Lookout

From
Shabby
to
Chic
Group Captain Coleman officially opens the new bar.
The Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess bar had
often been described as “shabby in both furniture and
decor” and “looking and feeling like a museum”!
Determined to see an
improvement, the
Chairman of the Mess
Committee (CMC) at the time,
Warrant Officer Callaghan,
sought volunteers from the mess
membership to take on what
started as a small project; to
upgrade the bar and furniture.
The mess committee identified
some funds that could be made
available, but were disappointed
by additional funding requests
being turned down. With the
help of Chief Technician Watson,
the committee eventually
secured Local Initiative Grant
(LIG) funding and a grant
from the RAF Charitable Trust
(RAFCT). Combined with mess
funding and the Station’s
agreement to upgrade the decor
in the bar, this ‘small’ project
expanded considerably.
The renovated bar
is contemporary
and welcoming
The ceiling and lights were
torn down and replaced, walls,
woodwork and areas behind the bar were all given a facelift and pictures were
purchased. New furniture for the bar and anteroom was delivered just 5 days
before the end of the financial year and the deadline day for funding.
Mess members and bar both refreshed!
“This refurbishment would not have succeeded without the RAFCT funding,
for which we are grateful,” said Ken. He went on to praise the “drive and
determination” of Chief Technician Pete Watson, whom he blames for forcing
him into sitting at the bar discussing paint colours night after night! “As I now
retire from the RAF I hope that the mess membership enjoys the refurbishment
for many years to come.”
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28 THE LOOKOUT