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Hi. I spent much of the 1990s in a TA unit, on and off, and now I'm in my mid-thirties and already getting bald and paunchy I miss it! I like this site so thought I'd register - I don't have much to say, but when I can think of something useful I'll chip in.

Alright Gonker, welcome to the form.

What regiment was you in the T.A ?

Cheers!

I was in the Honourable Artillery Company, for several very enjoyable years.

Did you travel much with the TA, also did you have any oversea's deployments ?

well, my experience is rather out of date now, but I did get to go overseas a little. I also spent a good deal of time in the UK in the cold and wet, and to be honest I got just as much enjoyment out of that - it's what you are doing that counts, more than where you are doing it (mind you, I'm not sure I'd have said that at the time!). No operational deployments. I joined under the old rules which meant the TA were not to be wheeled out for anything short of the Red Army crossing the Elbe (none too likely in the '90s, though, which is why they changed the law).

Nowadays, I think it is possible for a TA soldier to deploy operationally - either by volunteering, or if the MOD decides you have the skills it needs and calls you up. I don't really know very much about that, though.

Well Done Gonker. It's nice to see you on this site. TA non-combatent doesn't matter. You're still one of us and welcome.
If you are still in the TA 'YOUR TIME MAY COME'
With Government military funding as it is we may even see ex servicemen in their 60's being called up.

Welcome Gonkers,
Not much wrong with the TA as far as I'm concerned.
My advice?Watch your spelling.Thats it.All the advice you'll get from me.I'm not going to mention Bootie's,SNCO's Cpl's or anything else related to the Royal Marines as it just gets me put on a fizzer for Life. :n00b:
Wholley.

Is it hard joining the HAC gonker?

Gonker wrote

I was in the Honourable Artillery Company, for several very enjoyable years.

Are you a Lord, Baronet, Duke or barrister Gonker

Managed to get to their bar in the City a couple of times, very interesting unit.

Welcome aboard.

Soldierandy, Contractor,

Sorry I haven't replied till now - my valet has not been switching my computer on and one doesn't like to get one's hands dirty....

Soldierandy, I don't think anyone would say it is terribly easy to get in but on the other hand it's far from impossible. If you enjoy eating pies but dislike exercise, and are frightened by loud noises it may not be for you, but otherwise it's well worth a try

Contractor, clearly you know HAC really stands for Have Another Cocktail. I suppose I do fit the usual stereotype, though so far Mr Blair has unaccountably failed to make me Lord Gonker of Scratcher-in-the-Woods. Mind you, if you've visited our bar you'll have seen that we take all sorts

Sorry I haven't replied till now - my valet has not been switching my computer on and one doesn't like to get one's hands dirty....

Good to see you back again Gonker, always damned difficult to get decent staff these days.

Yes the HAC, went there a few times while I was working in Whitehall in the early '80s. A most hospitable bunch

If my hazy memory serves, the cricket pitch at HAC is the site they used to bury the victims of the Black Death and is worth a fortune if it were ever to be sold for redevelopment. However, due to whats buried there it has to be left undisturbed.

Happy times

Bastard Contractor you beat me to it
Welcome aboard, your Magnificance( bow, scrape)
Didn`t HAC have a "stay behind" role, at one time?
Loved watching the boys in period dress doing their "fire" at the Tournament a few years back.

when I can think of something useful I'll chip in.

If only it were that simple, mate. That`s how I started out, just look at me now

Fizzer! Kin fizzer?
That is so Perce, wholley
Aye,

Welcome aboard, your Magnificance( bow, scrape)

Now that's the approach more Moderators need to have

Didn`t HAC have a "stay behind" role, at one time?
Loved watching the boys in period dress doing their "fire" at the Tournament a few years

The role has been STA for a long time, I guess since the end of the cold War. I did hear a few maxi-shelter and plastic bag stories We had one or two Rovers which had a stay behind mode though - the buggers would never start.

The Pikemen and Musketeers (red 17th century uniforms, escort the Lord Mayor from time to time) are real stars - they have to be at least 99 years old to join, and then have a twenty year long recruits course (or so I'm told). More truthfully, they have perhaps the finest bit of drill in military history, which apparently dates from the civil Wars: "Adopt a Lazy Posture". I never needed telling, myself

I did hear a few maxi-shelter and plastic bag stories

I don`t think we need to go there thank you very much. This isn`t that kind of forum you know
Welcome again Gonks, and take a tot


Er, sorry it`s only Pusser`s, we drank the last of the Krug last week.
Followed by Dom P`s finest 1954, several Bollys and a case of 1947 Chateau Neuf Du Pape( bit oakey for me, mate, know what I mean?)
Sticks used all the Mumms when he had his girlfriend round for a bath, bad thing. She did get a pearl necklace out of him, after several attempts, good thing ,bit salty for me, but we don`t want to go there, either