Indian Civil Service wrote:They do have a lot of collected memorabilia from their travels. Bertie brings in hunting and outdoor equipment from his home in a few stories. There's all that cutglass they buy in Looks Back.
They got rid of the diamond tiara Boris sent them in Takes Charge...Mrs Symes may have drawn the line at cleaning THAT..
A few gifted items are displayed in the office...a jade fish from Lin Seng in Blue Moon, and a silver model of the Flying Crusader are what I can recall...
Frecks wrote:I have often wondered about having a tray with drinks on it for my model flat but when Biggles needs brandy for medicinal purposes he sends Ginger out of the room to fetch it. Did they drink alcohol at home? Would they have it on a tray in the living room for visitors?
StoneRoad wrote:.....
I wonder if they kept their "demob" suits ? [Given how bad a fit some suits were, maybe not !]
Fairblue wrote:StoneRoad wrote:.....
I wonder if they kept their "demob" suits ? [Given how bad a fit some suits were, maybe not !]
Officers were not issued with demob suits. They had to buy their own uniforms to begin with, using a small uniform allowance on commissioning which allowed them to purchased from a military tailor. You couldn’t have an officer wearing an ‘off the peg’ uniform and the materials were of a better quality.
StoneRoad wrote:Fairblue wrote:....
I wonder if they kept their "demob" suits ? [Given how bad a fit some suits were, maybe not !]
Officers were not issued with demob suits. They had to buy their own uniforms to begin with, using a small uniform allowance on commissioning which allowed them to purchased from a military tailor. You couldn’t have an officer wearing an ‘off the peg’ uniform and the materials were of a better quality.
StoneRoad wrote:I stand corrected about the demob suits, I must have mis-remembered something I was told a good few years ago.
I know the recent ROC uniforms quite well, and the Officer's uniform material was definitely better quality than our kit ...
Fairblue wrote:I would be very surprised indeed if they did not have some alcohol lying around. Whisky, brandy, sherry. Perhaps even with a soda syphon.
My mother kept a bottle of medicinal brandy in the kitchen cupboard. It was sold as medicinal brandy. What the difference between that and normal brandy was, I don’t know, but it came in a small bottle.
StoneRoad wrote:Apart from civilian evening dress, the chances are that they would have had "Mess Kit" and probably No1 uniforms.
Ginger probably had several boilersuits from his ground engineer background.
Bertie definitely would have had a set of "hunting pinks" - but that probably lived in the country house ...
I wonder if they kept their "demob" suits ? [Given how bad a fit some suits were, maybe not !]
I agree that the furniture and so on would have been of good, if not top, quality but probably not "fashionable" as such.
Plenty of souvenirs, rather than ornaments, and photographs on the walls.
Personal kit - decent quality (again) for home use, but a more disposable version to go in the "small kits" that are often mentioned as being kept ready for various eventualities.
Medals ? they certainly had a few of those between them, but I expect those would have been kept in their cases.
Frecks wrote:That is an interesting question. I do not know if ordinary Police Detectives get a clothing allowance as they do not have a uniform. Do Police Officers have to pay for their own uniforms?
Frecks wrote:That is very interesting. I did not realise Detectives had a uniform at all.
Kismet wrote:Biggles has a few awkward corners. I could imagine him claiming all sorts on expenses, not because he expects the items to be allowed, but to make the point that carrying out his job has cost him x number of pounds.
I think wanting to claim a new suit indicates that Biggles sets a high standard for his personal appearance when not taking it rough. He could probably brush off most of the dirt, have the suit dry cleaned and invisibly mended and it would be acceptable to wear, but no, it doesn't meet his standards and he wants a new one. There's another example where he doesn't carry his passport with him in Tangiers because it would clutter his pockets up, and they never, on missions, produce a bit of string or odds and bobs from their pockets. Perhaps, in London, Biggles is vain about his appearance?
Tracer wrote:I find people who have been in the Forces take their smart standards with them after they leave. It can't be universal of course, but every ex-serviceman I know continues to be smart no matter what the subsequent income level. Their clothes may be old, may be mended, but they are clean and pressed.
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