INSIGHT

Issue 1 2010

The Light Blue Dive

Into The Deep Blue
RAF Sub-Aqua Diving
Expedition in Malta

No. 5(AC) & No. 8 Sqn

On Operations

Deployment
Support For Families

Free
issue

Issue one 10
THE
MAGAZINE OF RAF Waddington

InsightMAGAZINE
Has now gone green, please
recycle

Sqn Ldr Beddoes

From the
Editor...

INSIGHTMAGAZINE
Front cover image:
Gp Capt Powell enjoys a moment
to reflect during the RAF Sub-Aqua
Expedition to Malta. See page 18

Christmas and New Year are

now fading memories as we
look forward to the rest of
the Year.

ISSUE 1 2010

Contents
Stn cdrs Foreword /
air show team

t was an intense time for Waddingtons

personnel, with over 300 men and women
deployed in support of Operations over the
festive period. Still more were busy, here
at Waddington, providing the vital in-depth
support for those deployed. Two of our articles
relate to Waddington Sqn deployments and their
experiences, supporting operations over Christmas.
However, we should remember that without the intense
assistance provided by the wider Station community,
these deployments would not be possible.
Deployments inevitably put pressure on
families and loved ones and are more acutely felt
over Christmas. The Community Matters and
Deployment Support to Families articles detail
the type of support available to families during
such deployments, and indeed at all times. There
is a distinctive sport and Adventurous training
theme to this edition, with two boxing articles:
one describing the experience of participating in
a Boxing Tournament, the other a Boxing evening
which raised 7,000 for charity.
Sport and Adventurous Training are fine
examples of the Work Hard Play Hard ethic,
highlighting the value the RAF places in such
activities. Both require determination and
courage, and help to promote Team Spirit and
Ethos; all of which are key values required whilst
on Operations, as well as during normal RAF
life. Indeed, many of the Sport and Adventurous
Training participants have either recently come
back from supporting operations, or are soon
going to support operations.
We have continued the theme of a Charity
section as considerable charity work is carried
out throughout the year, but have added a section

ISSUE 1 2010
EDITORIAL TEAM:
DII/F Users Email:
WAD-InsightEditorialTeam@mod.uk
External Email: Use personal email
addresses listed.
RAF Waddington Tel: 01522 720271 (XXXX
Ext No.)
Editor:
Sqn Ldr Bertie Beddoes Ext 6705
stephen.beddoes679@mod.uk
Deputy Editors:
MAcr Andy Redfearn Ext 8083
andy.redfearn320@mod.uk

04

Group Captain Richard Powell /

Business award

54 (R) SQN

06

54 Degrees North Continued

knock out event...........

08

RAF Boxing Association

RAFA Everest Challenge

10

Climbing for Charity

on Youth Matters. RAF Waddington plays a
significant role with young people of the local
community, and in the following months we will
run a number of articles covering Youth Matters
at RAF Waddington. In this edition we have
concentrated on Work Experience, and Project
X, which was run for the 3rd year in succession
and involved 60 students from local Secondary
Schools competing in a Schools Challenge at RAF
Waddington.
It leaves me to wish you all a belated Happy New
Year and best wishes for 2010. This Magazine relies
on its readers sending in articles and I know many
of you have some very interesting stories to tell
some even suitable to be published! I am interested
in having a section on RAF Waddington old and
new, bringing stories on areas of Waddington from
past and present not just from an historical point
of view, but from a personal perspective. There
are many people who have fascinating stories of
events in the past that are directly relevant to us all
now. If you have an event or story, please send an
article in to the Insight Team the next deadline
is 24 Feb 10. All items will be gratefully received
whether they are from regular contributors or for

Lancepublishing

Project x

12

2009 Schools Challenge

pipes & Drums

13

Homecomings and St Barnabas

roge footitt

14

The Man... The Legend

8 sqn...

16

On Operations...

work experience / party

18

At RAF Waddington / Childrens PartySqn

the light blue dive...

20

RAF Sub-Aqua Clubs

boxing championship

24

Lord Wakefields Championship

Secretary of state...

25

Of Defence Visits RAF Waddington

padres patter4

26

Dont Worry

Part of the Lance Publishing Group

Distribution: Cpl Stephen Calvert

Ext 6495 steven.calvert415@mod.uk
Artwork: S Oliver
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community matters

28

Support to Families

5(AC) sqn...

30

On Operations

station charities

32

Charities Update

Please send your contributions to: The Editor, Insight Magazine, RAF Waddington, Lincoln LN5 9NB.
The magazine is entirely funded by advertising and costs the Station nothing to produce. Insight is not an official
publication and, unless otherwise stated, views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent MOD, RAF
or Station policy. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the editor or publishers.
Advertisements accepted on the understanding that they conform to the British Code of Advertising Practice. Insight is
produced by kind permission of the Station Commander, RAF Waddington.

Issue one 10

InsightMAGAZINE

foreword //
station commander

Station Commanders

Foreword

Group Captain
Richard Powell

Why did you decide

to join the RAF? is
a question that Ive
often been asked by
my civilian colleagues
and friends during my
career and one that has
probably been asked of
you too.

e all have our own reasons:

the ability to earn nationally
recognised qualifications
and skills; job satisfaction;
competitive wages; the chance to travel;
excellent personal training and development
opportunities; a varied, exciting lifestyle; a
sense of pride; free medical and dental care.
Others reasons might include free fitness
and sports facilities, the opportunity to
play sports and take part in adventurous
training expeditions. We often take these
benefits for granted and may not take full
advantage of them.
Here at RAF Waddington we have
the opportunity to keep fit and healthy
through a wide range of top-class sports
and training facilities including a modern
gymnasium, weights and aerobics suites,

InsightMAGAZINE

swimming pool, squash courts, climbing

wall, sports field, artificial pitch and
other specialist training facilities. We also
have the opportunity to play numerous
team sports and to take part in some
more unusual sports. The Gym also runs
regular fitness classes including circuits,
spinning and Bodypump and the Physical
Training Instructors are always on hand to
offer training advice and tips. So if youve
not been making the most of the fitness
and sports facilities on offer and have
always been meaning to go to lunchtime
circuits, have a swim, represent your unit
in the monthly Station Commanders Cup
events or slip on your boots to play five-aside football with your workmates, nows
your chance!
Like sport, the opportunity for us
to take part in Adventurous Training
activities, or AT for short, is often
overlooked. Adventurous Training is
an important element of Service life. It
provides challenge, a sense of adventure,
excitement, variety, interest, contact with
nature and the broadening experience
of travel. Not only is it excellent fun,
but it is also a chance to learn new skills
and to develop your leadership abilities,
initiative, teamwork, physical and mental
courage, fitness and other personal skills
vital to operational capability. There is
a wide variety of AT activities on offer
including caving, hill walking, climbing,
paragliding, kayaking, hang gliding,
parachuting, offshore sailing, skiing and
sub-aqua diving. As well as the opportunity
to go on Adventurous Training courses
at a Joint Services Centre, there are
numerous UK and overseas expeditions
organised and run by RAF Waddington
personnel throughout the year. This
edition of Insight contains articles on hill
walking and sub-aqua diving expeditions
that took place last year. I encourage all
of you to take time for AT. This year, why
dont you set yourself a challenge either
to try a new and exciting activity or to
further develop your AT experience and
qualifications. Whether you would like
to organize an expedition or just take
part, the Physical Education staff and,
in particular, Cpl Ki Williams, will only
be too happy to provide you with all the
information you need. n

Air Show
Team Finalists
In Business
Awards

The Waddington International

Air Show Team were finalists
in the 2009 Supporting The
Community Award.
PHOTOS
BELOW
The Airshow
Team
Left to right:
Back Row:
Danny
Mellor, David
Thomas,Colin
Reeves
Front Row:
Katerina
Greenlaw; Lynda
Byram

art of the Lincolnshire Media

Business Awards, sponsored
by the Lincolnshire Media
Group, in association with
Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce.
The Supporting the Community category
is aimed at businesses or organisations
which contribute to, and benefit the
local community. The RAF Waddington
International Air Show was selected
because of the contribution to the local
economy (estimated at 12,000,000
per annum) and because of the amount
of money raised for charity since the
show began in 1995. To date, a total of
2,578,000 has been raised for charity
by the Air Show with 329,000 of that
donated to local charities and worthy
causes. The proceeds for charity from
the 2009 Air Show was 325,000.
Air Show Manager Colin Reeves said
I am very pleased that the work of our
small team has been recognised with a
final placement by business industry and
commerce. We look forward to welcoming
you on 3rd and 4th July 2010 to RAF
Waddington for the 16th RAF Waddington
International Air Show. n

Issue one 10

Issue one 10

InsightMAGAZINE

regular //
54(R) Sqn

54 Degrees
North

54(R) Sqn Expedition (Part 2)

In the last edition, we left our seven intrepid 54 (R) Sqn

Expedition members at Kirkby Stephen. They had almost
reached the halfway point in their bid to walk from Coast
to Coast following Wainwrights traditional guidelines. What
happened next? Continuing their daily hit parade theme.
A new entry hits the chart
at number 7, I would walk 500
miles by The Proclaimers:The Pennines beckoned, and our entry into
the Yorkshire Moors was eagerly anticipated
as a contrast to both the mountains of the
Lake District and the plateau we had just
traversed. Unfortunately, to get there we had
to cross the largest (and muddiest) peat bog
of the whole trip. This started with an ascent
of the western edge of the Pennines up to
the strange, but prominent, Nine Standards
Rigg. From here, the route is marked to

InsightMAGAZINE

preserve the delicate peat bog and varies

by time of year (all appeared to be equally
wet and muddy). The Whitsundale Beck
provided a pleasant escape from the bog and
led down towards the small picturesque,
but ultimately publess, village of Keld.
Fortunately, the local campsite shop was
reached just as Bulmers hour was being
celebrated and it seemed rude not to briefly
join in the local celebration. At this point the
team were to be treated to the rare luxury
of two nights in the same accommodation,
as the bunkhouse was situated conveniently

between stages. Luckily, it was in complete

isolation and nobody else was treated to
Toms rousing rendition of her eyes they
shone like diamonds, which appeared to
be inspired by a rather attractive black horse
we had passed on route. Jase, was overheard
commenting that it was nothing compared
to my little pony.
Another new entry storms
the charts at number 6,
Navigator by The Pogues:Wainwrights book clearly states that he
does not want others to merely follow
my path, but devise their own route
so we let Stu navigate today, and that is
exactly what we did! A relatively short
day was planned with Reeth our final
destination. The path very quickly became
a little narrow in places as we climbed up
Swinners Gill, and it is a matter of debate
whether the team were aware (this time)
that there was once again an easier low
level alternative. As we reached the high
ground, the winds and rain started to get
up, buffeting us for the next couple of hours
as we traversed towards Gunnerside Gill.
This area is characterised by the remnants
of once vibrant mining establishments
that litter each and every Gill, and are in
themselves an impressive testament to the
past industrious nature of this area and its
inhabitants. Grouse butts now also litter
the high ground and we witnessed the
latter stages of a gents day out, as we

Issue one 10

bumped into a Range Rover convoy and

a couple of packs of gundogs. Luckily for
Stu, they were restrained by the time we
passed by. One of the more friendly gents
was even kind enough to update us with the
details of the test match as he drove past.
We did not have the heart to tell him that
he was enlightening one of our three noncricketing nation team members who
couldnt have given a silly mid off about
the finer points of his googly full toss!
Down two places at number
5 Walk On By by Dionne
Warwick:The plan for today was to walk a reasonably
short day from Reeth to the only real town
on our route, Richmond. The following day
was planned to be a lot longer, and so we
decided to push on to Catterick Bridge and
reduce the next day by around five miles. If
it had not started to bucket down once more
on the outskirts of Richmond the need to
walk straight past numerous opportunities
for refuge, shelter and sustenance would
have attracted little comment, however
The route followed the river Swale that had
been our companion now for two days, past
Colburn and Brompton on Swale, where
our barn accommodation awaited. The
unexpected bonus at this stop was being
woken by a rathe --r noisy Cockerel very
early in the morning, as opposed to one
of the snory triplets every ten minutes.
A re-entry at number 4, Long
And Winding Road by The
Beatles:Wainwright describes this section as the
dullest part of the whole walk and you
would be pushed to find anyone in the team
to disagree, but it was, however, a necessity
to bridge the gap between the Yorkshire
Dales and Yorkshire Moors National
parks. One point of note is that you reach
the lowest point of the walk between the
coastal extremities at Danby Wiske, which
is just 110 feet above sea level.

the path side heather and the multitude

of day walkers, taking advantage of the
easily accessible Cleveland Way, were the
only real drawbacks to an otherwise reinvigorating day.
Just failing to reach the top
at number 2, Fields Of Gold
by Eva Cassidy:The penultimate day, continued in a similar
vein across the moors and included some
more ascents along the way; Hasty Bank
being the most impressive. Unfortunately,
much of the route followed a disused
railway track, which has now become a
wide stoned path. Striding out on this
section enabled the team to make excellent
time, but the payback was to become
apparent after a lunch stop when everyone
felt like their legs had seized up! Less haste
more speed, springs to mind! Up until now,
the team have been treated almost daily to
some of the RAFs finest, including the full
compliment of the Reds by Grasmere and
today we are treated to the rarer sight of a
hovering Merlin (of the feathered variety)
high up on the moors. The day ended with
a very steep descent into the picturesque
Glaisdale, through a host of golden corn
fields as the sun shined brightly.
This weeks new number 1 is
The Happy Wanderer (Valde-ri) by The Obernkirchen
Childrens Choir:The homeward run got off to a great start as
the sun shone and we caught a glimpse of the
Steam Train in action at Grostmont. A very
long steep climb out of Grostmont reminded
everyone that there was still work to be
done. The detour to avoid walking on roads
included a significant southerly jaunt, which
impressed few. Our goal of Robin Hoods
Bay lay waiting to the East, just along the
coast from Whitby Abbey, which we could
see but appeared to be walking away from!

PHOTOS
MAIN IMAGE
Grostmont North
Yorkshire Moors
Railway
top
Swaledale
Above
Cleveland Way
below
River Swale
Crossing

The final couple of miles seemed to take

the longest; our legs seem to know that it is
the last day. Eventually we catch sight of our
destination and after a short but interesting
detour to take a look at Steves kids old school,
we picked Frodo up and stride triumphantly
into the Bay Hotel, which marks the end
of our eventful journey and also contains
Wainwrights Bar of all places!
The cast for this adventure were: WO
Tom Mew, Flt Sgts Steve Corlett & Jason
Dark and Chf Techs Al Cameron, Phil
Lyons, Sean Webster & Stu Pretty.
Coast to Coast - As the crows flies
125 miles but you too can do it in over
195 miles if you try hard! n

Slipping down one place at

number 3, Ill Find My Way
Home by Jon and Vangelis:The North Yorkshire Moors and probably
the best days walking since the Lakes,
soon enabled the team to rediscover
their energy. Stadler and Waldorf (Tom
& Steve) combined to take the lead and
kindly included a quick half hour of
Survive Evade Resist Extract (SERE)
training in the itinerary, as they presented
the team with a tricky route finding
problem through thick undergrowth.
Training over, we were treated to a fine
high level traverse along an escarpment of
the Cleveland Hills taking in several tops
on the way. Clouds of flies swarming from

Issue one 10

InsightMAGAZINE

News //
Knock out event!

RAF Waddington

Puts On A Knock
Out Event!
On the 19th of November, Members of the Royal Air Force
Boxing Association took to the ring to put on a show for RAF
Waddington personnel and selected guests, while at the same
time raising money for The Princes Trust in the East Midlands.
PHOTOS
MAIN IMAGE
Ouch! RAF Boxer
strikes a blow!
below
The Station
Commander
presents the 7000
cheque to Steve
Williamson from
the Princes Trust.

InsightMAGAZINE

he RAF lineup for the contest

showed how boxing is hugely
popular at RAF Waddington,
with many here getting involved
in the sport for the first time. The
opposition came from a selection of local
clubs, making for a good-natured but very
competitive contest in front of an audience
of almost 350. The atmosphere was
electric, captured by personal courage and
dedication displayed from the boxers; also
enhanced by the RAF Waddington Pipes
and Drums Band.

The team behind the project wanted

to showcase RAF Boxing, while at the
same time showing support and raising an
estimated 7000 for an organisation that
helps young adults get their lives back on
track. RAF Waddington has close links
with The Princes Trust, regularly hosting
Healthy Living Days where a group of
youngsters receive interactive sessions
on cooking, fitness and health education
from Station specialists.
The project leader, Flight Lieutenant
Dave McKinley, explained how he
got involved:
Earlier this year I was approached by
2 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers
(Flight Sergeant Cookson and Sergeant
Shippey) based at RAF Waddington with a
view to putting on a boxing event. I have
always been a fan of boxing, and therefore
thought this was an excellent opportunity
to raise money for charity through RAF
Sport.
He went on to add that:
As an Officer in the RAF Regiment
I have witnessed the benefits of RAF
Boxing throughout my career. Boxing

demands great strength of character,

commitment and individual discipline,
all attributes we look for in our people.
Originally from Northern Ireland, I
have always associated amateur boxing
with youth development, as it was
successfully used in the area I grew up
in, bringing together young people from
different communities to give them a
common sense of purpose and pride.
For this reason I felt that a local youth
charity would be the ideal beneficiary
and after a bit of research found that
the Princes Trust already had strong ties
with RAF Waddington. The generosity
and support from Station personnel and
local businesses has been outstanding,
and without their help and support this
event would not have been the success
that it was.
The RAF Boxers dominated the winners
podium by winning 6 out of 7 bouts. Three
of the winning boxers were from RAF
Waddington, taking clear advantage of the
enthusiastic home crowd.
The Royal Air Force prides itself
on its sporting achievements and the
demanding standards, commitment and
individual discipline demonstrated by all
those who participate. These are exactly
the same attributes that a fighting force,
such as the Royal Air Force, expects
from its members, not only in day to day
life but particularly when such people
are deployed on operations.
Amateur boxer Sergeant Tim Elliott of
54(R) Squadron, RAF Waddington was
one of the star participants of the event.
He said:
What a fantastic evening, the atmosphere
in front of a home crowd makes a real
difference. Boxing is a great sport for
fitness, self awareness and confidence
regardless of whether you compete or not
and the sense of camaraderie between
boxers is second to no other sport;
once you have been in the ring you can
empathise with all those who have done
the same. Credit should be given to all
the organisers, coaches, officials and
boxers who made this competition and
RAF boxing such a success.
The evening was watched by RAF
Waddingtons Station Commander, Group
Captain Rich Powell who welcomed
boxers, coaches, officials and spectators to
the event:
I was delighted to welcome so many
supporters to the RAF Waddington
Amateur Boxing Night in support of the
Princes Trust. For many this was their first
exposure to the sport of amateur boxing
and tonights display of commitment,
attitude and robustness was fantastic.
A huge well done to all boxers, officials,
coaches and organisers. n

Issue one 10

advertorial //
Home guard

Issue one 10

InsightMAGAZINE

news //
Everest Challenge

RAF Waddington 4-5 Nov 09

RAFA Everest
Challenge
When many people were thinking about Guy
Fawkes Night, intrepid RAF Waddington
climbers attempted to climb Mt Everest,
K2, Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike all
within 24 gruelling but interesting hours.

fter a couple of months of

training and with the RAF
Waddington climbing wall
colourfully decorated in RAFA
banners, the event commenced at 1800;
with a group photo with the Stn Cdr, and a
presentation of 1000 to RAFA by Sellafield
Contractors Group Charity Committee.
The initial pace was set by the Stn Cdr
and the encouragement of the supporters.
The team was pushing hard and by 2200
hrs we managed to reach Base Camp 1.
Lucky for us Valentinos Pizzeria were
able to deliver with no extra charge. Once
refuelled there was another hard push,
however, this time we had extra weight
to carry up with us. By midnight the bare
truth of the challenge became apparent
as the cold spell was setting in. Spurred
on by the rush of sugar coursing through

InsightMAGAZINE

our veins we maintained our composure,

ignored the pain and set our sights on the
last few thousand metres to the summit.
By 0300 hrs we had achieved our
height on climb 2, 0315 hrs and climb 1
had been tackled. With the two hardest
climbs out of the way we put all our effort
into summating Everest. At 0330 hrs
climb 3 was complete, one more to go. By
this stage the dots on our climb marker
boards had evolved into smiley faces,
frowns, insults and even random scientific
equations as sleep depravation and fatigue
were becoming apparent. Down to the last
few climbs to the summit we picked up
speed, sighting a RAFA flag to mark our
arrival at the summit of Mount Everest.
Not content with climbing Everest, we
decided to pop up K2 just to add insult to injury
or should I say injuries, which were becoming

10

all the more frequent at this time. Morning

broke and the team were slowing down, but
still maintaining a steady pace. After a shower
and a change of clothing, the team pushed
on despite the shocking climbing attire of
Flt Lt Shaun Carney. Although shocking,
this attire did seem to prove inspirational
to others as SAC Robinson did his best to
dress like Vicky Pollard.
At 1028 hrs we completed climb 3,
only three more to finish before K2 was
conquered. Thankfully we had enough
time and we reached the summit of K2
at 1337 hrs.
We were mentally and physically
drained and yet we still somehow thought
that tackling the three highest peaks in
UK would be a good idea as well, besides
we still technically had just over 5 hrs
to go before the official end. We pushed
on, however, it became apparent that
our lack of energy and fatigued bodies
would not enable us to go any further. At
1600hrs we reached the top of the Ben
Nevis and were content in the knowledge
that the other peaks would be around for
another day. After clearing the debris
from the venue, we arranged a de-brief
in the Ravens Club. We had even lost the
ability to scale the bar, now beaten the
team went their separate ways.
We would like to say thank you to
Sellafield Contractors Group Charity
Committee,
Budgens,
Valentinos,
Waddington Fish Bar, The Wheat
Sheaf and all those who sponsored us.
It was your help that
enabled us to raise
in excess of 2000
for RAFA. n

PHOTOS
Below
The real Everest
Inset
The climbing wall
and the Station
Commander with
the cheque for
RAFA

Issue one 10

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Competition

Heres a treat for you! INSIGHTMAGAZINE

has a pair of tickets up for grabs to see the
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For a chance to win the tickets simply answer the following question:

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Issue one 10

11

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News //
Project X

Project T

In an atmosphere of high expectation,

excitement and enthusiasm,
more than 60 students from local
Secondary Schools competed at the
2009 Schools Challenge held on 12
November at RAF Waddington.

InsightMAGAZINE

his was the 3rd year that RAF

Waddington has run the
Schools Challenge, with the
aim of getting young people
to solve a problem through team work,
having plenty of fun along the way. This
year the challenge was Project X, a contest
to design, build and test an aircraft which
had to run down a zip-wire and deliver a
sensitive piece of equipment (egg); to aid
a downed pilots escape from an island.
The egg had to survive the fall (eggs were
not allowed to be hard boiled!) and the
pilot needed to see the aircraft coming;
so there was plenty of opportunity for
the students to use their creative flair to
attract the Pilots attention and come up
with some novel designs. The Challenge
encompassed several different areas of
the curriculum including Maths, ICT and
Art. They had to decorate their aircraft
so that it could easily be seen by the pilot
and attract his attention to the delivery of
the package.
Yet again, this years Challenge saw
RAF volunteers from across the Station
give up their time to visit a nominated
school to help the students with their
ideas and hopefully produce the
winning design. All of the Lincolnshire
Secondary Schools were invited to take
part in the Challenge as the new school
year started in September. Within a week
over 15 schools had applied to take part,
unfortunately numbers had to be limited
to 10. The real value of this type of youth
engagement event is that it enables the

12

RAF volunteers, drawn from all trades

and ranks, to exploit their experience
of team work and problem solving, to
help the children both in an educational
and a really fun way. It was rewarding
to see the students grow in confidence
as they worked towards Finals Day.
The competitive edge soon started to
appear during October and November as
each school decided on its final aircraft
design and the lucky 6 children, from
each school, were chosen to compete on
the Finals Day on 12th November.
On their arrival on the 12th, all
the teachers and the students were
given a quick welcome brief in the Old
Gymnasium where the Challenge was to
be held, before they were whizzed off to
8 Sqn where they had a group photograph
taken in front of an E-3D Sentry aircraft.
After this, the 10 schools were split into
two groups; dividing their time between
practice runs and making last minute
adjustments to their aircraft, and being
hosted by the RAFP Dog Display Team
and RAF Regiment. After lunch, the
excitement increased as the all important
final runs took place. The three Judges
were led by OC 54(R) Squadron, Wg Cdr
Prior. Points were awarded for design,
attention grabbing paint schemes and
novel approaches to delivering the egg.
The Judges were amazed by the diversity
of ideas, with everything from a pink pig
design to a Vulcan look alike.
Eventually, it was time for the final
stage in the judging the all important
runs. Each team was allowed 2 runs, both
having to be completed within a single
ten minute period. performance was
judged on the effectiveness and accuracy
of their aircraft in safely delivering the
sensitive equipment to the downed pilot
before landing. The atmosphere was
electric as the students gathered for the
final runs to decide the overall winner.
Each aircraft whizzed down the course
cheered on by all the schools, eggs were
flying through the air, and some hit their
targets to great applause. Finally, Cherry
Willingham Community School produced
2 near-perfect runs to take the Schools
Challenge for 2009.
Wing Commander Simon Prior, Officer
Commanding No 54(R) Squadron said,
All the teams demonstrated great
enthusiasm. Perhaps most impressive of all
was the level of teamwork demonstrated
by all the young people. From design and
building, through to their presentations
and finally performing the assessed runs they were an example to us all. I hope we
see many of them knocking on the door
of the RAF in a few years time.
All agreed that the day was a great
success. The range of aircraft designed

Issue one 10

Community matters //
pipes and Drums
was really impressive, the winning design
being a LED encrusted fighter plane with
buzzers ringing out as it whizzed down
the zip-wire. The students determination
and team spirit shone throughout the
day as they worked with their teachers
and RAF volunteers. Whether they won
or lost, the day was great fun due to the
amazing effort shown by all the teams.
For all those involved with Project
X, the lasting memory was seeing the
overwhelming sense of achievement from
each of the children as they watched
their models whiz down the wire. Just
seeing a group of enthusiastic youngsters
take a simple idea and create something
quite amazing, was well worth the time
invested by the RAF volunteers who will
hopefully be on hand to support the
Schools Challenge in 2010.
The Schools Challenge is just one of
many initiatives run by RAF Waddington
as part of its Youth Engagement Strategy,
in association with the Education
Business Partnership. If you are interested
in getting involved as a volunteer in any
future youth engagement event then
please contact Sqn Ldr Steve Welchman,
OC C4I Squadron. n

PHOTOS
Left MAIN IMAGE
Cherry Willingham
Community
Schools winning
design, a LED
encrusted fighter
plane whizzing
down the zip-wire.
below
RAF Waddington
Stn Cdr, Gp Capt
Powell, along
with the winning
students from
Cherry Willingham
Community
School.

Points were awarded
for design, attention
grabbing paint schemes
and novel approaches to
delivering the egg. The
Judges were amazed by
the diversity of ideas, with
everything from a pink pig
design to a Vulcan look alike.

Issue one 10

Pipes
s
m
u
r
D
&

Homecomings
s
& Saint Barnaba

One of our neighbouring stations in

Lincolnshire is Home to No. 1 ACC, and also
to Flight Sergeant Hugh Higgins, a piper in
the RAF Waddington Pipe Band.

fter nearly three years on

continuous
operations
in
Afghanistan, 1ACC callsign
Crowbar returned to its base
at RAF Kirton in Lindsey after handing
over its role to the US Marine Corps on 1
December 2009. Operating from its base
at Camp Bastion in Helmand province,
the unit has helped save countless lives
since deploying on Operation Herrick in
October 2006. Its role was to use radar,
communications and information systems
and the expertise of its operators to build
an air picture to track the movement of all
aircraft in South West Afghanistan and
relay that to military commanders and
troops on the ground. Whenever mortars,
artillery or rockets are needed, or aircraft
need to deliver ordinance, the airspace is
restricted and cleared by 1ACC.
Hugh had served two tours in theatre and
with this connection in mind, the band was
delighted to accept the opportunity to head
up their homecoming parade through the
streets of Kirton. On a very cold and rainy
Lincolnshire day, the band led No. 1 ACC
down to the town where an enthusiastic crowd

13

showed their support and appreciation. They

were welcomed by the Mayor of Kirton-InLindsey, Billy Boyd. Air Vice Marshal Dick
Garwood was the reviewing Officer, who
took the salute from the parading personnel.
Once again, the band was pleased to lend
its support to one of our local charities,
St Barnabas Hospice. Every year, on what
is normally a very cold night; the band
leads a large torchlight procession past
the Hospice, through the Bailgate to a
service on the steps of Lincoln Cathedral.
800 flaming torches lit up the evening on
what was a very atmospheric and poignant
occasion. If anybody wants to attend next
years procession or support this very
worthwhile charity then please contact the
Pipe Major at the band room for details.
The band has had a very successful year
playing at local, national and overseas
events, from Geilenkirchen to Hamburg,
Edinburgh to Southampton. Its been hard
work but all very enjoyable. 2010 looks
to be another busy one so if you fancy
learning to play the pipes or to beat a drum
then come and join the RAF Pipe Band
Champions of 2009. n

InsightMAGAZINE

FEATURE //
roge footitt

The Man
The Legend

Roge
Footitt
On August the 24th 2009 our
friend and colleague Roge died
suddenly in the SNCOs mess and
with it a Handling and Rectification
(H&R), Sentry Line Flight (SLF) and
Sentry Maintenance Squadron
(SMS) legend was lost.

he sense of loss felt on the

section was tangible, and
devastating. Roge has been part
of Waddington life a few times
during his illustrious career. Waddington
has benefited from his presence.
Roge joined the RAF in January
1990 and was whisked off to Cosford to
do his Mech course. After successfully
completing his course he had the honour of
being posted to the Vulcan Display Team,
and so his relationship with Waddington
began. With the arrival of the Sentry
aircraft, manpower was required and
Roge was duly press ganged onto H&R
Flight (thats Handling & Rectification
to the uninitiated). His first of many
claims to fame was to etch all the newly
acquired tools, a job he did with his usual
professionalism or was that his famous
OCD. It was here that the famous Roger
Footitt RAF tache was grown and many
a photo of that era had this landmark on
it and the fun we had with it.
Roge kept his nose clean and once
again Cosford called. He duly completed
his fitters course, and low and behold
he was coming back to Waddington.
Apparently he had made friends with
our WO who was desperate to have him
back, that was Rogers words not ours.
H&R was now SLF and the height of the
Balkans war was happening. A very busy
time for one and all on the section, many

InsightMAGAZINE

PHOTOS
BELOW
Roge Footitt,
friend and
collegue

stories and many memories, most of them

of Roge, which we will always remember
with a smile.
His OCD was legendary, from the early
days of constantly cleaning the Tea-Bar
whether at home or on deployment to his
love of all things photographic.
Once again Roge avoided trouble and
along with everything else that was not
strapped down at SMS, promotion came
his way. With this came a posting and
the relationship with Waddington was
temporarily broken. He was off to Cosford
and to instructor duties! How we laughed
at this, the recruits did not stand a chance.
Promotion and posting meant new
challenges for our diminutive JNCO, as
usual his attention to detail and sheer
professionalism shone through and
having kept his nose clean, it did not take
long for another promotion and with it
another posting. Off to Benson he went
and the land of the Merlin. He completed
2 tours of Iraq, but his true calling was
PHOTOS
the land of the Ground Engineer (GE)
and back to Waddington.
The news of Roge being selected for
GE was greeted with smiles and we knew
that our lives would never be the same.
Roger, with his usual vigour, took on the
training and maintained an exceptional
standard. He was never one to take a
because that is always the way we do it
attitude. He was always asking questions
and generally making our lives hell. We
had a lot of laughs and there was never
a dull moment when Roge was around.
With the training complete, now came the
good part of the GE job - deployments.

14

We had a
lot of laughs and
there was never a
dull moment when
Roge was around.
With the training
complete, now
came the good
part of the GE job
- deployments...
Roge was lucky enough to do his first
deployment to McGuire AFB. This was a
hard enough task, but to have to take FS
Webb as well, well lets say his prior training
stood him in good stead. If he could survive
this unscathed he was home and dry.
Roges check ride was Cold Lake and
as usual he planned, briefed, organised
and cleaned his way to an exceptional
check ride. There was nothing a cup of
tea, (water boiled twice, naturally), and a
tab could not sort out for our diminutive
GE. He was now a grown up, (in name
only), and we knew our quiet, peaceful
life had ended.
With the large tick in the box he was
now fully operational, and so to Trapani
and Prevesia he went to save Queen and
Country. Unfortunately, Prevesia was to
be his last deployment. The photos of the
trip showed he was to go out with smiles
and good times, as well as having done
his job in the professional manner. The
same way he had carried out his entire
RAF career.
Roge was small in height, but large in
character and warmth.
He was a colleague who made us
laugh, and finally his passing made us
cry. The attendance at his funeral was
a testament to the man, the legend.
The wake was the perfect celebration of
Rogers life, friends old and new looking
at photos of Roge and reminiscing,
laughing and telling stories of the many
jolly japes we all shared with him.
Our thoughts are with his wife Sharon,
his son Tom, and his parents. We hope
that with time the pain will ease.
Rogers life may have seemed short to
us all, but he filled his life with as many
experiences as he could and WE are the
better for knowing him. We will miss you
Roge, make sure you keep the place tidy
for us. n

Issue one 10

AdvertoriAL //
Support for families

If youve just moved

to Lincolnshire, the
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Service, (FIS)
provides free help
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T
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hey
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Also for families, there are 36
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1635. visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/fsd or
www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/childrenscentres n

IN1

Issue one 10

15

InsightMAGAZINE

regular //
8 squadron

8 Squadron
No 8 Sqn was to celebrate its
95th anniversary in early 2010,
so it was fitting that the squadron
was back on current operations,
providing Air Battle Management
and Air Traffic Control coverage
over Afghanistan.

PHOTOS
Below
8 Sqn sunset
Inset
England Hut

InsightMAGAZINE

s mentioned in a previous
article, the squadron had
been getting ready since early
September to participate in
Operation AFGHAN ASSIST. As late
November came, the author of this article
passed OC 8 Sqn in the corridor and was
told put your war paint on, looks like
were finally going! Relief for many that
we finally knew our fate; however the
realisation soon kicked in that we would
be out there for Christmas.
Leaving a wet and windy Waddington
(thanks to all the Sqn personnel who
stood outside and waved); we met an

even wetter and windier Akrotiri, which

was to be our night stopover. Luckily, the
Officers Mess at Akrotiri was holding the
Christmas exchange drinks and the party
was in full swing as we arrived. Dont
worry Boss, it was cokes all round!
The following day we arrived and
we soon commenced operations. The
missions were long, but each one got a
little easier and slicker with increased
experience; and if the truth be told, we
were really loving it. Christmas came and
went and by this stage we had established
a routine (despite slightly less creature
comforts than promised!), mainly due
to the tremendous efforts by the support
staff. Christmas is never a good time
to be apart from families, but the good
weather helped, especially when we heard
how cold and snowy it was in Blighty. The
Mobile Catering Unit produced fantastic
food under limited conditions and, in
very short order the Entertainments team
was soon established. Santas, Christmas
trees and decorations seemed to sprout
from everywhere.
Being in the military, we need rules
to follow lots of them. So it was lucky
we had the detachment SWO with us,
WO Smith, to make some more up. No
wearing flip flops in the mess hall (incase we drop a plastic fork?), No running
at night in the bondu, the list went on. As
it was Chappers badly sprained his ankle
(from running in the bondu...) so perhaps

16

he was right after all!

A great deal of Station help was needed
to get us out on operations and continued
through the festive period. We were also
thankful to have with us our Ops staff
from Waddington, Flt Lt Glyn laugh a
minute Ward and Cpl John Norman who
made the Ops side of things run smoothly.
Well done to all those who took part in the
COs Cup, achieving an overall 4th out of
13, with the Sqn engineers (the competition
commencing before the amalgamation)
beating us by one point.
Sadly it was a time to say a few goodbyes.
Sqn Ldr Danny Endruweit, who had been
an enormous help during the amalgamation
with 23 Sqn and the deployment build up,
was posted. So was Sqn Ldr Aide Pickup
and Sqn Ldr Brendan Carson who was
leaving the Air Force after his final, final
last flight. We all look forward to a beer
with him when we return.
Overall, the Sqn is extremely glad to
be back on Operations, but will be pleased
to see Blighty again perhaps once the
weather has improved! n

Luckily, the
Officers Mess at
Akrotiri was holding
the Christmas
exchange drinks
and the party was
in full swing as
we arrived...

Issue one 10

Issue one 10

17

InsightMAGAZINE

Community matters //
work experience

Work
Experience
RAF Waddington

Work experience is a key element in

the education of young people and by law all
students are expected to undertake at least
two weeks work experience during their last
two years of secondary education.

ith the prominence of

the Royal Air Force
within Lincolnshire, it is
not surprising that RAF
Waddington receives a huge amount of
enquiries about potential placements. I
am pleased to say, over the last couple of
years, we have accommodated many of
these across the Station. In addition to
applications from many young people in
local Lincoln schools, RAF Waddington
has also attracted many applications
from both the wider community and,
on occasions, even from applicants
nationally. Roughly speaking, in the past
two years, RAF Waddington has received
200 applications per annum and has found
the capacity to host 75% of applicants at
their preferred time and at their preferred
place of work. No mean feat!
Although RAF Waddington continues
to become an increasingly busier station
and many of the areas of work on station
are no longer able to host students due
to operational, manpower or Health
and Safety limitations, as a station we
still continue to do more than our fair
share. For the RAF this is good for
PR and potential recruitment; for the
schools this is good as they are required
to find placements for their students;
and for the students themselves this is

InsightMAGAZINE

good; particularly for those with real

ambitions of joining the RAF or one of
the other Armed Services. For many
of the personnel of RAF Waddington,
however; this is just one of the many
extra tasks that come their way. Hosting
a student can be as challenging as it can be
rewarding; looking after the individual,
keeping them occupied or entertained
can be more difficult than just doing the
job, particularly as the job still has to be
done!
I have now handed over the reigns to
Mrs Michelle Savage, Personal Learning
Advisor (PLA) who resides in the Learning
Centre on station. Any future enquiries
for information on work experience or
to arrange placements should be directed
to Mrs Michelle Savage on telephone
number 01522 727597 or by email on
michelle.savage768@mod.uk. I would
like to thank all those people who have
helped me find places for students, or
who has graciously welcomed me and the
numerous school representatives to their
places of work. Particular thanks to the
gymnasium who have been incredibly
popular and always accommodating,
and Flight Sergeant Wheatstone who has
helped enormously with administration. n
By John Ferguson Community
Development Officer

18

Childrens

Christmas
Party
On Monday 14th December
2009, an organising committee
comprising a number of volunteers
from a cross section of Station
personnel organised the Childrens
Christmas Party.

he party itself was held in the

Integrated Welfare Facility,
which was duly decorated by
the committee during the day
in preparation for the arrival of Father
Christmas later that evening.
Nearly 60 children attended, and
theywere treated to a fantastic evening
of fun and entertainment, which was
provided by Magical Parties of Lincoln.
Entertainment included a disco, puppet
show and party games to conclude
the fun.
However, the main focus was the
arrival of Father Christmas and his
Elf helper who arrived by Fire Engine
to present each child with their Christmas
gift. Thanks go to both the Officers and
Sergeants Messes for their kind donation
towards the party costs and the Service
Institute Fund who also contributed.
Moreover, the Junior Ranks mess for
preparing the food and finally the whole
committee whose efforts ensured the
children were treated to a wonderful
Christmas party. n

Issue one 10

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CLUTCHES

Issue one 10

BRAKES

19

InsightMAGAZINE

The Light Blue Dive

Feature //
RAF Sub-Aqua

Into
The
Deep
Blue

InsightMAGAZINE

20

Issue one 10

In early October,
servicemen from
RAF Sub-Aqua Clubs
across the country
embarked on a weeklong expedition to
complete some
extraordinary dives
on ship and aircraft
wrecks in the
Maltese archipelago.

PHOTOS
main image
Jellyfish at Azure
Window, Gozo
top right
Swimming
with Tuna
far right
Remains of
the Bristol
Beaufighter that
ditched on 17
March 1943
right
Painted Comber
Photographer
Air Cdre
Paul Colley
Issue one 10

hey also took a rare opportunity

to dive with giant Bluefin Tuna.
This was the culmination of
meticulous planning by Group
Captain Rich Powell (expedition leader)
and his team. Based in the North-West of
Malta and supported by a local dive centre
for logistic and technical requirements,
one British Army and 12 RAF divers began
an intensive series of challenging dives. In
addition to the many ship and aircraft
wrecks from the World Wars, the Maltese
Government has scuttled several ships as
part of an artificial reef programme. The
islands also offer some spectacular scenic
dives with prolific marine life. Many sites
are accessible from the land, which shelves
away rapidly to provide moderately deep
diving close to the shore.
Our early dives were modest in scope
to shake down everybodys equipment in
a relatively safe environment and to get
everybody familiar again with their diving
procedures. The team then rapidly began
to build up the intensity and difficulty
of diving, to develop knowledge, skills,
proficiency and confidence. With little
previous collective experience of the
islands, the divers were soon experiencing
a wide range of challenging conditions at
unfamiliar locations.
Divers always swim together as buddy
pairs for mutual support, but they are not
elegant creatures at the surface, where
their bulky kit makes movement awkward.
Once underwater, however, your world
becomes silent, you become weightless and
amazing scenes open up in front of you.
The sensation can be like flying at low
speed in a cool, weightless environment.
Just under the waters surface, sunlight
creates wonderful patterns on the rocks and
reefs, but as you sink deeper, the light and
colour begins to fade, so divers invariably
carry torches to pick out the true colours
of the underwater world. Fish frequently
come to look at the aliens invading their
world and one of the most common that
we saw in Malta was the Painted Comber.

Its otherwise drab body is punctuated with

an orange face that is criss-crossed with
vivid electric blue markings.
The expedition also saw many
stunning yellow jellyfish throughout
the week. Fortunately, they were nonstinging, but the divers code in any case
is to look at and not to touch marine life.
We always complete debriefs after a dive
to reinforce those elements of the dive
that went well and to learn from what
did not. Typical areas to discuss will
be navigation skills, depth control, air
supply monitoring and communication
(which has to be by sign language).
Of 20 very varied dives that the author
completed, 3 stand out as representative
of the expedition. The first was to find the
wreck of the Tribal Class British destroyer
HMS Maori. She was in Malta during
WWII for convoy escort duties, but an
enemy aircraft sunk her in Valletta Harbour.
At a depth of only 15 metres, this dive would
be relatively simple during the day, but we
wanted to try it at night, when a diver can
only see as far as his torch beam will reach.
Unfortunately, even relatively clear water
has solid particles suspended in it and at
night light is reflected back. It can be like
swimming in a snowstorm, so the diver has
to navigate accurately with a compass.
Unfortunately, the authors first
attempt failed and, even after a search

21

...the most
common that
we saw in Malta
was the Painted
Comber. Its
otherwise drab
body is punctuated
with an orange face
that is criss-crossed
with vivid electric
blue markings.
pattern, we had to surface and retake a new
bearing. But we found the ship wreck on
the second go. It is difficult to appreciate
the full impact of a sunken British warship
at night, therefore divers tend to focus
on small things such as the marine life
and in this case we found a Moray eel.
Morays look fearsome, but are quite
placid creatures. However, some divers
(the author included) have accidentally got
close enough to suffer a sharp bite for their
error. Ship wrecks are living museums,
Continues . . .

InsightMAGAZINE

. . . because without high concentrations

of oxygen, the sea water preserves rather
than corrodes them. It is not unusual to
find things as diverse as ammunition cases,
wellington boots, rifles and even bath tubs;
in short, anything that was on the ship when
it sank.
Four days later we had a most
memorable dive onto the sunken wreck
of a Bristol Beaufighter, which had
ditched in the sea on 17 March 1943.
Pilot Sergeant Frazee and his observer
Sergeant Sandery both survived with
only minor injuries. But within minutes,
their aircraft had slipped beneath the
waves, rolled onto her back and sunk to
the sea bed, where she still lies today at
a depth of 38 metres. We jumped from
our boat and began the steady descent
down to where we believed the wreck
to be. Surely enough, the dark outline
of the aircraft slowly emerged from
the gloom. She remains amazingly
intact considering the impact of the
crash. The fuselage, wings, engines and
extended undercarriage are still visible.
There is even a wheel rim and tyre on
the starboard main undercarriage and
you can clearly see the cylinders of the
piston engines. A propeller blade is very
obviously bent back from the force of
the crash.
Seeing something so clearly more
than 5 decades after the event was like
diving backwards in time. Such deep
dives are carefully monitored, and this
was deep enough to need decompression
stops during our ascent to get rid of
the large amount of nitrogen that had
built up in our bodies during the dive.
However, when finally surfacing from
this amazing dive, I smiled for hours.
Whether aircrew or tradesman, each
diver no doubt felt the direct connection
with their Service and with its history. It
is a dive that we will all remember.
The final dive to highlight was very
unusual and beyond our considerable
collective experience. It was a dive inside
a Tuna pen. The author had longed to do
this, but had mixed reservations about it,
because the fish concerned (the Bluefin
Tuna), is under threat of extinction. And
part of the problem is the overfishing that
is taking place in the Mediterranean.
However, because Tuna are nearly
impossible to photograph in the wild,
this was not an opportunity to miss. The
Tuna pens are big circular nets, about
80 metres in diameter and 35 metres in
depth. They contain about 1000 Tuna
each and some of the fish weight up to
450 kg. The Tuna swim in a massive
circular school at about six knots and
this creates a vortex of water that pulls
the divers down towards the bottom
InsightMAGAZINE

PHOTOS
above
Expedition
members from
RAF Sub Aqua
Clubs across
the UK
far left
Safety rig
left
Swimming
with tuna
Photographer
Air Cdre
Paul Colley

of the pen. It is like diving in a big but

very slow washing machine and it is a
remarkably strange experience.
As a result, some of us became
disorientated at times and this was
very common while working with the
camera, during which many normal
visual references are lost. And it was like
standing in the middle of a motorway
while juggernauts thundered past on each
side. But to see these gentle giants swim
so close by and to have the opportunity
to take pictures of them was a truly
fantastic experience.
So that is a flavour of the expedition.
Diving is a tremendous sport that allows
adventurous training at many levels. The
beginner quickly learns to overcome
their natural fear of breathing air under
the water and can progressively extend
his or her experience. By its nature it is
a team sport that places an extremely

22

high premium on the trust that you must

place in your dive buddy (and others)
to take responsibility for your safety.
That is why all dives on this expedition
included training and progressive
extension of experience. I take my hat off
to those more junior in rank to me but
much higher in diving proficiency and
experience, who all helped me to develop
my own skills. Once you have qualified
to dive, you can enter an environment
that only a tiny fraction of the Worlds
population has seen with its own eyes. It
is a fantastic experience that I have never
got tired of. If you would like to try it,
get in touch with Waddingtons Sub-Aqua
Club through the PEd Flt or contacting
MAcr Mark Hammond, 5(AC) Sqn, Ext
8469. n
By Air Commodore Paul Colley,
President of the RAF Sub Aqua
Association

Issue one 10

Issue one 10

23

InsightMAGAZINE

Sport//
boxing championship

The Lord Wakefields

Novice Boxing
Championship
The following article takes
the personal perspective of
an entrant in the Wakefields
Novice Boxing Championship.
From the mental and physical
preparation to the actual boxing
match itself.
PHOTOS
left
Wakefield Boxing
Tim holding his
winners belt and
trophy

InsightMAGAZINE

aving seen an advertisement

in RAF Waddingtons Gym,
I started boxing training last
January. After a few months of
coaching and fitness training, the coaches
suggested I should consider entering
the Wakefields. So I decided to put my
training into practice.
At 0630 on 29 Aug 09, I met my coaches
outside the club and we set off for the weighin at Cranwell. I was 78.7 kgs, comfortably
under my 81 kg limit for light heavyweight.
This was my first opportunity to size up the
opposition around me: how tall was the
biggest guy, who was looking the fittest and
who had the longest reach?

After breakfast, my coaches left me to

chill out in the Sergeants Mess and to try to
get my head down. It was good to get away
from the Gym, and have time to myself to
rest and mentally visualize the forthcoming
bout. However, although I tried to sleep,
whenever I was about to drift off Id come
round again as I couldnt relax enough to
fully get rid of the nerves. Instead, I used
this time to run through aspects of the
match in my head and to physically relax as
much as possible.
I could only manage a small lunch as
the butterflies kicked in a bit, but listening
to random banter between coaches helped
ease the nerves. After arriving at the Gym
I dumped my kit and started in earnest to
mentally tune-in. This involved grabbing
a brew and going for a stroll with my
coach, around the sports pitches. It may
sound unusual, but it meant I felt relaxed
away from the ring and could easily take
on board his words of wisdom. We both
knew that my biggest challenge would be
trying to remain relaxed. Training in the
Gym, in terms of fitness and technique
was straightforward, but in a ring with
the adrenaline flowing, both the body and
mind could do something entirely different:
either fight or flight could kick in.
It was at this point that I realised how
important the psychological side to boxing
is, and what a vital role the coach plays.
Relaxing in the ring is essential to throwing
effective punches, whilst also being
aggressive to hit hard and take the inevitable
punches that get through. Getting changed

24

back at the Gym, seemed to go by in a bit

of a blur as that feeling of sweaty-palmed
detachment took over. I warmed up on the
pads going over simple stuff now was not
the time to be trying new things! Getting
into the ring was a mix of emotions - fear,
excitement, apprehension, still with that
feeling of slight detachment. Then after a
few words from my coach and a quick check
over from the ref it was time to box
Suddenly things came into focus, as we
tentatively jabbed and tried to work each
other out. As I relaxed I felt I was able to
throw punches more easily. The opponent
was a bit stockier than me and had some
power in his punches. Being a southpaw
against a right handed opponent, I knew
I had to avoid his big straight right, while
throwing straight lefts and strong jabs of
my own. The first and second round flew
by, and I still felt fresh having caught him
with some good shots. Between rounds,
I had to make a conscious effort to listen
to my coach and take onboard some of
the advice he was giving me. I got up
off my stool for the third, and I thought
wow this is great as I got a sudden surge
of adrenaline. He came out strong, but I
kept a tight guard and managed to catch
him in return. Then as quickly as it had
begun it was all over. I knew from my
coachs smile I had won. When the referee
raised my arm Id won 9 points to 4. After
commiserations and congratulations it was
the end of a tiring day. Time to get some
sleep and start to focus on the next one!
The next bout was very guarded as we
were both awkward boxers. I held back
too much sometimes, as I was too busy
thinking about avoiding a hook. If the
previous bout was mainly physical, then
this was mental. At the final bell I felt more
tired than the day before. When I found
out I had won, the relief was obvious. I
was over the moon and we hoped that the
final wouldnt be as awkward as this fight.
Id won 5:0 - Id kept a tight guard!
The finals were to be held in the evening
from 19:30 onwards, in front of a big crowd
of VIPs, cadets, finalists friends and family
and other spectators. The ring was to be lit
and pipers were going to pipe in the boxers
for each bout. It was going to be a fantastic
atmosphere. The fact that it was the final,
and that supporters were coming over from
Waddington meant that the pressure was
on. I watched a video of my opponent from
RAF Cosford, as he boxed the day - before
he looked sharp. A counter puncher, who
moved a lot and threw lots of straight rights,
meant Id have a big challenge in the final.
The pipers piped us out and it was now
time to get serious. The first round was
close, and after the bell went I thought
he may have had the edge - I was going to
find it tough. Pushing the self-doubt aside

Issue one 10

news//
secretary of state visit

Being a southpaw
against a right handed
opponent, I knew I had to
avoid his big straight right,
while throwing straight lefts
and strong jabs of my own.
I could hear the cheers of support from
the crowd and thought to myself, that I
only had four more minutes of boxing to
win the bout. Again, my coach gave me
some simple instructions knowing that the
adrenaline would make it hard to take too
much in. In the second round I was more
pro-active, cutting the ring off and trapping
him against the ropes. A couple of straight
lefts got through, but it was anyones fight.
We were both tiring by the time the bell
signaled the end of the round. Two more
minutes of all out effort could win it. Even
after miles of running and hours of circuits,
nothing is quite as exhausting as boxing in
a final, in front of a big crowd with the
adrenaline pumping when the fight can go
either way. It degenerated into a bit of a
messy fight as he was trapped against the
ropes, but I knew he was blown, and I was
determined to keep throwing punches no
matter how tired I felt. Finally, the bell
went; we both knew we had been in a
tough fight. We congratulated each other
knowing we had both given our all. I was
shattered, but happy that I had fought in
such a tough final in front of the crowd. I
thought have I won? It wasnt until the
referee once more raised my arm that it hit
home. For me, the final end to an already
fantastic evening was being awarded the
most promising boxer trophy.
The RAF Boxing Association, Lord
Wakefields Novice Boxing Championship
was a fantastic experience and I would
recommend it to anyone who has either
boxed but never been in the ring, or to
those thinking about giving boxing a try.
Boxing is a great sport for fitness, self
awareness and confidence regardless of
whether you compete or not. The sense of
camaraderie between boxers is second to
no other sport; once you have been in the
ring you can empathise with all those who
have done the same. Credit should be given
to all the organisers, coaches, officials and
boxers who make this competition and
RAF boxing such a success.
Id like to thank JD, George,
Pete, Trev, Rocky, and all
those at RAF Waddington
boxing
club.
n
By Sgt Tim Elliott

Issue one 10

Secretary Of
State For Defence
Visit To RAF Waddington

On the 20th of November 2009 the

Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon Mr
Bob Ainsworth MP, visited RAF Waddington.

he aim of the visit was to

enable the Defence Secretary
to gain a brief insight into
the capabilities provided by
some of the ISTAR force elements based
at RAF Waddington. In addition, the
visit allowed Mr Ainsworth to meet
personnel who were preparing to deploy
on operations and to meet some of
those who have recently returned from
conducting operations in Afghanistan,
in support of Op HERRICK.
After initially meeting the Station
Commander and signing the visitors
book, within Station Headquarters,
the Defence Secretary then moved
on to Sentry dispersal where he met
aircrew and ground crew from No. 8
Sqn whilst conducting an aircraft visit
aboard an E-3D Sentry. The crew
demonstrated the capabilities of the
Sentry and explained to the minister
how the Sentry would contribute to
operations in Afghanistan through
providing a recognised air picture
and command and control functions.
Afterwards the Defence Secretary
moved on to No. 5(AC) Sqn where
he was able to review the Sentinel
R1 aircraft and associated ground
stations, which make up the Airborne
Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) system. Sqn
personnel outlined how their unique
capability is used in Afghanistan to
provide UK land and coalition forces
with detailed radar imagery and a
picture of ground movement within

25

their operating area.

The Station Commander, Group
Captain Richard Powell said:
I was delighted that R AF
Waddington had the opportunity to
host and brief the Secretary of State on
elements of the Stations Intelligence,
Surveillance,
Target
Acquisition
and
Reconnaissance(ISTAR)
capabilities. The Secretary of State
visited two Squadrons and was able
to meet personnel who have recently
deployed to Afghanistan to provide
highly sought after and highly
valued intelligence and surveillance
capabilities in direct support to UK
and Coalition ground forces. He very
much appreciated the continued hard
work of Waddington personnel, who
with support from their families and
local community, will continue in
their endeavours. n

InsightMAGAZINE

Community matters //
padres patter

e
r
d
a
P
r
e
t
t
a
Pont Worry
D

I am sitting writing this in the first few days

of 2010 and the television and papers have
been full of predictions for the next twelve
months. On my desk beside me is a new diary.
This diary is both, the most exciting and the
scariest thing that I have on my desk.

t is exciting because of all the

possibilities that 2010 may hold.
Soon I will move to a new job
after over three and a half years
at Waddington, there will be new
challenges and opportunities. Quite
literally anything could happen in the
next twelve months. Yet this diary
also scares me. As I turn the blank
pages I realise that so much of what
lies before me is unwritten and beyond
my control.
In the book The Lord of the Rings by
JRR Tolkien the character Frodo recites
this poem:
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
Tolkien sums up both the excitement and
fear of facing the unknown. Sitting holding
this new and empty diary in my hands I feel
both excitement and worry for 2010. Worry
is a natural response to the unknown.

InsightMAGAZINE

The Dutch lady Corrie Ten Boom, who

always described herself as the worrier
of the family, and in her life faced the
horrors of internment in a concentration
camp, said this about worrying:
Worry does not empty tomorrow
of its sorrow, it empties today of
its strength.
So perhaps worry is the most dangerous
thing I will face this year. Jesus had this to
say about worrying:
Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or
drink; all about your body, what you
will wear. Is it not life more important
than food, and the body more important
than clothes? Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sew or reap all store away in
barns, and yet your heavenly Father feed
them. Are you not much more valuable
than they? Who of you by worrying can
add a single hour to his life?... But seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you
as well. Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself...
The story is told of the man who had
just crashed his car, been divorced from
his wife, was estranged from his children,

26

received a letter to repossess his house,

and waiting to have a tooth removed
by the dentist. He is visited by a friend,
and the friend finds the man happy and
contented. Why are you so happy?
Said the friend. I have just employed
a professional worrier. Said the man.
That must cost a lot of money Said the
friend. 50,000. Said the man. Thats
a lot of money, arent you worried that you
wont be able to pay him? Said the friend.
No, thats what Im paying the
worrier for.
As silly as it might sound, in Jesus you
and I have a professional worrier. As the
Bible says:
Cast all your worry on him because
he cares for you.
I feel a lot better holding on to
this a diary and looking forward to
2010 knowing that I can legitimately
pass over all my worries to someone else
who is big enough to deal with them. n
By Padre Ian Ward

Tolkien sums up both the
excitement and fear of facing
the unknown. Sitting holding
this new and empty diary in my
hands I feel both excitement and
worry for 2010. Worry is a natural
response to the unknown.
Issue one 10

Let your smile do the talking

As a smile says so much about a person, a major part of our job
at Lincoln Orthodontics has always been to give our patients the
confidence they need to make that vital first impression.
bringing out your smile, naturally

TREATMENTS
AVAILABLE
Children - metal or white braces
NHS or private fast track
colourful or tooth coloured
children can receive treatment without
wearing a noticeable brace

Adults
completely clear removable tooth aligners:
invisalign
invisible braces fitted to the inner surface
of the teeth - allows your smile to be
improved without the brace being visible
white braces with white wires that blend in
with your teeth

A smooth smile can be yours within 6 months!

Call between 8.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 5.30pm for advice or to book an assessment.
To gain a beautiful smile is more affordable than you think - talk to us about finance options
(including 0% finance)

If you are interested in any of the treatments available please contact us

One of our friendly reception team will be happy to make your initial appointment.

Telephone: 01522 533363

lincolnorthodontics@hotmail.co.uk www.lincolnorthodontics.co.uk

Lincoln Orthodontics is committed to providing its patients the best possible care and customer service. All that we ask is that you attend for your appointments on time with us.

Start the New Year with a Smile

Its no surprise that people make judgements based on first impressions.
Having a pleasant smile is associated with success, beauty and health.
People also, subconsciously, associate a lovely smile with a lovely
personality.
New research conducted by Oral-B has found that it is a persons smile
and teeth that can prompt these initial views about a persons lifestyle and
character.
Dr Phil Stemmer, dental ambassador for Oral-B, who carried out the
research, said: Teeth are one of the first things noticed about a person.
The Oral-B smile report (November 2009) reveals that:
Unsightly teeth can age you by 13 years
82% think you earn more if you have healthy looking teeth
Men rank a gorgeous smile higher than a great figure
40% of men think women with unhealthy teeth must be single.
Orthodontics is the term used to create a beautiful smile by altering the
arrangement of your natural teeth, from their original crooked or spaced
position in which they grew, into an ideal one.
Modern technology allows us to make over peoples smiles to find a new,
improved you. It doesnt involve drilling off the surface of your teeth. Crowns
and veneers are not used. New technology has allowed us to gently guide
your teeth into an improved position. This allows ANYONE, at any age, to
have a great smile.
As a smile says so much about a person, a major part of our job at Lincoln
Orthodontics has always been to give our patients the confidence they need
to make that vital first impression. Because everyone is different, we plan
the whole treatment around the individual. The result is a bespoke treatment
which is unique to every patient.

Issue one 10

Advances in technology enable us to

use aligners or braces which fit behind
your teeth, blend in with your teeth, or
fit invisibly over your teeth. Treatment is
now much more accessible and less
disruptive on your lifestyle. Imagine
how happy you would feel if your smile
was being improved without anyone
actually knowing you were having
orthodontic treatment!
Lincoln Orthodontics is a purpose built, modern centre for orthodontic
treatment. Whether its a small improvement you require, or a complete smile
makeover, we can give you the confidence to smile with pride.
Because there are no age limits to treatment, we have an enormous variety
of people approaching us. Whether youre a school child being bullied at
school, an adult wanting to look your best for your wedding or a job interview,
or youre 70 years old and havent smiled in photos for the last 40 years,
we can help. Regardless of age, if youre unhappy with your smile we can
change it at Lincoln Orthodontics.
Assessments for suitability are free. Alternatively, visit us at Deacon
Road, Lincoln, and have an unofficial chat with Lisa, our Treatment Coordinator, who will be happy to answer your questions before you commit.
You have nothing to lose and only a great smile to gain. Let 2010 be the
year when you achieve your own great smile!
Visit us at our website: www.lincolnorthodontics.co.uk or
telephone us on 01522 533363 and quote confident smile, for a
special introductory discount!

27

InsightMAGAZINE

news//
community matters

Community
Matters
The last few months have been a
busy time in community terms
on Station. As many of you will
be aware it has long since been
an aspiration to refurbish the four
play areas across our Station, all
of which used to be in generally
poor condition.

ver the 12 months we have

moved forward significantly
with the refurbishment of
both Edinburgh Square
and Wellington Square play areas and
with the financial support of Modern
Housing Solutions, the introduction of
a small Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA)
to the Wellington Square area as well.
For the uninitiated a MUGA is a hard
surface playing area enabling youngsters
to play a variety of sports and as 2010
progresses, we should see another slightly
larger MUGA introduced to the Canberra
Square area as well.
The aspiration is that the Station will
be able to progress its plans regarding the
development and refurbishment of the
Canberra Square play area, early in 2010.
More information about this will follow.

By John
Ferguson
Community
Development
Officer

InsightMAGAZINE

Waddington Community
Committee
The Waddington Community Committee
(WCC) has put on numerous successful
events such as Wine and Cheese,
family quiz nights and the New Years
Eve families Jacobs Join event. The
committee are ready to embark on this
years events programme including an
Easter Extravaganza party, Fashion Shows
and another fun packed Families after Air
Show Party. The (WCC) are keen for as
many members of the community to get
involved, participate and help out with
organising and staffing future events. If
you would like to give up some of your
time to the benefit of both yourself and

other members of the RAF Waddington

community, please get in touch with the
WCC through Karen or Andrea in the
HIVE office.
Support For Deployed Families
The Community Support Team at RAF
Waddington is continually looking at
ways to support the families of Service
personnel deployed around the world.
During 2009 several events were held.
2010 will see more of the same with at
least three pre-deployment briefings
planned in January, 17 May and 20
September. In addition to this, the very
successful Calmspace workshop held
in October 2009, aimed at identifying,
alleviating and coping with stress will
also operate on each Monday following
the briefings. Hopefully this will prove
to be as beneficial to families as the first.
With numbers limited however, names
need to be registered early, particularly
for those families wanting to access the
free childcare provided for these sessions.
The sessions are open to anyone currently
affected by deployment or those likely to
face a deployment in the near future.
Funding For Activities Aimed At
Supporting Deployed Families
The RAF Waddington Community
Support Team as always will continue
to look at activities, visits, or events that
will help support families during their
loved ones deployments, but funding is
limited. Arranging activities for families
affected by operational deployments is
no easy task at RAF Waddington. Unlike
many other stations, our personnel do not
tend to deploy as formed units and it can
be difficult to contact families who might
like to participate in planned activities.
A significant number of Waddington
families live out in the local community
and because of limitations regarding the
Data Protection Act of 1998; we cannot
inform people (without permission) of any
activities we may be planning. There are
limitations on what the money can be spent

28

on but any ideas or suggestions that you

might have, would be gratefully received.
One of the most popular initiatives
introduced during 2009, as part of our
support to deployed families, was the
purchase and issue to over 80 families of
UK leisure attraction tickets. These tickets
aimed at improving the morale of families
during deployments, or on the return home
by the Service person proved very popular.
It is hoped that this initiative will continue
to run well into 2010, (funding permitted).
Tickets are only available for issue during
deployments or for up to 6 weeks after the
serving person returns home.
For more information, all you need to
do is contact the HIVE on 01522 727675
or email on Waddington@hivegb.co.uk A
trip to Alton Towers, or maybe the Odeon
in Lincoln would be your choice. If you
have a young family, maybe The Deep in
Hull or Sundown Adventure Land would
be more appropriate. Regardless of where
you or your partner are deploying its got
to be worth asking for more information.
If you have any comments, ideas or issues
from a community point of view, please get
in touch with either myself on 01522 722614
or by email on john.ferguson733@mod.
uk or alternatively Warrant Officer John
Siddens (SCSO) on 01522 722913 or email
on WAD-BSW-PMS-SESO@mod.uk. n

Issue one 10

Deployment Support
To Families
Throughout the year, many RAF Waddington Service
Personnel (SP) are deployed on operations. This article
covers some of the arrangements that are put in place to
support the families left behind.

his is an area that is continually

developed and we are keen to
receive feedback from both our
Service personnel and their
families. Prior to deployment all SP are
briefed on what services are available for
the families left behind (spouses, partners
and parents) including the following:
Point of Contact (POC) Scheme
Prior to deployment the SP can elect to
use a colleague or friend to act as the POC
for their family. Terms of Reference are
provided for the POC and the family and SP
can decide the amount of support; this could
be contacting the family weekly, fortnightly
or monthly. The main idea is that nobody
can guarantee what could happen during
the time of deployment and at least this
POC will be able to get information from
the family if needed.
Families Deployment Brief
These briefs have been developed over the last
12 months and take place in the Integrated
Welfare Facility (IWF). The brief lasts
for 90 minutes and gives information on
deployments including the SPs preparation,
departure, detachment conditions and their
return. The emotional feelings that both
the SP and family feel are also discussed
and deployment support and activities are
highlighted. The whole briefing is to raise the
awareness of our families, and to ensure that
they are aware of what can be done for them
before, during and after the SPs deployment.
Calmspace Workshop
This is again a new idea that has been

Issue one 10

developed and funded using an external

training provider. The 90 minute workshop
has been designed to help spouses and
partners of deployed personnel to learn
about the importance of developing and
maintaining emotional health and well
being. They learn how to think and act
more positively, handle the pressures and
demands either at home or in the workplace,
recognise and release physical tension and
recognise and support other people who
are experiencing stress.
Deployment Support
There are many people and organisations
who can offer help, advice and support
during a deployment. The following are
some of these:
Personnel Management Squadron
(PMS) They provide Welfare and
Community Support to the whole of RAF
Waddington.
Chaplaincy Team - They can offer a
completely confidential listening ear, a
quiet chat can often held resolve issues
before they become real difficulties.
Community Development Officer (CDO)
- Focal point for community initiatives
and is available to discuss all Community
Support matters.
Service Community Support Officer
(SCSO) - Offers support to residents
of Service Families Accommodation
(SFA) with Defence Estates/Modern
Housing Solutions issues. Involved in
Deployment and Community Support
issues and focal point of both the Service
Pre-Deployment Briefs and Families
Deployment Briefs. The main point of

29

PHOTOS
above
RAF
Waddingtons
Integrated Welfare
Facility (IWF)

If anybody has
any queries
regarding anything
mentioned, please
do not hesitate to
contact any of the
following points of
contact:
SCSO
(WO John Siddens)
01522 722913
CDO
(Mr John Ferguson)
01522 722614
HIVE
Information
Officers
(Mrs Andrea
Cropper and Mrs
Karen Pearce)
01522 727675

contact on the unit for the RAFCOM

internet site (www.rafcom.co.uk).
SSAFA Forces Help - Provides a
confidential welfare service to the
RAF Community for single and
married personnel, families and civil
partnerships and for partners and
extended families. Issues such as
relationships, separation, bereavement,
financial, mental health issues, benefits,
childcare and parenting.
HIVE - Situated within the IWF, they
offer information on local facilities,
services and attractions. They have two
internet computers available for public
use and a JPA terminal as well as a fax
and e-bluey fax machine. They organise
clinics for the following:
Citizens Advice Bureau, Solicitors
Clinic Financial Advisor, Child
Support Agency
RAFCOM (www.rafcom.co.uk)
The RAF Community Support have both
an internet and intranet site. The internet
site has been developed to enable maximum
use by the SP wherever they are deployed
but also their spouse/partner, immediate
family and extended families. RAFCOM
is a provider of information on any Service
Community matters, this includes pay,
allowances, housing, schooling and has
a particularly useful Deployment Toolkit
with information that can be useful to all
members of our community. There are also
chat rooms and e-mail, but a very useful
facility on the RAFCOM website is the
Forum. Any unit can have a forum and it
is a useful way to get information to any
member of the Service Community, whether
they live in married quarters, the local
area or even parents living in the North of
Scotland. Each SP can have up to 3 logins. It
is simple to use and the forums can be used
to see what is being planned, deployment
reports on what is happening in theatre,
ask questions or give feedback on activities.
Anybody with questions or comments can
pass these to our SCSO, WO John Siddens
on 01522 722913 or alternatively e-mail on
john.siddens921@mod.uk.
Further Information
This has been a quick overview of
deployment support at RAF Waddington,
however; the aim of the Community
Support Team is to continually develop
this support to try and meet the needs
of our Service Community. After each
deployment our Service personnel and
their families will be given a questionnaire
to complete, to try and identify how
the process has worked and to identify
improvements. If you are given such a
questionnaire please take 10 minutes to
complete it, and provide your opinion on
the support given. n

InsightMAGAZINE

regular //
5 (ac) sqn

5(AC) Squadron
December was looking to be a grim time for the aircraft
on 5(AC) Squadron. There was some turmoil and several
hurdles to overcome before the Squadron could relax and go
on leave. The engineers worked round the clock to prepare
the aircraft ready for operations

T
PHOTOS
MAIN IMAGE
Its a knock out!
Three legged race.
below
Christmas dinner at
5(AC) Squadron.

InsightMAGAZINE

hen Mother Nature played

her hand in events, with the
inclement weather in the lead up
to Christmas. However, thanks
to some sterling work by Raytheon, the
Project Team, Station and Squadron
personnel everything was back on track
by the time the Station went on leave.
Having flown over some very large
thunderstorms, the aircraft landed safely
at its Forward Operating Base (FOB).
Another crew had already pre-positioned
in Theatre and were walking to the
aircraft for its first mission less than 6
hours later. In the few days remaining
before Christmas, the ASTOR system

was worked hard and in turn performed

well supporting operations in Theatre.
With all the commotion and work as the
aircraft taxied from the runway to the
dispersal, it became clear it was Christmas
Day. Just in front of the Sentinels parking
bay, Santa Claus was waiting with his
reindeers to greet the returning crew and
give them their presents. They must have
been very good as they apparently got just
what they wanted!
However, as Christmas morning
broke, there were no calls of Hes been,
Hes been! Instead, the crooning of the
inhabitants of the camp singing Christmas
Carols could be heard across the domestic
site. This was closely followed by a bit of
healthy competition based upon Its A
Knockout. Each section entered a team
to battle it out in the gruelling events to be
crowned champion. The events included
decorating a Christmas tree while fending
off volleyballs; a three-legged race carrying
water on your head and making snowballs
by bobbing for apples; then rolling them
in flour using only your teeth and nose! In
the end three points was all that separated
the top three teams, with 5(AC) Squadron

30

finishing a respectable third and the spoils

going to Operations Wing. After such a
busy morning and with a few hours to kill
until dinner, many took the opportunity
to top up their tans...as they say, when
in Rome!
Shortly after 5 oclock everyone
gathered in the Mess Ante Room for predinner drinks. With the tables decorated
and the crackers being pulled, dinner was
served. As is the norm, most people ate
turkey and Christmas pudding until they
felt uncomfortable enough to admit defeat!
Then it was off to the Drunken Duck bar to
be entertained by the Royal Navys version
of Cinderella. Any excuse for a sailor to
dress up in drag! Secret Santa gifts were
then exchanged among the 5 Squadron
faithful to round off the day. Just like that,
Christmas had come and gone.
After Boxing Day, it was back to business
as usual, with the Sentinel flying every day.
Whilst the flight crew slept in preparation
for an early morning sortie; the rest of the
FOB members welcomed in the New Year.
Fancy dress costumes ranging from doctors
to cowboys, pirates to cavemen and some
others too risqu to mention here!
As the Noughties end and a new
decade begins, ASTOR continues to
support Op HERRICK. As an end note,
a debt of gratitude must be paid to our
E-3D Sentry brethren, without whom the
Sentinel flight deck may have had to listen
to the HF radios themselves to update
weather reports. You have our thanks! n

Issue one 10

LagosAlgarve
Modern Apartment : Sleeps 4
Situated on the top floor of a three storey block the apartment has its own
residents swimming pool. It has the advantage of being away from the
bustle of the town centre but within walking distance (10 minutes to the
marina and another 5 to the town centre).
It has a twin bedroom, open plan kitchen and lounge. The kitchen has a 4ring hob, oven, microwave, toaster and washing machine. There is a family
sized bathroom. The lounge has a sofa (which converts into two more
single beds) and a table to seat four. A TV, DVD and CD player are also
available. Both the lounge and bedroom have patio doors which open onto
the balcony offering views over the swimming pool and across Lagos.
There is ample car parking space in front of the building.
PRICES
Nov - Mar 190.00
Apr, May, Oct 255.00
June & Sep 320.00
July & Aug 395.00

timpearcebuildingcontractors@yahoo.co.uk

Prices are per week. Special rates for longer

periods can be negotiated. Prices include
cleaning and linen change. Towels are changed
mid-week and beds at the end of the week. A
25% deposit is required at the time of booking
and balance is due 6 weeks prior to departure.

For more info or to book contact Judith: 01536 711884

email: judith.hall6@btinternet.com

www.lagosalgarve.co.uk

Dry Cleaning Curtain Cleaning Duvet Cleaning

IRONING SERVICE UNIFORMS A SPECIALITY

Repairs / Alterations Wedding Dress Cleaning

(ex forces 12 years experience)

Laundry Suede / Leather Cleaning

Evening and Wedding dress specialist
Discount for RAF Personnel Carpet Machine Hire
14 The Forum
North Hykeham, Lincoln
Tel: 01522 500 540

10 Newport
Lincoln
Tel: 01522 513 546

7B St Marys Street
(inside Cotton On)
City Centre, Lincoln

Considering Divorce or Separation?

JGQC Solicitors

The Divorce Specialists

Divorce Children Finances Collaborative Wills

Free Initial Consultation

01522 595441

www.jgqc.co.uk

The Chambers, 22 The Green, Nettleham, Lincoln LN2 2NR

Issue one 10

31

InsightMAGAZINE

news //
station charities

Station
Charities
The past month has seen an active
period for the Station Charities
Committee.
PHOTOS
main photo
School thanking
the RAFA for
their donation.

InsightMAGAZINE

he Stn received some 120 requests

for charitable donations, from
a wide range of worthy and
noteable causes in the local
community. The new Office In Command
(OIC) Charities, Sqn Ldr Goodswen chaired
a meeting which looked to distribute funds
from the money that was received from the
2009 Waddington Air Show.
With nearly 40,000 to disperse, the
Committee decided to support some 36
causes. Notable donations were made to
local concerns with Bracebridge Heath PreSchool benefiting from a 4500 donation to
assist with their plan to build an outdoor
climbing frame. Manor Lees School were
given 2000 to support their building of a
new tyre play area at the school.
A few causes closer to the RAF
Waddington community were considered

and 2000 was donated to the Integrated

Welfare Facility (IWF) to assist with
refurbishing costs. Moreover, 5000 was
set aside for the upgrading of the childrens
play areas within the married quarters.
Other causes that received donations
were Cranwell Primary School, Queens
Park School, Kesteven Children in Need,
Saxilby Football Club, Welton Pre School,
Young Enterprise, Skellingthorpe School,
Lincoln Kidney Association, SANDS of
Lincoln, Lincoln Trampolining Club,
Lincoln Mind, Westgate School, St
Cuthberts Church, Lincoln Community
Kitchen, Market Rasen Railway Society,
Lincoln Cardiac Association, Homestart,
Erminie School, St Barnabas Hospice,
Lincoln Special Olympics, Washingborough
Girl Guides, Nettleham Boys Brigade,
Lincoln Blind Society, Harmston Village
Hall, Lincoln MENCAP. Joy Foundation,
Lincoln Blind Vega Club, Branston Infant
School and 3D Youth Services.
It is envisaged that presentations will
take place over the coming months which
will provide the Stn community with a
further insight into how the Charities
Committee helps and supports the local
community. Moreover, an article will be
placed in the 2010 Waddington Airshow
Programme to again show the wider
community how we disperse the money
generated from the Airshow.
The Station Charity Committee meets
every quarter, the next is in March 2010.
The aim of the Committee is to distribute

32

With nearly
40,000 to disperse,
the committee
decided to support
some 36 causes.
money to good causes in the local area.
For example, you may run a charity that
requires furniture for the people that
you are helping, or you may be involved
in a school that is looking for help in
purchasing equipment. If you have a
cause that you would like the Charities
Committee to support, please contact us
at www.raf.mod.uk/rafwaddington or the
OIC Charity, Sqn Ldr Goodswen on RAF
Waddington Ext 8912 or his deputy Flt Lt
Harrap on 01522 726533.
On Friday 6th November 2009, OC
Ops Wg, Wg Cdr Devenish presented
Waddington All Saints School with their
new TV that had been purchased using
a 2500 donation made by the Charities
Committee. The TV has been placed in
the school hall and will be utilised for
school assemblies and presentations.
Wg Cdr Devenish is seen here with
Flt Lt Taylor (FHQ), the Headmaster,
Mr Paul Martin, Chair of Governors,
Mrs Julia Vause and three of the pupils
Emmeline Betley, George Baker and
Callum Jannssen. n

Issue one 10

Issue one 10

33

InsightMAGAZINE

pen Fireplaces, candlelight and cosy armchairs are

all welcoming features at The Red Lion, Caythorpe.
Combined with our solid reputation in the area for the
quality and freshness of the traditional English food, it makes
The Red Lion an ideal eatery.

The cosy beamed interior has been sympathetically renovated with

light and airy decoration and now forms one room which naturally
divides into dining area and bar area.

We pride ourselves in the quality of our traditional ales and have

personally selected a varied wine list including six house wines
available by the glass.

During the colder weather there is a cheery open fire to welcome

customers and in the summer months the patio and grassy beer
garden are an ideal way to take advantage of the warmer days.

A recently added patio area at the rear is ideal for casual outdoor
eating if the sun is shining. If not, the two dining rooms, garden
room and bar provide ample space for comfortable dining. Both
dining rooms can be hired for private parties, catering for up to 40
guests. There is also a car park.

Proprietors and business partners John Cork and Jane King are
proud of their reputation for providing high quality traditional homecooked food accompanied with well-kept beers and good choice
of fine wines and spirits. They both have a long association with
the hospitality trade to draw on which contributes in no small way
to the relaxed yet efficient running of this popular country pub.

Whether it be an intimate meal for two or a private dinner for a

special occasion our restaurant offers the perfect setting.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Generous Briton.

John and Jane.

With subdued lighting and candlelit tables the atmosphere is

very relaxed and the
service is attentive
but not overpowering,
enabling you to just
enjoy the excellent food
and wine, but most of
all the company you
are in.

InsightMAGAZINE

teeped in history and set on the High Street in the centre

of the pretty little village of Brant Broughton The Generous
Briton has been a public house for over 200 years.

34

Issue one 10

COGGLESFORD
MILL COTTAGE

EAST ROAD, SLEAFORD, LINCOLNSHIRE NG34 7EQ

Situated by the River Slea, Cogglesford Mill Cottage

offers traditional English food freshly prepared. Enjoy
morning coffee, lunches and afternoon teas.
Our cosy and intimate dining rooms are the ideal
place to enjoy an evening with friends or someone
special, enjoy some of the finest food and wines
Lincolnshire has to offer.
Open Tues - Sun 11am - 4pm
Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat evenings 6.30pm onwards

enquiries@pyewipe.co.uk
www.pyewipe.co.uk

01529 309409
info@cogglesfordmillcottage.co.uk
www.cogglesfordmillcottage.co.uk

Issue one 10

35

InsightMAGAZINE

Lincolnshires...
Local Listings
Accommodation

Building Contractors

Dry Cleaners

Dry Cleaning
Repairs / Alterations
Wedding Dress Cleaning
Discount for RAF Personnel
Carpet Machine Hire

Tel: 01522 500 540 Tel: 01522 513 546

Entertainment

Butchers

AllSeasons Live Band

Quality Family Butchers
Come & see us at
54 High Street, Navenby, Lincoln LN5 0ET

01522 810228

The Manor House Stables

You can call Bill and Dan on the van on 07903 566992
Come find us in Waddington, Tuesday & Fridays
shop@odlingbros.co.uk www.odlingbros.co.uk

Be Different - Ditch that Disco

Ceilidh Band for Weddings, Birthdays, Any Parties
Caller and PA - Dance tunes, trad songs from
the British Isles. Good enough for Cranwell!
Prices from 350.00 inclusive
Contact - Patrick Purves - PPurves@aol.com
Tel 01507 605385 Mob 07712107957
69 Church Street, Louth, Lincs LN11 9BZ

.....living life naturally

Quality self-catering
holiday accommodation
in the heart of rural
Lincolnshire.

The Manor House

Sherry Forbes
Timberland Road
Tel: 01526 378717
Martin, Nr. Lincoln
Mob: 07979 750760
Lincolnshire
Email: sherryforbes@hotmail.com
LN4 3QS
www.manorhousestables.co.uk

Car Dealers

BEING POSTED? NEED TO SELL YOUR CAR QUICKLY?

Call Mathew on 07860 363002
Main office line 01522 686655
We will give you a price guide over the phone
Settle outstanding finance
Consider any part exchange
No matter what age or mileage

Beds & Bedding

Dental Practice

Carholme Dental Practice

Our family friendly practice are
now taking on new patients which
include private and DPAS plans.
Teeth Whitening and anti wrinkle
treatment available.
Roman Wharf, Fosse House, Lincoln LN1 1SR

01522 524504

InsightMAGAZINE

36

Chocolit Cascades

Chocolate and Champagne Fountain Hire

Unlimited chocolate and dips

Over 20 dips as standard
Trained Uniformed Staff
All Inclusive Prices
Tel: 0845 094 2775
www.chocolitcascades.co.uk

Flooring

E. F. S.

Everton Flooring Services

Solid Wood Floors
Preparation, Installation & Joinery
Forces Discount Available
Matthew Everton
07 825 302 735
mlgeverton@yahoo.co.uk

Issue one 10

Advertising//
local Listings

If youd like your business featured in the directory

please call Jo on 01536 526674
Garden Centres

Jewellers

Nurseries

Happy
Days Pre School
www.happydayspreschool.org.uk
The Methodist ChurchHall, High Street,
Navenby LN50EN
We take children from age two to school age
Only 7 minute drive from RAF Waddington

For more information call

in for a chat or phone
Caroline Stallwood on
(07501 278032 or
(07748 124533

Garage Services

Kennels

Promotional Clothing

Promotional Clothing & Embroidery Specialists

Extensive range of Polo Shirts,
T-shirts, Sweatshirts, Fleeces and
much more!!
Look Smart and Promote your
Business, Team or Club at the
same time.

No minimum order,
Free design set-up, Free quotes
& Competitive Prices
Why not see what we can do
for you.

For a fast friendly Service, Contact Laura Rate on:

Tel/Fax: 01529 241016 Mob: 07956 651070

Gas Services

Kitchens

Take Aways

Valentinos Pizzeria

Alan Tittershill

Tel: 01522 722770 & Tel: 01522 722321

Gas Services Engineer

31 E Redwood Drive,
Waddington, Lincoln, LN5 9BN

Natural Gas, LPG and Oil Appliances,

Landlord Safety Certificates,
Install, Service, Repair,
System Power Flushing,
26376 Heating & Plumbing Maintenance 303251

Open 7 Days A Week

4pm till 11pm
Fast Free Delivery
On orders of 6 and over

Member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen

Family Meals & Pick-Up Specials

Please contact us for more information

Business Mobile: 07908 961155 Home Number: 01526 343598

Health Clubs

Ladieswear

Taxis

Belles & Beaux

Sizes 8 - 24

PRIVATE HIRE TAXI

35 Silver Street, Lincoln
Local Long Distance
Airport
Minibus available

38 Newport, Lincoln, LN1 3DF

Telephone: 01522 539602
www.bellesandbeaux.co.uk

Tel:01522 567567

Beautiful clothes for special occasions

Ball gowns, hats and fascinators to hire

Issue one 10

DIRECT CARS

37

InsightMAGAZINE

The Hollies Bed and Breakfast in Newark

offers a stylish and convenient place to stay in
comfortable and calming atmosphere.
All guest rooms are decorated and furbished
to a high standard and were just a 5 minute
walk from the shops
and attractions of
Historical Newark
Town Centre