RN `ACQUAINT' COURSE, PORTSMOUTH, 14th-20th July, 1985

Cotton was the last school at arrive and this caused us to be split up around the barrack block. The accommodation was superb, with each person having a big cupboard and a very comfortable bed, excellent for trampolining.

The drill was a bit strange and this caused our leader on the first day to mess things up a bit. In the evenings we were surprised to see all the Navy cadets turn up in what they called No 8's. These consisted of black bell-bottoms, white shirts and black shoes.

The day trips were very good: looking at all the ships and land bases of the Royal Navy in and around Portsmouth. In the evening our main place of entertainment was called the 'Automat' where there were drinks and food machines; here we could crack jokes and talk. At night it was common practice to pillow-fight between rooms.

The best day of all was when our flight went to sea in a tender (small tug). Here we did chart-work, tied knots and learned how to direct the boat. Most of us managed this. Our destination was the Isle of Wight where we had 1' hours to roam around.

Unluckily there were only two girls on the course, but Martin Bond managed to fix up a date with one of them.

Toby Beale

(We understand that Bond was not stood up! RCM)

Cadet Toby Beale applies a bit of spit and polish, so as to show the RN just how smart Cotton College CCF really is.

CCF ANNUAL CAMP AT RAF ABINGDON, 20th-27th July, 1985

We assembled at Oxford station on Saturday, 20th July, with some cadets coming straight from the RN course at Porstmouth. We were taken by RAF bus to the camp where we were billeted into a large barrack block.

RAF Abingdon is a member of RAF Support Command and its foremost task is the major servicing of Jaguar,

Hawk and Hunter jets. It is also the home of 6 AEF and the

Oxford and London University Air Squadrons. There were 60 cadets in camp and the other schools were Monmouth, Seaford, Wycliffe College and Loughborough Grammar School. We were split into five flights with the Cotton cadets evenly divided among the five. The rest of the Saturday was spent relaxing, making new friendships or making use of the facilities in the 101 Club.

On Sunday the camp activities started off with a station familiarisation exercise. In the evening there was a mapreading exercise which involved traipsing round neverending miles of Oxfordshire countryside in the slight drizzle of the British summer!

On Monday, after a flying brief, we went on our flight's activities. My flight, `B' Flight, went to see Avionics, the MT Section, Battle Damage Repair Flight and the computer section. Then a swimming session in the outdoor pool proved to be extremely good fun. In the evening there was an inter-flight relay around the perimeter of the camp, with each member of the flight ending up running about half a mile. Gavin Felton, in particular, shone in this as he ran two legs and was still way ahead of anyone else.

"Friend or foe" Cdts Wynne and Griffin on the night exercise.

On Tuesday we spent the whole day in F hangar which is where the Jaguars receive their major servicing. I spent the day in the wing-bay repairing sections of the wing, but I could have spent it with the engine-bay, with Avionics or with the actual servicing of the main body of the aircraft. The day was rounded off with a five-a-side football competition which at times resembled a mass fight.

Wednesday morning was spent with 6 AEF with everyone taking control of the Chipmunk and doing lots of aerobatics. In the afternoon we visited the old town of Oxford. That evening provided the high-light of the week for most people: it was the night exercise. It started at around 10pm and finished at 2 am. We were split into two new flights for this exercise. One flight acted as a security flight and defended the VC 10s and a Canberra which lay on the edge of the airfield. The other flight, `the terrorists', attempted to blow up the aircraft. It turned into a memorable evening with many blows being exchanged by all. The only injury, a broken finger, was inflicted on `the terrorists' by a member of the Cotton contingent of the security group!

On Thursday we visted the fire section, went swimming and spent a long period in the gym where we were conscrip-

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