Greyhound,
RAF Haydock was my first "home" posting. I joined the R.A.F. in 1962 and was sent to Aden straight after trade training, arriving at Haydock in September 1964.
It was indeed a Signals Centre, being also known as NORTH WEST COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE. By its very nature it would have to be 'hush hush' but no more so than any other station I suppose.
www.servicepals.com has 5 photos of Haydock, three of people in the Officer's Mess, my AOC's photo and another of a parade. I think you can log on as a guest, then just do a search on "Haydock".
I lived in private accommodation in Grosvenor Road, St Helens for a few months in 1964 and was amazed at the attitude of the locals when I took the bus in to St Helens, and then another one on to Haydock. They all seemed to think we lived rent and tax free on the camp. Boy were they wrong and they seemed utterly amazed when I told them so.
We held a dance on a Thursday evening which was open to civilians and was extremely popular. It was held in the NAAFI (Spiders Web club), which was, by its very nature, a popular meeting place after work.
I'm not sure if there is much more I can tell you, if you ask specific questions I will endevour to answer them.
Haydock holds many happy memories for me, and some sad also. A young lad came on to my shift straight out of the Boy Entrants so I took him under my wing and showed him the ropes. He later went to Aden and was shot dead.
A friend from my Haydock days in 1964/65 had a surprise 60th birthday party last year in Yorkshire and a table was organised for him and his ex-RAF buddies and their wifes. Most of us were from his Haydock days and we had a lovely time reminicing about the old days.
Happy days which seem like a lifetime ago now!
Jimbo