SUMMER 1998 PART 1

COVER

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL

Well here we are well into Summer .............What Summer?
It has been a bit of a disaster as far as the weather goes and although hot sunshine brings to mind crisp white uniforms . . . . . well we can imagine! At least it’s worthwhile thinking of this theme for our centre spread.
We have some very good news to give out but first I must apologise sincerely to anyone who tried to make contact with me via the email address that I gave last time as through an oversight I did not set up the forwarding correctly and so mail was returned to the senders. Not hearing otherwise I remained ignorant of this fact until recently.
The GOOD NEWS is simply when I rang my Net Server I found I had a spare email address which when asked what name I would like, and as I had only just ended a conversation with our Chairman, I said London Blues. So we now have our own email address. But to better this it meant I could also open up a new site as well which I decided to devote to ATTENTION! The site will be devoted to the magazine in that it will have all the pictures we print in B&W in, if the original is, glorious colour. It is not intended to take the place of our quarterly magazine but to run alongside at and so, hopefully, both enhance it and also to open ourselves to getting more members.
Our email address is: londonblues@oocities.com

Our site address is: http://www.oocities.org/WestHollywood/Stonewall/2498

I hope that members who have computers will look this up and let us know what they think as well as any suggestions or ideas.
In Uniform,
Alan

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

Dispatches From Roman Way Barracks


I hope this finds you enjoying a hot and sticky summer! Things have been very busy with club visits around Europe and the UK. Those of us who eventually made it to Aarhus had a most enjoyable weekend. The men of Denmark made us very welcome and we look forward to a return visit. We also had a great weekend at Dortmund when we visited Rote Erde for their Leder Pott. That is the real difference between the commercial scene and the Fellowship of clubs.
The FUKC Conference was hosted by East Mercia MSC at Gradbach Mill in the dales of Staffordshire/Derbyshire. They always put on a good show. Even the staff got the hang of things before we left! Thanks to Tony and his crew for a most enjoyable time (spot the pix scattered throughout the mag!).
Alan (Editor of Attention!) has analysed the number of visitors on the London Blues web site (386) and the results are very interesting. We have had “hits” from USA, UK, Canada, Netherlands, Finland and Australia along with the rest of Europe, Asia and South America.
We always welcome men who are interested in joining in the activities of the club.
DON’T FORGET THE NEW LOCATION AND TIMES FOR CLUB ACTIVITIES:-
WEDNESDAYS: THE UNDERGROUND BAR, CENTRAL STATION FROM 20.00 (8 p.m.) TILL 22.00 (10 p.m.). Look forward to seeing you soon.
Play hard, play safe!
Phil

Sternchen Party

by Tony Williams


The club decided to visit a European club last year from the ECMC calendar LM Dusseldorf were holding their 15th Sternchen party in Germany and it was decided this would be a good club to visit.
It was decided to heavily subsidise the whole trip using money obtained from the windfall of one of the building society accounts. The rest of the money went straight to the club charity fund, the subsidy was worked out on a number of club attendances by an individual for the year. The number of club members who went on the trip to Germany was 9. They were Phillip, Neville, Jock, B.N.T, Bob Freese, David Williams, Martin Robinson, Steve Mantle and David England. We all took varied ways to get there. I flew with BA and despite the slight delay it was a good flight. Neville, Phillip and Bob were also on my flight. When we arrived David and Martin were waiting at the airport for us.
We all took a train from the airport to the town centre, which took about twenty minutes, upon arriving we decided to get a quick bite to eat before meeting our hosts for the weekend. Eventually finding our way out of the station, right by the entrance was a parade of shops with restaurants we all settled down for something to eat and drink, it was quite nice if a bit expensive. Having finished we made our way to the Musk Bar, which was already quite packed by a number of our members, after introductions and signing in we were escorted by our hosts to the accommodation. Luckily mine was right above the bar in the flats, after getting changed we made our way downstairs to the bar for a night of drinking and getting to know the locals a little bit better. Retiring in the early hours after having consumed large amounts of alcohol, I went to bed and had a few hours sleep. The next morning we were all meeting outside the Musk Bar for a tour round the city by our hosts, this was a slow walk being told about local customs and early history before and after the war. The tour ended with a trip to a local museum shaped like a lighthouse depicting the city’s roots as the river was the most important route of transport, and the changes in the design of the city. We all then walked round for a long time trying to find a place to eat, which proved very difficult, our guides ended taking us all to the restaurant where we were having our evening meal and the time seemed to fly while we were crossing the city in circles to get to the restaurant. With some spooky good luck we got there just in time for the evening meal. A case for Mulder and Scully from the X.files .
The meal was very nice and very well presented. Everyone enjoyed the meal and the chance to meet more people who just came down for the meal. We all retired back to our hosts’ to get changed for the evening party at a secret venue, a short tram ride away, and we found the venue a basement of a club. The turnout was very good and a lot of hunky men were at the very loud disco and the beer flowed very freely and most of the members were enjoying themselves somewhere during the venue, there was a snake dance which we didn’t watch as we were all outside!! The buffet was brilliant with loads of food. Having drunk myself half stupid I headed back to my hosts residence to crash in to bed. The next morning we all met at the Musk Bar for brunch as it did go on a bit, 5 hours later after alternate beers and schnapps chasers we thanked our hosts as coherently as was possible, for their generosity and good hospitality. Everyone really enjoyed the whole weekend and would all like to go again.

Thank you DUSSELDORF

Group picture


The London Blues Goes to POTT!!!...


Report by Neville about Dortmund.


On a Friday afternoon five members (Phillip, Neville, Leslie, Bob F & Tony W) plus Chris and John from Verulam left Heathrow courtesy of BA for Dusseldorf. Klaus who kindly conveyed us by minibus to the Cafe "Rote-Marlene" in Dortmund for the welcome party met us there. After meeting various members of the club and consuming a few beers and delicious barbecued sausages we were taken by Klaus to his home where we met both his partner Lothar and his dog Bobby. Bob, Leslie & Tony were staying in Dortmund whilst Chris and John stayed in Essen with Thomas and Stefan.
We showered and partook of an excellent supper, vegetarian especially for Phillip, and returned to Rote-Marlene. When we arrived we found the numbers had increased considerably and there were many people we knew, from other clubs in Germany and also two from the Netherlands. We stayed until fairly late, before returning with Klaus to his apartment. After an excellent German breakfast served by Klaus it was time to meet at the Cafe Blu and attempt a Treasure Hunt through Dortmund. From the same location, the bike run started, so we were able to wave off the various motorcyclists before they commenced their run. Two German guys, Jurgen (who spoke no English) and Helmut (who spoke a little) partnered Phillip and me. It was certainly time for me to practise my German and this worked reasonably well. The Treasure Hunt was quite difficult and after completing some of it we arrived at a square by a fountain and spoke to a gentleman who certainly seemed the worst for drink but also knew a tremendous amount about Dortmund. With his help we were able to complete most of the quiz, but we still didn't win a prize. Then it was time to go to the West Park where, after some difficulty, we found the tent where the Motorcyclists joined us and coffee and cakes were served.
We then returned with Klaus and after a brief rest accompanied him and Bobby to a Barbecue which was being held by Lothar's sister in commemoration of his 40th birthday the previous week. Many people were there, most straight couples and again few spoke English so it was out with the German again! A really splendid buffet was served accompanied by champagne and numerous other strong German liquors and beer!
After this Lothar's sister kindly ferried us to the "Zeche Germania" where the main event "Leatherpott 98" was being held. This was a huge hall with a separate disco and also a darkroom downstairs. The club put on a very camp skit of "The Merry Widow" which was very funny and would have been even more enjoyable if you could have understood all of it! There were speeches and Phillip presented Rote Erde's President with a commemorative mounted TLB patch. After about 2 a.m. we were feeling tired so via a night bus and a taxi we returned to our host's apartment.
Sunday dawned and it was time to return to Cafe Blu where the most wonderful and enormous brunch was waiting for us. I really think that after that, none of us wanted any more food for the rest of the day. We said our fond farewells and Klaus kindly conveyed the seven of us on a tour of Dortmund and the surrounding countryside which included a gambling casino which was situated in a park with marvellous view of the area.
We arrived at Düsseldorf airport in a rush, finding great problems in parking and then we were delayed for approx. 45 minutes due to air-traffic control restrictions. We were also delayed in landing at Heathrow due to the congestion and finally arrived about 35 minutes late.
The event was extremely well organised and enjoyed by all of us, thanks so much Klaus, Thomas, Stefan and everybody else from Rote Erde for making our visit so enjoyable. We certainly intend to return to you as soon as possible.
Neville

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Pilot Glides 45 miles with failed engine.

An interesting article from the Daily Express concerning a Flight Lieutenant who managed to glide 45 miles in his trainer Hawk Jet and land safely in Norway.



An RAF pilot has told how he cheated death by gliding for 45 miles when his jet’s engines failed at 20,000ft. Flt Lt Geoff Sheppard admitted it was touch and go. Despite bad weather and near-zero visibility he managed to land the £6 million Hawk trainer safely at a Norwegian airfield. He said: "Out of the blue the plane started to vibrate when we were about 45 miles from the nearest airfield. When the engine stopped we lost all the electronics, generator, air-conditioning and instruments to land and the airfield we were heading for had no radar. In Norway you are never far from mountains so we knew we had to go out over the sea where we could get under the cloud. Thankfully there was a gap and I could make out the sea so I dived through it to a height of 800 feet below the cloud. It was difficult to see through the misted up canopy and the landing was made more difficult because it was raining hard and we were in danger of overshooting the runway. However we did everything right and got the plane home."
His CO said: "They would have been well within their rights to eject and abandon the aircraft but instead they landed without damage by a piece of very skilful flying. This was a tremendous example of the Royal Air Force at its best."
An RAF pilot for 17 years, Flt Lt Sheppard beat cancer of the lymph glands to return to the cockpit. After a bone marrow transplant three years ago, he underwent intensive chemo and radiotherapy and began flying jets solo again in December last year.

The Pilot

CAPTION CORNER is on page 9 asking for a suitable caption.......please forward any suggestions to us:-

Caption pic

This is followed by some "Things to Ponder"

Two pictures fill page 10

Pic 1A Royal Swedish Air Force Test Pilot
Pic 2French Foreign Legion Pioneers

AIDS Epidemic Started in 1959........

A short article on the believed origins of the discovery of AIDS.


U.S. Researcher says 'AIDS epidemic began in the Congo before 1959. Chicago (dpa) US researchers are on the track of the man who could quite possibly have started off the world-wide AIDS epidemic. A blood sample from 1959 with lethal AIDS agents has identified the first person known to have been infected with HIV as belonging to the Bantu tribe from near the Congolese capital of Kinshasa, at the time still known as Leopoldville. David Ho and colleagues from the Aaron Diamond Aids Research Institute of the Rockefeller University in New York stumbled on this surprising case during their genetic analysis of 1213 African blood samples. Until then it was a sailor from Manchester, who died in 1959 from symptoms similar to Aids, who was regarded as the first HIV patient in the world. But his infection with the HI Virus could not be substantiated. In contrast Ho and his colleagues proved the existence of possibly the oldest AIDS agent by means of various procedures. They presented their work recently in Chicago during the Fifth Conference on Retroviruses and opportunistic Infections. Their report appeared simultaneously in the latest edition of the British Scientific Journal Nature (Vol. 391, No 6667, page 594). According to it, this early Aids agent is a Type 1 HI Virus, the most widespread type of HIV in the world. Genetic sequences assign to it as well the roots of the subtypes B and D in the pedigree of the HIV-1 agent. Aids researchers name the most frequently occurring subtypes after the first four letters of the alphabet from A to J. From their analysis, the team around David Ho concludes that these HIV subtypes and thus the world-wide Aids epidemic must have developed from out of a single case in Africa from "not long before 1959" Translation from a German Report by Shiel



Have you heard the one about this guy whose Doctor prescribed iron supplements along with his Viagra?

Every time he passed a strong magnet he swung round and pointed north......

Two pictures follow to whet ones appetite anticipation of the full article about the FUKC conference at Gradbach Mill on page 29.

Pic 1The Royal Navy meets the "Duchess"
Pic 2And another custard cream, please, Vicar!!

some amusing "Things To Ponder" are on page 13 and supplied by a member of our USA equivalent club with a pic of a cop who would certainly be requested to "SEARCH ME" even if you just wanted to know the time.....

Please SEARCH ME!

Page 14 continues our Blasts from the Past........this is a storyette from the ROYALE studio entitled THE THIEF with a leather boy and sailor in whites.

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The Glittering Prizes

Anyone who has had anything to do with The London Blues will be aware that charity raffles feature at most of our meetings and play an important part in our regular fund-raising efforts. Raffle prizes are generally purchased by one of the committee and paid for out of club funds, the cost being met by the sale of tickets. The numbers attending meetings therefore limits the funds available for prizes. Since taking responsibility for the raffle prizes I have had an interesting time hunting high and low for suitable items and have built up a small stockpile for future use. While there is no doubt that worthwhile prizes will be on offer for the foreseeable future it has been frustrating to find that many of the things, which would make excellent prizes, are simply beyond our limited funds. This is particularly true of the more exotic and fun items such as 'interesting' books and magazines, minor items of uniform, clothing and fetish wear (see list of themes for inspiration).
It is my intention to provide appropriate prizes each week consistent with the theme of the meeting but there are limits to what one person with limited budget and imagination can achieve! Please remember that donations of prizes have always been welcome and would be gratefully received by any member of the committee. So if you see something on your travels that would be a useful / amusing / appropriate London Blues raffle prize, or if you have something of the kind lurking in your cupboards or under the bed (and is in fit condition to be seen in public) please bring it along to a meeting without delay. If you cannot find anything appropriate to help with the raffle but have not been to a meeting recently, bring yourself, you never know you might win something interesting in the raffle!
Leslie Howard
(Prize finder General)

An example

Metropolitan Manoeuvres.....


The London Blues Weekend


Over the weekend 08-10 May 1998, The London Blues (TLB) held its birthday event. The weekend kicked off with a 'Meet and Greet' at the club's usual weekly gathering venue 'Central Station', close to Kings Cross railway station. Between forty and fifty guys gathered, with those from outside London meeting up with their accommodation hosts. As in past years, The London Blues had invited members of other ECMC European clubs along as guests. There were many visitors from other UK clubs, plus special guests from LM Düsseldorf and Rote Erde Dortmund. TLB members had been guests at LM Düsseldorf's weekend last November and were more than happy to return the favour.
Saturday brought with it some glorious sunshine, and the opportunity to meet up again in 'The King's Arms', just off Oxford Street, for a lunch time drink followed by a visit to the IMAX cinema for some big screen entertainment.
The main event of the weekend was the dinner on Saturday evening, held in a gay friendly restaurant in Central London. This was the opportunity for TLB members to give their best dress uniform an airing, with many European and American military and law enforcement uniforms on show. After a most enjoyable meal and the usual round of speeches, votes of thanks etc., most moved on to the 'The Hoist' in Vauxhall to party on.
Sunday saw us gathering at the infamous 'Coleherne' for the farewell brunch, TLB catering corps had yet again done a wonderful job and produced an excellent hot and cold buffet from the makeshift field kitchen. 'The 'Coleherne' had just recently reopened after a complete interior rebuild, and whilst it is very different from the much loved old ‘Coleherne' it has retained most of the atmosphere and loyal customers that make it an institution on the scene in London. This was the ideal place to end what was by all accounts a great weekend.
Based on an article by David England



Following Appreciative letters have been received.............

Phillip,
Thank you and the committee for organising such a splendid weekend, I really enjoyed myself, and it was lovely to see you all once again,
Yours in Brotherhood,
Michael Williams, Oswestry

Dear Phillip and Neville,
Just a note to say a big THANKS for making my weekend in London so enjoyable. You put so much effort into it - well done! The company, food, etc., was brilliant, and I felt very much at ease.
I shall certainly recommend the London Blues to my friends, and look forward to seeing many of you in the future,
Take care
Patrick


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