Yes Bingalau has been to Malta a good few times. First was with a commando unit for about six months before it moved elsewhere. From that period my main memories are of bottles of "blue" at either 7 pence a bottle or was it 9 pence? Down the "Gut" a meal of steak egg and chips was about half a crown. Always with the promise from the local who lured us in to that particular dive that we would be able to have whoopee upstairs afterwards. The whoopee never materialised. Like john bunyan I have also canoed around the island and dived in it's bays. Wonderful days because we were always welcomed by the population, because we behaved ourselves. Being servicemen it was drilled into us that we were ambassadors of Britain. I'm afraid today's ambassadors in the shape of drunken hooligans have probably ruined all that we built up.

My wife and I went back there on holiday a few years ago and we travelled around the island by bus of course. (I didn't hire a car because I still had the memories of the Maltese first rule of the road, which was to drive in the shade). I made a remark to my wife about the vibrations and the rattle and rolling of the bus being a good way to lose weight........she said it obviously hadn't had any effect on the size of the driver who was gynormous.

What a shame,I used to love those old green buses,they reminded me of the old country buses i used to ride on ,but i suppose thats progress for you

I first visited Malta just before Suez in 1956, and was stationed there after Operation Musketeer at RMTC Ghijn Tuffieha (Now Golden Bay) for nearly a year. Since then I have been back quite a few times both for both military and holiday visits. The buses were always iconic, with their little shrines nesr the driver, and the passengers crossing themselves as the bus passed the numerous churches and roadside shrines. Also back then, bikinis were, regrettably, banned. I shall miss the old buses, but the island these days is, I hear more or less taken over by Club 18 - 30 types. I like the north of the island best, and if anyone knows a quieter part I may go again.

Forum Member. Thanks, I did think of the Ta'Cenc hotel. I used to dive near Commino and in Gozo. It is just that I know Malta itself so well and I miss the old days - I suppose most Med Islands are the same. I will seriously consider it. I well remember the old ladies making lace outside houses at Victoria and other towns on Gozo.There was a hotel on Commino but it is too small an island and would be claustrophobic. Hope your wife's hip is ok now.

It wasn't just the buses that were great as the cars were also fantastic. It was like going back to the 50's and 60's seeing all the old models still driving around quite happily. The only other place I have seen anything like it was in the Philipines where they also liked to decorate their transport in vivid colours. I can certainly understand the reason for the change as the buses were getting very smokey in a very congested city. Even Bangkok got rid of all its old Mercedes Green buses last year for the same reason. Very sad but better for the public.