I was there when Ivan D Allison (I think) was the boss, Weatherstone was I am not sure what discipline but sort of next man down. I remember him sending someone up the mast on the parade ground there as a disciplinary measure, with a bucket and brush and sponge to wash the nast down. When the lad was up there, he looked up and shouted "Get on with it" and was deluged when the lad wrung the sponge out on him. He found it quite difficult not to smile, the culprit was quite a joker.
I wanted a reference for an application to Alfred Holts and Allison wouldn't give me one, he said they reserved them for top pupils (I really wasn't), I applied without and had an interview with them and got a middies post.
We did have some real laughs, I can only remember a very few names, Carless, Doyle and that is about it.
Friday afternoons was ropework and splicing, after some basic stuff we used to do a wire eye-splice in 6 strand wire (called a Liverpool locking splice, I think). When you had done that tou could go. I have always (and still do) loved knots, rope and splices, and Icould do a splice to pass grade in about 10 min. I reckon I could still do it now, given a practice, just don't fight the pre-forming in the wire and it does itself. Hitchhike back to Leeds in about 2 hours, good break and hitch back on Sunday.