VE DAYI cannot leave the story of Leydene without mentioning VE Day. Not because of the day itself or because of the fact we were given a holiday, but to remember the generosity of the people of Hampshire towards the Services. At every pub there was a hog’s head of beer sitting in the garden… Continue reading VE Day, Etc
Month: December 2010
The Doodle-bug
The hotel we stayed in was almost opposite Glenlea. I have a phobia, I hate having strangers in my bedroom, with the result Sophie has never forgiven me for denying her breakfast in bed throughout the honeymoon. Because the hotel was so far from London we mostly ate out either in the City of with… Continue reading The Doodle-bug
The Dutch
We spent our honeymoon in Dulwich because it was near Willie who had never met Sophie. From there it was easy to commute to Central London and all the excitement, if not bright lights, but much more difficult to reach Balham and the rest of the family. Indeed it was quicker to walk than ride.… Continue reading The Dutch
Royal Navy, Marriage
MARRIAGE – AND ALL My family could not travel to Ireland because of wartime restrictions and so were not at the wedding. Willie, my mother, had made some protestations about my age, 22, the fact that I was marrying a school teacher, anathema to her, that I was being precipitate, but when she saw it… Continue reading Royal Navy, Marriage
The JollySailor – A Pub
There were two occasions at the Jolly Sailor which stand out in my memory and both, at the time, seemed to epitomise the whole reason for the existence of the English Pub and were a tremendous contrast to the drinking ethos of Belfast at that time, where drinking had seemed to be a serious business… Continue reading The JollySailor – A Pub
Royal Navy, Hypnotism
Since my Naval days I have never been remotely interested in hypnotism as entertainment. I would go so far as to say that I disapprove of the practice. When my daughters were young and we were on holiday, on more than one occasion they and Sophie went to the theatre to see a hypnotist and,… Continue reading Royal Navy, Hypnotism
Royal Navy, Teaching Navy Style
I have always thought the examination techniques we adopted at the Royal Naval Signal School should have been the norm for the Country’s education system in general. Education is not a case of knowing information, but knowing where to find it and how to apply it. The Leydene examination organisers had obviously taken this theory… Continue reading Royal Navy, Teaching Navy Style
Royal Navy, Living Ashore
I don’t think I ever entirely accepted the Navy philosophy of calling any accommodation, be it a house or a concrete bottomed wreck, a ship. I could never think of myself as being ashore when I went out the gate. In fact I thought the whole concept childish and foolish, but it was surprising how… Continue reading Royal Navy, Living Ashore
Royal Navy, The Chiefs’ course and after
Isle Of Man, Two – A careless death The second visit to the Isle of Man was an entirely different experience, we were now Petty Officers with the privileges that entailed. The work if anything was harder, and the sets we were learning much more sophisticated and in some cases as big as a small… Continue reading Royal Navy, The Chiefs’ course and after
The Irish question, Coincidences
The Irish Question Take the Irish Question, for an instance, not THE Irish question, from where I stand I find nothing amusing in that. No! Just an amusing Irish question. I don’t remember my friend Bunny’s rate of assimilation, certainly I didn’t really find my own feet for about a week and then he and… Continue reading The Irish question, Coincidences