Page 74 - Demo

72An Acquired TasteAfter Graduation, the Aircrew and Regiment guys went off to various places in the still widespread Air Force, many to holding postings prior to the next phase of pilot training. The Engineer, Equipment and Admin Sec guys stayed on at Cranwell for a further 6 months %u2013or even longer for the Engineers who apparently were even slower learners than we. Some married immediately after Graduation. Those who remained bachelors were accommodated at Spitalgate Officers%u2019 Mess, (the Engineers) or in Trenchard Hall Officers%u2019 Mess for the guys from the other Branches. In early January 1969, in good time for Rabbie Burns%u2019 birthday on the 24th, I wrote to my mother asking her to post me a couple of haggi. Remember, parcel post in those days was not the 24-hour, tracked version we all expect today. Somewhere towards the end of February, a brown paper parcel tied with string appeared below the mail rack in the Mess.So how was I to cook these wee beasties now that I had them? Simple, boil them in the batman%u2019s kettle. I suppose the sheepies%u2019 stomachs in which the epicurean delights were contained just could not cope with the electrical element in the kettle. They burst and spread their innards liberally around the inside of the kettle. I did my best to clean it but being a mere man was less than successful.For quite a few days, the morning tea on our corridor had a very strange taste and resembled some grease be-topped drink from Outer Mongolia until the Batman:a. noticed andb. contrived to get a new kettle. The former took considerably longer than the latter.