I don’t understand this universe any more

[Ed Russell]

The slow decline of Visitation

It started as a visit from a supernatural being. Capitalized Visitation being specifically Christian

Then it became a visitation from an official.

Then co-opted by semi-literate politicians to differentiate them from mere visitors.

Soon to replace visit.

[Six97s]

The talk of units reminded me of something.  I used to work for the UK division of a US company supplying plating chemicals.  They would send mixing recipes giving the quantities for solid ingredients in grams per US gallon.  🤨  Everything was rewritten in g/l so the operators would be able to follow it.

[Admiral Puff]

15 hours ago, Ed Russell said:

 

Then co-opted by semi-literate politicians to differentiate them from mere visitors.

 

Have any of them reached that level of intellectual eminence?

[JohnT]

On 06/01/2022 at 20:20, Pete F said:

 

 

It was opposite a most excellent model shop BTW. Also sadly gone. But for anyone close by, there is an excellent one on the Island called Upstairs Downstairs in Sandown which I always visit when I'm over. Sorry - off topic.

 

 

That tickled the memory cells. If there was only the one model shop and I suspect there was my 10-11 year old self was tickled pink one year on holiday to purchase the Airfix 1/72 Heinkel 111 and a FN rifle. Couldn’t wait to get home to get the glue out !  I spent most of the holiday on a boat park just over from the beach. Would that have been Sandown too.?Other highlights were watching the hovercraft ferry come up the beach at Ryde (?) and the day over to Portsmouth and round HMS Victory.   Another year I acquired the Auster Antarctic and a Convair Delta Dagger. Very happy days those IOW holidays 

[Ed Russell]

4 hours ago, Six97s said:

The talk of units reminded me of something

Me too - I read this researching the Burma Banshees - a fascinating mix of units. Jaggery is processed palm juice.

 

These days, a palm climber’s family can produce from 32.6 to 49 kilograms of jaggery per day. Toddy palm climbers have seen good days like when last year the price of jaggery rose to 1,000 kyats per viss (1.633 kilograms). But before that, when the price was just 500 to 600 kyats per viss, they had to live a hand-to-mouth life, only earning around 10,000 kyats a day.

[Pete F]

12 hours ago, JohnT said:

I spent most of the holiday on a boat park just over from the beach. Would that have been Sandown too.?

Yes that is probably Brown's Boating Lake in Sandown, although the Canoe Lake in Ryde could just fit your description. BTW Browns was one of the PLUTO power stations in 1944.  The hovercraft did land (and still does) at Ryde. It speeds across the huge expanse of sand at low tide and only occasionally runs over bait diggers!

 

I think Upstairs Downstairs in Sandown has only been there in this century - either way it wasn't there when I was a kid on the Island. Come to think of it I don't know where the model shops were in Sandown in the 70s, as I rarely went over there from Ryde. I shall have a look though my records to see if anything springs to mind.

 

Judging by your reference to the FN this would have been about 1973? I always wanted the Airfix FN but my Dad said they looked to weak for tough play use and got me a wood stocked LE 303 instead. I always lost firefights as I was fiddling with the bolt action whilst friends sprayed me with plastic 7.62. Having said that their FNs did always seem to turn into carbines when their barrels broke - so I guess my Dad was right. Interesting diversion for Airfix doing that gun.

[JohnT]

12 minutes ago, Pete F said:

Yes that is probably Brown's Boating Lake in Sandown, although the Canoe Lake in Ryde could just fit your description. BTW Browns was one of the PLUTO power stations in 1944.  The hovercraft did land (and still does) at Ryde. It speeds across the huge expanse of sand at low tide and only occasionally runs over bait diggers!

 

I think Upstairs Downstairs in Sandown has only been there in this century - either way it wasn't there when I was a kid on the Island. Come to think of it I don't know where the model shops were in Sandown in the 70s, as I rarely went over there from Ryde. I shall have a look though my records to see if anything springs to mind.

 

Judging by your reference to the FN this would have been about 1973? I always wanted the Airfix FN but my Dad said they looked to weak for tough play use and got me a wood stocked LE 303 instead. I always lost firefights as I was fiddling with the bolt action whilst friends sprayed me with plastic 7.62. Having said that their FNs did always seem to turn into carbines when their barrels broke - so I guess my Dad was right. Interesting diversion for Airfix doing that gun.

 

 

Pete

 

yes Browns Boating Lake rings a bell.  Mum and dad sat at the cafe having a tea while I played at the Cockleshell Heroes in a canoe/kayak.  The FN rifle was earlier and was out in the late 50's I think.  Certainly I got mine in around 1964-65 circa.  They also did a Thompson sub machine gun as well.  I always hoped they would do a Bren.

 

Changed days - try selling replica guns to boys kids now

 

I think the model shop also sold toys but had a model department.  Mind you I was 11-12 and that wasn't yesterday !! 

[Pete in Lincs]

2 hours ago, JohnT said:

Certainly I got mine in around 1964-65 circa.

I remember I had one too, probably around the same time. And yes, the barrel broke off. I still have some of the bullets though.

In 1976 I joined the RAF and they gave me an SLR. Yay!

[bootneck]

14 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

In 1976 I joined the RAF and they gave me an SLR.

Run away!   far away!

[Pete in Lincs]

You're safe, Mike. They took it away eventually and gave us SA-80's. Horrid things. I couldn't give it back fast enough.

[Jabba]

2 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

They took it away eventually and gave us SA-80's. Horrid things. I couldn't give it back fast enough.

How true, much preferred the "Moose gun" as the yanks called it when they saw the size of the bullets when shown to them in the Gulf.

[RAF4EVER]

4 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

I remember I had one too, probably around the same time. And yes, the barrel broke off. I still have some of the bullets though.

In 1976 I joined the RAF and they gave me an SLR. Yay!

1976 youngster,  I joined the RAF in 1971 out in 84,and only ever used the SLR.

Only once did I worry about getting an SLR from the armoury, was at RAF Aldergrove  on detatchment from Odiham 72 Sqdn, was told to go go to the armoury and book out an SLR and 20 live rounds,then go and see the Aircrew and get a Flak Jacket,was then put in a Wessex and taken out to the middle of the airfield with a Rockape Corporal an told to stand guard while a Hercules full of ammunition was  unloaded,was glad to hand it back when it was over.

Edited February 11, 2022 by RAF4EVER

[Pete in Lincs]

Not sure which was more dangerous, a fully loaded SLR, or a Rockape Corporal.

[RAF4EVER]

You forgot option 3,

 

A  Rockape Corporal, with a fully loaded and cocked SLR.😈

[bootneck]

If you really want to go to extremes, then a blue beret matalot with same. 

[treker_ed]

4 hours ago, RAF4EVER said:

You forgot option 3,

 

A  Rockape Corporal, with a fully loaded and cocked SLR.😈

Option 4 - Rockape officer with SLR....... even more scary! 

 

I joined at the beginning of 1991, and was on the cusp of the switch over from SLR to SA-80. Posted up to Lossie and the SWO hated the SA-80 and was pushing back on its introduction. Only when I got posted down to Conningsby did I do my conversion training over to the newer weapon. Which I have to admit, I preferred. Being of much shorter stature than others, it rather suited me better than the SLR which weighed an absolute ton!

[PhoenixII]

12 hours ago, treker_ed said:

Option 4 - Rockape officer with SLR.......

Nah, you be fine, he's probably still trying to find the runway....................assuming he found the airfield!

[Pete F]

23 hours ago, JohnT said:

Certainly I got mine in around 1964-65 circa

Yes after I wrote my last post I did some research and realise that they were produced much earlier than I previously thought. I think they went from wood effect stock to plain black. Just like the real thing I suppose. I always loved the wood stocked SLRs.

 

I have done some research and, as I suspected, the shop you visited was very likely Mainstones. This was a family business on the Island and had toy/model shops in Ryde, Shanklin and Sandown. They were quite large shops with a vast assortment of bikes and toys etc. The one in Ryde was a frequent haunt of mine. I was always getting told off by the staff for opening the kit boxes to stare at the sprues I usually couldn't afford.

 

This is the 1957 street directory for Sandown. Sandown 1957

 

Mainstones was at 26 High St. If you want to be nostalgic look on Google Maps street view and 26 is now a restaurant called Muzzas Kitchen. This link may work: 26 High St, Sandown

 

Sadly Sandown is a bit of a dump these days. Maybe it'll see better days again.

[JohnT]

57 minutes ago, Pete F said:

Yes after I wrote my last post I did some research and realise that they were produced much earlier than I previously thought. I think they went from wood effect stock to plain black. Just like the real thing I suppose. I always loved the wood stocked SLRs.

 

I have done some research and, as I suspected, the shop you visited was very likely Mainstones. This was a family business on the Island and had toy/model shops in Ryde, Shanklin and Sandown. They were quite large shops with a vast assortment of bikes and toys etc. The one in Ryde was a frequent haunt of mine. I was always getting told off by the staff for opening the kit boxes to stare at the sprues I usually couldn't afford.

 

This is the 1957 street directory for Sandown. Sandown 1957

 

Mainstones was at 26 High St. If you want to be nostalgic look on Google Maps street view and 26 is now a restaurant called Muzzas Kitchen. This link may work: 26 High St, Sandown

 

Sadly Sandown is a bit of a dump these days. Maybe it'll see better days again.

 

 

Pete - thanks for looking that stuff up for me.  I suspect you are right but its so long ago that that frontage doesn't register - but then I don't recall the shop or its layout.  Just it was a regular stop every one of my three IoW holidays. much appreciated

 

John

[Biggles87]

Sorry, this reply's a bit late, but what's all this about SLRs and SA-80s you lightweights. What's wrong with the Lee Enfield .303 a real man's rifle, fired on a semi-enclosed range without ear defenders and with a metal butt plate? Caught up with me in the end when I was told on one of my annual medicals in the '90s that I had some hearing loss in my right ear. The doc asked me if I'd done any shooting without ear defenders and when I said I had fired .303s in the '60s he told me he'd seen quite a few people around my age with the same problem. 

 

John

[alt-92]

On 2/13/2022 at 2:13 PM, Biggles87 said:

What's wrong with the Lee Enfield .303 a real man's rifle, fired on a semi-enclosed range without ear defenders and with a metal butt plate?

Now your avatar starts to make complete sense

[stevehnz]

On 2/14/2022 at 2:13 AM, Biggles87 said:

when I said I had fired .303s in the '60s he told me he'd seen quite a few people around my age with the same problem. 

Yup, on a 25 yard range with side abutments. Oh how our ears did ring. 🧏  'sposed to wear hearing aids now, flaming nuisances.

Steve.

[hairystick]

On 2/12/2022 at 2:06 PM, treker_ed said:

Option 4 - Rockape officer with SLR....... even more scary! 

 

...Being of much shorter stature than others, it rather suited me better than the SLR which weighed an absolute ton!

Option 5 - Rockape officer with SLR and a map/compass?

 

Oddly the SA80(11lb) was heavier than the SLR (9.56lb)... 

 

[Bullbasket]

I've probably said all this on here before now, so apologies if I have. It's an age thing. On one of our visits to the ranges in Catterick, one of the instructors thought that it would be a good idea for us recruits to understand how the gas regulator worked on the SLR. The normal firing position was mid way which we were all accustomed to. So then he reset the regulator to minimum. Each time we fired, we had to recock it by hand, as all of the gas had followed the bullet up the barrel. Then he set it to maximum. After firing off ten rounds, there wasn't a single one of us who didn't have right shoulders which were black and blue the next morning. It was like someone hitting you with a mallet. So not only ringing ears, but shoulders that didn't work properly for a few days. Oh, what fun!.

 

John.

[Wez]

1 hour ago, Bullbasket said:

I've probably said all this on here before now, so apologies if I have. It's an age thing. On one of our visits to the ranges in Catterick, one of the instructors thought that it would be a good idea for us recruits to understand how the gas regulator worked on the SLR. The normal firing position was mid way which we were all accustomed to. So then he reset the regulator to minimum. Each time we fired, we had to recock it by hand, as all of the gas had followed the bullet up the barrel. Then he set it to maximum. After firing off ten rounds, there wasn't a single one of us who didn't have right shoulders which were black and blue the next morning. It was like someone hitting you with a mallet. So not only ringing ears, but shoulders that didn't work properly for a few days. Oh, what fun!.

 

John.

 

I remember those days well, it was common practice to roll your beret up and pad your shoulder with it.  One thing I didn't learn until very late in the SLRs life was that it came with various lengths of butt, usually during your annual recertification you just lined up behind whichever rifle the Rockape told you to and fired that which is why you sometimes ended up with a bruised cheek or a black eye as the rifle bucked with its recoil.  If you actually ended up with the right sized butt for your physique this never happened.

 

One thing with the SLR, you always felt that you never had to hit anything with it, the shockwave caused by a near miss would be enough to take a limb off!  The SA-80 actually requires a level of marksmanship.