Many thanks to you all - you've brought back memories of my student days that are probably best forgotten...

On the details, I think its Brigto(w)n, he certainly did bugger off sharpish. Alan B's ideas about Palais and cludgy are correct.

We used to sing slightly different words in some places, for instance "And so's yer f***ing chances", after "it wasnae for the first time" we sang "Aahhaahh, it woudnae be the last time" and the final chorus was "Aahhaahh, the Salvation Army...". Oh, and our hero was engaging in some very unlikely activities with the camels while in the foreign legion.

The last time I sang the song was in 1972 (late on at a wedding reception in St. Andrews, Scotland - the bride's family never forgave me...)

Again many thanks