REAL LIFE RECORDINGS
Sample synopsis 3 - Don reflects on his experience of National Service
Then his call up came for National Service. He decided to go in the RAF as a Regular because he was told he would be looked after, and he offered himself for three years. He picked up a trade as a batman/waiter, a good skive. He had to learn how to lay up tables, wait on officers, and press trousers, clean his shoes. His advantage was he could play the piano and he did this for the officers when they had a "do". And he got more time off because of this.
He would either go to London on a 48-hour pass or on a 36-hour pass to Oxford. Going back to London was an easy thing as he got a lift from nearby Cowley factory car drivers, driving at 60 mph on a new engine. He was then asked to be the cinema projectionist in the RAF camp. He knew what to do as he had done the job before. He knew their make and he could repair it. He ran the cinema and played some small reels of top secret films to officers during the day and entertainment films at night. Had to swear the Official Secrets Act. He was able to extend the top-secret films with 'leaders' from the entertainment films. From six minutes of film the officers would write realms of notes on foolscap paper.
There were ordinary seats and they could be put back for dances once a month. Coaches would pick up local girls who came for a free dance and to meet the RAF boys. Ricky Durgess' band played. Ricky was the manager of Taphouses' music shop in Oxford. Don would play with him on the stage. Don went to Ricky's music shop as well. He loved it in there, a good skive; the best time of his life. He only did the batman work for about a year. The last two years he worked in the cinema.
Time off was good. Films were those being shown generally in cinemas, like Caine Mutiny with Bogart. The dancing style was always ballroom. Jive and rock and roll was coming in towards the end of his time, with Presley and Bill Hayley.