Sally and I met when we lived at Raf St Athan http://forcesstathan.2day.ws/. We both worked in the Community Centre Coffee shop, which was run by Airforce Wives for Airforce Wives. After a while it opened its doors to the Community of St Athan village and surrounding areas. In the Centre we had a thrift shop...which Sally and I also helped in...The Raf camp had a lot to offer..http://www.army.mod.uk/linkedfiles/soldierwelfare/supportagencies/aws/awis_index/sw_sa_aws_afab_inf_w/wales_scog_2006_section_3.pdf
There was also a Hive http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/ServiceCommunity/Hive/WalesAndWestern/StAthanHive.htm
this is where a Raf wife or husband could go and get any information they required...help with moving, shops, things on in the area, help with personal problems..or at least led to the right people.
We also had a hairdressers ...so we could have it all!!! Meet friends, drink coffee, have lunch and get our hair done..all under one roof!!!
We had a lot of fun working there...with Rachel and Lynn as well. Of course with postings of the partners the staff of the coffee shop changed hands quite a bit, but we took it all in our stride. We made lots of friends...but one by one we lose touch with most of them. But Sally and I have remained in touch, and supported each other, through thick and thin!!!.. I am also still in touch with Rachel.
Raf St Athan is where I first took up Ceramics (1993) and it was my friend Lesley who introduced me to this art...we are still in touch as well, so even though you make lots of acquaintances, you will find true friends.
It was Sally that made me go for the position at RAF St Athan Post Office, even though I had never done it before..I remember her saying "go on Anne, it will suit you and you will be good at it" Thanks Sally, one of the best moves I ever made..and I was there for 4 years, that is when my husband left the Raf and went civvy and the the company moved to Daventry Northants. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daventry.
I am now in Grove Oxfordshire http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grove,_Oxfordshire, where we moved to in November 2005, so that my husband didn;t have to commute anymore for work, he had been doing this for 4 years, and it was beginning to take its toll...and as you all know Sally is in Norfolk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk.
I can't remember what year we met, but I was at Raf St Athan from March 1992 until May 2000.
I was a little girl in RAF St Athan - c.1961-65, aged 5 or 6+
ReplyDeleteAlways lovely to meet a friend of Sally's.
ReplyDeleteWhat a touching blog post...
ReplyDeleteI was at St Athan from 1993 till 1998.
Loved helping out in the Coffee shop and Thrift shop we had such good fun. I baked alot of cakes for coffee shop.
Spent my time between gym.coffee shop and thrift shop
cried my eyes out when I left......something you never get used too !!
Thanks Sally...Yes we had a lot of fun there!!! I cried when I left as well...but I was also leaving the Raf environment.
ReplyDeleteI bet it was different then Shirl..can you remember it?
Thanks ellee..might meet one day, if I get to Cambridge.
Hi, Anne. That's a lovely story of an enduring friendship. My Dad, who was from Bridgend, used to sing a naughty wartime song about the Raf base at St Athan! Love from sicily
ReplyDeleteYes, may I add to the others here, most of whom I know, that it is a lovely story.
ReplyDeleteAnne, you do know its been years since we actually saw each other in the flesh... at least 5 years I think.
ReplyDeleteYou must get up to Cambridge sometime soon x x
Anne, I shall look forward to that.
ReplyDelete