due to the aircraft that was supposed to fly us to Cyprus had been damaged in a collision with a hangar door, and there were no spares available as there was an  exercise in progress. We had been at Lyneham for two days waiting for the repairs before we finally left for Cyprus.

No sooner had I arrived at Akrotiri, than I was sent up the mountain to RAF Troodos, being single that was our fate. While at Akrotiri I  bumped into Dave Jones, an ex Locking apprentice with whom I had enjoyed a brief time playing in a Jazz band at Locking. Within days of arriving in Cyprus I was again playing and earning some extra cash, and played in a number of groups including the 'Swing Shift', the only dance band on the  island. Being the only dance band we had all the best venues exclusively, we even did some programmes for BFBS, the forces broadcasting service.

Then in 1971 I was returned to the UK for my last six months at of all places RAF Henlow again. However as a sergeant, life was bearable.

On 21st August 1971 I was demobbed...

And so started my next adventure as a civilian, but that's another story.....