Once again Ops held its annual mess ball and AGM at the prestigious Petwood Hotel, wartime home of the famous 617 "Dambusters" Squadron. This year was in fact the 5th year Ops had held this event at the Petwood.
As always the weekend was to be a hectic one with trips to places of RAF interest, The mess ball, The sing song around the Piano and of course in true RAF Tradition the Mess games!
The weekend Started on the Friday with a private tour of RAF Cranwell the famous RAF officer training college. We then arrived at the Petwood for Cream teas before unpacking and attending dinner in the Mess. Saturday started of with a visit to East Kirkby and the Aviation Heritage Center, A good four hours were spent here with the Lancaster being brought out of the hangar especially for Ops, with the end of proceedings cumulating in a display by the two seat Spitfire housed within the museum and flown by W/cdr ret Paul Day. Then it was time for the big one The "Goldfish club ball" An astonishing amount of preparation had gone into this as with all our previous Petwood events, this one however was set to be the best so far with everything how it would have been in a Wartime mess, even down to the plates and Cutlery!.
After the meal, Loyal Toast, speeches and of course Brandy and Cigars it was time for the sing song around the piano, and finally for the Mess games to commence!
Sunday started of with Drill practice after breakfast in preparation for the wreath Laying ceremony at the "Dambusters memorial" in Woodhall Spa, Ops recognizes the debt we owe to all our veterans and always makes a point of laying a wreath or attending a memorial where ever we go. Drill practice was followed by the Wreath Laying service at the memorial we then all retired for lunch at the Red Lion.
On Sunday evening we rounded things of with a private showing of "An appointment in London" At the oldest period cinema in the UK, a superb end to a superb weekend.
Please use the various buttons below to see the photographs of the events.
