To all you old buggers, like me, out there, what are your memories of the Toc H?
I remember it as being an addition to the NAAFI. They used to go round in old vans dishing out tea and butties on ranges and on the outskirts of camp. Usuall run by nice old ladies with blue rinses, and the clubs had a youth club atmosphere. They also did a good line in bible bashing, and good luck to them. I also remember that everybody liked to go to the Toc H instead of the NAAFI, because they were cheaper, friendlier, and generally a better atmosphere, instead of the usual NAAFI with a pads fat and miserable cow of a wife behind the counter, lol.
I've been asked what the TOC H is, so it might be worth telling some of the ynger members here what they are and did, a long, long time before the NAAFI.
I think it died a death when the NAAFI decided 'it' was the squaddies best friend, and also when the NAAFI went profit making and started building fancy shops and bars, with professional managers and the likes.
You've all heard the saying, "About as bright as a TOC H lamp." But do you know what a TOC H Lamp is? The symbol of the TOC H is the Lamp of Maintenance, a kind of Ali Babba affair that isn't very bright, and TOC H actually stands for Talbot House, and is an acronym created by the signallers of ww1. The organisation, a charity, was created by ex-squaddies after ww1.
Any other memories? Mine are pretty vague now as they were virtually gone when I was in but for a few small places and the wagon that used to come to the ranges.
I remember it as being an addition to the NAAFI. They used to go round in old vans dishing out tea and butties on ranges and on the outskirts of camp. Usuall run by nice old ladies with blue rinses, and the clubs had a youth club atmosphere. They also did a good line in bible bashing, and good luck to them. I also remember that everybody liked to go to the Toc H instead of the NAAFI, because they were cheaper, friendlier, and generally a better atmosphere, instead of the usual NAAFI with a pads fat and miserable cow of a wife behind the counter, lol.
I've been asked what the TOC H is, so it might be worth telling some of the ynger members here what they are and did, a long, long time before the NAAFI.
I think it died a death when the NAAFI decided 'it' was the squaddies best friend, and also when the NAAFI went profit making and started building fancy shops and bars, with professional managers and the likes.
You've all heard the saying, "About as bright as a TOC H lamp." But do you know what a TOC H Lamp is? The symbol of the TOC H is the Lamp of Maintenance, a kind of Ali Babba affair that isn't very bright, and TOC H actually stands for Talbot House, and is an acronym created by the signallers of ww1. The organisation, a charity, was created by ex-squaddies after ww1.
Any other memories? Mine are pretty vague now as they were virtually gone when I was in but for a few small places and the wagon that used to come to the ranges.