Daily Mail does it again

I think we should start some journalism awards?

My current vote for laziest journalism goes to Glen Owen from that bastion of accuracy the Dail Mail.

Apparently we keep a fleet of cars to use as ad-hoc taxis to hop to social functions!

Lovely, I'll be getting an MT vehicle to breakfast every day from now on. I've clearly been missing a trick.

 

Think yourself lucky this is Rum Ration. You would have been severely spanked for quoting the DM on ARRSE!

 

A quick Google shows the link here: Treasury fury as military splashes £120m on staff cars - and owns 15 golf courses: Osborne faces backlash over £500m defence cut

As to the self-funding (a point the DM studiously ignores) golf courses "...in some of the most picturesque parts of the country", doesn't that rather confirm their location on miltary bases remote from any other form of public entertainment or recreation?

 

I realise the requirement to get shot of "assets" in these cash strapped times but
having perused this article my question is, could the MoD not see the potential
of doing the place up themselves and then knocking it out for the full asking
price? (mentioned here as close to a billion quid).

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2882041/Indian-billionaire-brothers-snap-Winston-Churchill-s-iconic-Old-War-Office-300m-deal-transform-building-hotel-luxury-flats.html

 

NG since when as the DM allowed the truth to get in the way of a story?

 

Surely we should just have turned it into MP's accommodation. That would have stopped all the rent and "flipping" issues.

Each constituency has its own flat. End of.
Or am I trying to apply logic to government procurement again?

 

We could 'rent' out the military on an ad-hoc basis - surely sponsoring the RAF to do a little bit of bombing practice on Chipping Norton (or insert location here) shouldn't be too outrageously expensive and save all that fuel flying to Scotland/Wales for their normal practice areas. I think that I could stretch to hiring out the RAF Regiment to guard my allotment, now that the leeks are reading for picking.

 

I am told that the golf courses on raf bases often lie under the approach path, meaning you couldnt build on them because a plane may Land on early.

Ultimately if they've been there forever, dont cost anything to run and possibly make a small profit then keep them. If they cant be sold off easily or reused for other purposes (eg defence academy golf course is inside the wire in land that cant be used for other purposes) then what else do you do with them.

As for the fleet of limos on standby, bloody outrageous that we've had this perk for years and i've yet to see it. Time for angry letter to the DM methinks.

 

So long as you don't rent the Welsh Guards who would be cheaper but would eat all the leeks

 

It was the Secretary of State, Mr Fallon, who started the hare running back in January about the 15 golf courses, while making the case for the MoD selling off more assets. According to a recent parliamentary answer the golf courses and their locations are:

RAF Marham Norfolk
RAF Coningsby Lincoln
RAF Lakenheath Suffolk (actually a USAF base)
RAF Molesworth Huntingdon (actually a USAF facility and due to close)
Catterick Garrison North Yorkshire
Abercom Barracks Ballykinler, County Down
DMRC Headley Court Surrey
RM Condor Arbroath
Alanbrooke Barracks North Yorkshire
Penally Training Camp Golf Course Tenby, Pembrokeshire
St Athan Golf Club South Glamorgan
RAF Henlow Golf Course Bedford
North Luffenham Golf Club Rutland
Upavon Golf Course Wiltshire
Shrivenham Golf Club Wiltshire

 

And the DM's example of typical use of that fleet is "short-notice journeys such as between an RAF base and a restaurant holding a social function."

Or, presumably, between the RAF base and the golf course?

Naturally this loaded story has been picked up by other media.

 

So...no golf courses for the sailors (as least MoD owned). Why is it that golf courses are predominantly located on RAF bases? It's not unique to UK, even in Canada and many places I've visited in the US the course are mainly located on air force bases. I wonder if the air force gets issued with golf clubs along with their brief cases and laptops

 

The RAF have got all the flat bits, so it's a no-brainer.

 

I counted two RAF bases that actually have golf courses, two usaf bases (eg no raf) and one former raf base now used by Army - St Athan.

RAF Henlow is a satelite unit that these days has some purple units on it and no operational flying (essentially lodger units and some barracks for RAF WYTON). Other sites are now in hands of Army or RM.

Hardly raf dominated!

As to why this is happening, I understand that essentially some of the RAF bases have golf courses on approach routes for aircraft, and as such the land can't be used for anything residential. They are there to make best use of the land as they can.

In places like Shrivenham the golf course is inside the wire and part of a greenbelt / listed building area, so no ability to build on it, and no ability to do anything with it other than cut the grass. At least golf courses make some money!

 

I counted three current RAF bases, four if you still count RAF St Athan which is still an RAF unit.

And North Luffenham was an RAF base.

 

HMS Cambridge, HMS Dryad - they've got golf courses... oh, wait...

 

Are they counting the golf course at the China Fleet Club in Cornwall?
This was paid for from the sale of the old China Fleet club in Hong Kong.
The club was owned by ALL Ratings on the lower deck throughout the RN.
What I cannot understand is why is it now mainly frequented and run by Officers of the RN

 

Would that be the same China Fleet Club where routine training flights just happened to drop people off .........?

 

Culdrose has got one.

It's shit.

 

Raleigh's got 9 hole one, hardly ever used.