Down Memory Lane

Meldrew I think there was a program some time ago about the WAF and what they did in the war.

My Dad always told me they did everything the men used to do, no one thought women could be welders, mechanics, etc.. etc.. but they did and were the backbone that allowed our country to keep fighting. In a sense it was a massive period of equality for women, drove immense change. The only way my Dad was able to get out of his reserved occupation at the beginning of the war was to teach women to weld…prove they could do his job, so he could go fight.

Beer in WW2 - We all seen the films where the jolly Pilots gather round a Piano, to tunes by Vera Lynn, drinking beer and getting very drunk in the mess…..Yeah, well that didn’t happen. Beer in/and near the RAF stations was so weak (my Dad told me the nickname they had for it, but I forgot), that you couldn’t really drink enough to get drunk. The men knew that, but they would force the merriment anyway, as they might be dead soon enough. I was always reminded of this by every Star Trek story of Synthehol in 10 forward. The British government of course denies this, and I suspect it won’t be in the History books either. The men found out by accident after a bad run, they would try to get pissed and couldn’t!

Of course I am sure some good whiskys etc.. still existed among the top officer class.

Hotmetal Interesting about the beer having its teeth pulled. I know there was ‘small beer’ which was the weak stuff, not sure if that’s what he said or maybe something specific?

I remembered this morning, they called it “near beer”.

Coffee related memory lane. In the ECM Espresso museum, I saw this machine, I have never seen anything like it before. The portafilter locks in must unusually. The basket it placed underneath the group and locked in by sliding the handle up the dome on the top of the group. The dome was pristine, so I guess the handle was missing some sort of fibre pad. The PF handle would end up vertical, with the basket securely locked into the group. What an unusual and elegant idea.

Next time I want to have more time to go and carefully photograph every machine in the museum!

When I was younger, I used to like it….but I think perhaps not now

Gagaryn politically corrected camp coffee…. surprised they haven’t changed the name.

Pompeyexile My old mum used to like it, but then again she loved Coffee-mate too…Gawd bless her!

my Dad liked coffee mate as well…and tinned milk in coffee!