Where are you now?

This photograph shows a group of people who went on a Weekend British Council trip to the Baraj near Ankara. It is what we often used to do for recreation when we were not working. The Baraj, for those of you who are not familiar, is a dam and electricity generating plant. It is a lot more. It is a place where you can escape and enjoy nature. It is a place where you can have a meal and a drink. It is a place where you can take the children for a day out. I have pleasant memories of that place.

In the photograph at the top are: The brother of Basha Milkamanovicz (or Barbara Melekoglu as she sometimes was known). Next are three people who came along for the trip. I think that they may have worked for the British Council. In the lower row are: A member of the British Council, me, Frank Pedley (a Foreman of Signals who was a member of the BTS for a little while, before he went back to the UK to be commissioned), Barbara Milkamanovicz (or Basha Melekoglu - I never got the name right. Nor could I remember how to spell it.) She was a very good friend of mine. I'd love to know where she is now. Last man in that row was a Yedek Subay from the Muhabere Okulu.

There was always plenty to do around Ankara. For example visiting the Zoo, the Gardens at Ciftlik and so on. I remember one day when an Elephant called Mohini arrived. "Moheni Geldi" was on a large banner that proceeded the Circus. (My words). When the elephant got to the crossroads at Yenisehir it caused traffic chaos. Yes, it caused a complete traffic jam.

Another place we'd visit in winter was the 'Sugar Bowl' at Ulu Dagh'. When we went there it was not a Ski resort as it is now, but it was simply a place that had plenty of snow and facilitated a lot of skiing. We used to travel out from Ankara in a 3-ton truck. It was bitterly cold and we always dressed to be warm, not to look like people who ski today. We had basic skis that clamped onto our army boots - and that was it. We took hot soup in insulated containers for our lunch. And we took wax to wax the bottoms of our skis. We stayed for as long as we could guarantee daylight to get home again to Ankara and then made the journey back. We were usually shattered.

Sometimes we were given permission to use the Chevvie 20-cwt truck and Refat our driver at weekends to go out into the countryside camping and of course exploring. I have flown over Turkey when going to Hong Kong and looked down over the barren landscape and thought of those days. Sometimes we'd drive for hours and come upon a village. We were always invited to share their hospitality. Often we were very grateful (at night) to see a light in the distance that told us that there were people nearby. By the weekend's end we were tired and grubby, ready for a good hot bath and a good night's sleep. We seldom got that on our adventures.

For the less adventurous and the British Married families who arrived in Ankara, there was always a party to attend at one of the Married families homes or billets. After a while a club was formed. It was a bit like a pub in atmosphere. One could buy alcohol at the bar. Games like Bingo and Beetle were sometimes played. I became the treasurer and chief cook and bottle washer, not being socially inclined. It is a wonder that nobody suffered from food poisoning. I could make sandwiches last a week and people wouldn't complain that they were dry. After a while we found somebody else who could actually cook bacon, eggs and chips. I don't remember the hours of business, but I have a suspicion that it became a bit like a pub in that respect.

If we had any money to spare we would sometimes be very lavish and go to a casino (The Garre Casino adjacent to the Railway station.) to see show or visit one of the three 'girlie bars' in Ankara. I quite enjoyed visiting the cinema. Most of the films had English language sound tracks.

I once travelled to Istanbul. Not satisfied I have returned twice more. I always visit the Army Museum and Cicek Pasaj. I had a book called "Strolling through Stamboul". Somebody stole it from me, but I was able to get a later version called "Strolling through Istanbul." It is pretty much the same, but not quite as good as the original.