Page 85 - Mind, Body and Spirit 2015-16

“To be frank”
For those of us of a certain age you will remember a TV advertising campaign aimed at Army Recruiting, with a bloke wondering along a beach, windsur ng, climbing etc. They called him Frank and I never thought of him as a real character, however that all changed this year. In early Jan 15 a letter came through the post offering me VEng and the chance to stay here at DCLPA WD with my family beyond my end of service date in Aug 16. So to be frank I thought, why not?
It was a tough start to the year after running the DCLPA WD ski trip to Val Thorens, I was invited to help out at the 2 week AGC Alpine Ski Championships in Neustift, Austria. As amazing as it was, standing on a freezing glacier for 7 hours at the start gate in horrendous conditions, unable to move, did very little for my morale! The Dorf bar soon melted away the angst and although I think I am scarred for life, it now looks like a rm entry in my calendar.
As luck would have it I had been offered a place on a gol ng tour to Benidorm the following month. Obviously with a heavy heart at leaving my DII terminal alone for
WO2 (QMSI) J Dykes RAPTC
1 week, I reluctantly ew out for another challenging week, this time on the golf courses of Benidorm. We played a competition against the ex-pat community who duly destroyed us, with me playing a member with only 1 arm. Not only did he take me apart but he also beat the entire eld, I dread to think what he would have done with 2 arms. I managed to play and win a few competitions in the months after but a niggling injury curtailed my bid for the world no.1 spot. It’s meant that I haven’t swung a club in nearly 6 months but you have to protect your handicap somehow.
The annual AGC March & Shoot Competition came and went without issue, something which the whole year is built up to for the 1000 AGC competitors.
Anyone seen the hole
The competition is held in such high esteem that we had a 3 Star General turn up for prize giving, with competitors from Brigadiers through to Ptes drawn from across every AGC detachment.
My annual pilgrimage to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships with WO2 (QMSI) Matt Arlow RAPTC went swimmingly well; Nickolas Anelka got some football advice, Pippa Middleton was given some tips on how to be a socialite and Colin from Radio 1 was duly dispatched on many an occasion to get more water for the hard working service stewards of the VIP gangway on Court No.1. Another great year, even if Andy Murray left a touch earlier than the fanatical tennis fans would have liked.
Wimbledon a Tri Service affair
83
DEFENCE COLLEGE OF LOGISTICS, POLICING AND ADMINISTRATION (DCLPA) WORTHY DOWN
Someone Stole Our Skis at the AGC Ski Champs