The Ram Tidworth

[Richards 47]

I was messing around on Facebook the other day and the Ram has its own Facebook!
We could start some serious stories about nights in there lol. Any way one of the girls asked me if I knew her Dad "Spot Oatley", You know the name sounds really familiar but I dont even know who my old lady is half the time these days lol. Fill me in guys and Gals as I'm sure I know him. I know his daughter signed him up for this forum but there are no posts. Thanks 47

[Gwyn Nicholas]

47, Go to photo galleries, Top replied to images, QM'S Berlin Photograph. Nick

[benney]

I think he was B coy before he went to the Q Ms
regards ben

[Rosie0574]

The Ram what a place does anyone remember the Country club, Milan use to run that place if iremember right............

[ian8163]

Rosie,

Think you will find that it was a joint effort by mortars/millan lol lol

Cach

[Richards 47]

OK I found the picture and theres a whole bunch of familiar faces on there. Thanks.

[stu reed]

Yep..the Country Club..what a cosmic place! Mortars/Milan watering hole.

[John Turner]

Spot was B Coy storeman/armourer - before that not sure.

[led9750]

The Drummer was the place in Tidworth , I think its been knocked down though now.

[John Turner]

I have no fond memories of Tidworth - if England ever needed an enema - Tidworth would be where they stick the tube!

[led9750]

sorry to all army people but i loved tidworth , me and the mrs made lots of great freinds in the andover area and are still in contact with them know , [ trust me to be different]

Buy a motorhead cd a day it will make you feel better

[Richards 47]

I agree Led lots of fond memories in the area, What was the name of the night club in Andover? I remember getting searched by a huge black fella before being allowed in.

[Scouse75]

Rich,

I think it was 'FLICKS' in Andover!!! What a sticky carpet place that was!
i definately remember that Support Coy used to rule in the 'country club' in Tidders! Does anyone remember going to the Legion, that used to be ok on a sunday afternoon.

Led, as for the drummer... Me, Dale 24, vince and Bear(Tony Jones73) got banned one Sunday, just because we were playing human ten pin bowling!! Mind you, they saw their profits fall and let us back in the next month!

[Barry69]

I remember the Ram & The Country Club back in 77 - 78 and the Drummer some nights, where we had many good times I tell you, some battles too? and that was in the days of Company Clubs !

THe Chip van use to suffer to on the trip home:

Oh yes and the Club up behind the Camp, name gone like many palces riht now?

The Ram was a bit of a dive then but the Drummer & The Country Club where on the ball plus
the Bumpkin in Andover, and the RAF Upavon on a Wed night and UKLF full of ladies that place oh Happy Days!!!

Second Time around not quite the same?

Barry

[anitacorbett]

Hi
I remember Spot, he was/is married to Pam. They had 3 or 4 children, can't remember exactly (I know its my age!!)
I do recall they had 2 daughters called Gemma and Sian. Gemma must be about 26 ish now with Sian about 24ish I think. Hard to recall which of my girls played with them ~ mine are now 30 and 26! I 've just remembered their son was called Terry.
If anyone hears from them or knows about them now, please pass ot on. I'd love to hear how they are all getting on.
Anita x

[BennytheBall]

Anita
You're right on about Spot.
Bennytheball

[Bri Brazier]

Spot lives in Ludgershall and drives for a company called Londis in Andover, i pump into him every now and then in Andover and catch up on old times. The Ram hasn't changed, the Country Club isn't there anymore (there in the process of building on that site), and the Drummer has closed down last year. Pam, Spot's missus was working there behind the bar. Station road is changing with a new Tesco being constructed on the field opposite the shops and as for the Garrison, I don't think anyone would recognise it with all the new builds. But still it the same SH*t hole of Salisbury Plain.

Bri

[mikedonnelly]

Braz i hope you dont pump into him every know and then ? i always new there was something different about you!!

[Dai72]

Nice one Mike.

[benney]

Yea i was in tidwoth the other day station road and the drummer you would not reconise it now that big tesco is not far of finished, the folks that own shops their i would say that the days are numberd for them

[sianmc1978]

omg......have finally stopped crying with laughter.......
braz....pumping into my dad????? well im gemma, the eldest of spots 4 kids, yes he is in ludgershall still, always will be, him and mum are now divorced, have been for about 5 years. you will always find my dad still loitering in the ram but with a j2o as he doesnt drink these days. far cry from how i remember him in berlin!!!!! anita i used to play with trudi-ellen, thankyou for the complement on being about 25 but im now 30, 2 kids and living in germany.im in the uk at the moment staying with my dad (bugging the hell out of him and trashing his house) so will him know later you were all asking about him.

[anitacorbett]

Hi Gemma
How lovely to hear from you.
I did say I couldnt remember which one of my girls played with you two. Trudie-Ellen is 30 too. I hope you are very happy, T-E is she has a little girl of 2, is a teacher and lives in Manchester. How are the rest of your family? Sian must be Carrie-Annes age then ~ 36 and Terry played with Matthew, so must be about 23, same as him? More news please.
Take care
Anita x

[sianmc1978]

anyway...just to fill you all in, the country club no longer exists, nor does the drummer (which was renovated 10 years ago into akas) tidworth has changed so much now, the whole of matthews estate has been rebuilt and they are currently throwing up a big tescos opposite station road. the ram is full of druggies and a very odd place to be in the evening, but a welsh bloke now owns it so its not all bad! flicks is now called life, you so need a life if thats where you go on a night out. all the camps in tidworth are gone, new ones being built everywhere, the only thing that hasnt changed is the legion and the clarendon!!!!! there are still a few of the lads living round here that my dad bumps into now and then, glyn arnold lives down the road and is doing fine, now out of the army and loving life!!!!
anita get in touch, my address is thenewmans77@hotmail.com would love to catch up!!!!!

[KEV69]

Never ventured into any of those places, too rough for me Rosie mate!!!

[Dai72]

Remember the last time a load of us where in The Ram, Mal 96 found an canoe in his bed!!

[anitacorbett]

Hi Gemma
Lovely to hear from you again. I will send you an e mail with all the latest goss very soon. Take care
Anita xx

[Barry69]

Remember it well Dai

Lucky no rapids!

[Fortyfive]

Yes the Ram was a good pub. I joined up with Spot in 73

[raveneye]

was'nt it called the rat for obvious reason's!!

[Smokeyjoe]

I remember the Ram for all the wrong reasons, at the time I was a drummer and had my batchelor night there in 1962, the party started at about 1930 and finished at about 2030 due to the then Goat Major "Cabbage" throwing his pint over a local civvie who was rapidly joined by his mates.
Evans 26 tried out his kararty chop on one bloke to no effect, RMP's called, I and the rest of the Corps of Drums ended up running towards Bulford the RMP's did not catch us so I made to Salisbury Registry Office the following morning, I wonder what woud have happend had they caught us, happy day's.
Name's of those there as I remember, Bill Charman, Les Bellamy, Evans 11 "Pluto", Cpl Evans 38, Albert Hollister, Cabbage, Will 38, Worboys, Tucker, Jones 06 "mess tins".
I apoligise to anyone I have missed out it was some time ago.
Joe.

[benney]

NICE ONE JOE YOU OLD TEAR AWAY:biggrin:

[Smokeyjoe]

Hello Benney,
As you will have worked out I was totaly innocent as you would expect, I like all good drummer's had all angles covered.
Regards,
Joe.
PS. Have you still got the C Coy sweat shirts I gave in Lemgo ?.

[Guvs]

Hi Joe
talking about Benny I can remember coming back from the drummer one night worst for wear, and him taking his anger out on the weighing machine outside the chemist because he wouldn't beleive that he was that heavy, that was untill the RMPs turned up, he was trying to carry it back to camp the thing was it was chained up to the shop, the C coy sweat shirt you are on about wouldn't be the "who cares who wins" on the back would it ? I came across mine In my garage yesterday.

[Barry69]

Steve did we not have that on our NI 86 tour Sweat Top in Londonderry?

[Guvs]

spot on picture of UK / soldier with NI helmet holding a baton abut to bring it down on NI Ah wouldn't get away with that today.

[daibeer]

Club behind camp was the Mooltan Naafi and the disco was the Pussyfoot. Love playing soul all the time if I remember correctly, loved seing the plastic glasses bouncing off his disco.
Dai

[led9750]

Dai i thought you would have been in this disco often , Rumour has it you were a bit of a mover in those days lol

[daibeer]

Hi Led,
I dont think I ever got to grips with Barry White and the likes, attraction was the Autumn Gold Cider at 10p a pint. If you had £1.50, you were well away. Pastime - throwing glasses (empty) at the pussyfoot disco and fighting the Queens Reg't.
Expect a PM shortly.
Dai

[Smokeyjoe]

Hi Guvs,
The sweat shirts we had in C Coy in 1979 were very functional and bright red, Benny stood out at the best of times but when we were out on exercise benny stood like a sore thumb as his way of camming up was to wear his bright red shirt, I often thought at the time that he should have joined the Russians. ( I love you realy Benney).
Regards,
Joe.

[John Turner]

spot on picture of UK / soldier with NI helmet holding a baton abut to bring it down on NI Ah wouldn't get away with that today.

No no - imagine a map of British Isles - Wales has a head (Anglesey) and arm (Lleyn peninsula) and a body.

The design had a riot helmet on Anglesey, and a baton at the end of the 'arm' hanging over NI.

The back of the shirt said something like 'Who cares who wins let's party'

The Ram was a dump BTW!