Guest Book

Once again a gem from Ken, I would of thought he would of produced a best seller, perhaps he is in the middle of one now,
I never became a qualified driver, spending most of my time in and around London it did not seem any point, Strangely between Pubs or I should say Marriages, I became a Transport Manager for a company just outside Birmingham, traveling around the Country discussing rates with Hauliers,
In my last entry I said I was very jealous of Ratings who spent considerable time on Foreign Shore Bases, Ken on Hal Far,Ray on Terror, so I looked at my History and came up with figures, of my 8 years and 4 months, 50% was spent at Admiralty most with ASWEPS, 27% on home Shore bases which included traing and just 23% on Ships, serving on 3 Ships Birmingham, Lion and Hermes the latter based in Singapore, so Boogie Street was a regular haunt, there was a young beauty called Blue who gave many a young sailor a shock, when hands wandered to far. In Malta a frequent visit to the Gut was not unusual for a few mess friends and I, Is there anyone else out there, other than us three.

Having presented the story about Johnno abusing his car in Malta, it is only fair that I highlight the fact that I didn't exactly treat my new aquisition with a great deal of care either.
Just to preface the story I will tell you how I obtained a driving licence. When i went to Malta I could not drive, so I had to obtain a Maltese driving licence. I had lesson from a supposed driving instructor in an old Hillman Minx with a column mounted gear lever and I never actually managed to master that, so when I went for my test on the parade ground in Valletta I failed miserably. However, my instructor knew the police sargent, and also knew that I had access to duty free booze from HAFMED, sufice to say that I received a pass certificate and three bottles of Johnny Walker Black Label found its way to the police officers house.
So there I am, not the most competent of drivers with a new VW beetle parked in the very narrow street where we lived in Gzira. I attempt to move the car from its parking space, full lock on,revving the engine and promptly place said car firmly against a wall with the offside wing crushed to about a third of its width.
That was the first episode, the second, much more serious happened after a Met Office barbeque, much alcohol consumed. I had returned 4 of the Met Wrens back to Hal Far and was speeding home along the Luqa road home to Sliema. I lose control, wake up and find myself on the opposite side of the road, facing the wrong way, a bloody tuft of my hair lodged in the cracked rear view mirror, the whole offiside of the car stove in against a wall. Lucky?, I would say so!
So there you go, didn't take the best care of my car either.
As a postcript to that, the only person injured in this affair was a guy who stopped on the other side of the road to see what had happened. The chap behind him ran into the back of his car and whiplashed the driver into the windscreen!

Glad to see us three back on the Guestbook - a good tale from Ken there too - he always could spin a good yarn, especially to the opposite sex. I spent two drafts in HMS Terror; one as a single man, with amongst others, Spud Murphy and Ginge Howarth; and a PO - was it Barrington? I always remember the three of us returning from a run ashore on his motor scooter!
Jeff Crowther always used to enter the Singapore Grand Prix on his motor bike!
The second time I was very lucky to get 2 years at the same place with my new wife Sandra, who immediately got herself a job in the base as a teacher at the Navy School there. We were very well off for 2 years.....but still frequented Boogie Street quite regularly. I also did a lot of volunteering for sea-time - but this was when I was still single, wore a sarong and was fascinated by Kai Tais......

Welcome home sorry about the climatic conditions that you have returned to,
I did try The Blue Liners but never really took up the habit, Use to sell them, I think the going rate was 10 old shillings a hundred.
Smoked anything that made a stink, took up the pipe whilst at Admiralty,The Wife even made a smoking Jacket to go with it.
I get rather jealous of you chaps that spent shore bases on Foreign Soil.
It is great to see you both back, I should of been in Hospital on the 18th but was cancelled again.

Ah!!! Raymondo is back from his sojurn in the Far East. I hope you havn't gone back to wearing a sarong again Ray?
Seeing Sandi Jones on the guestbook certainly did prompt some memories of Hal Far.One that Sandi or other 63 to 65 Hal Far incumbents may remember concerns Roy Johnson who was a PO there when I arrived.
As a lot of us did in Malta, Roy took advantage of the HAFMED affiliation to buy a Duty Free car, I bought a VW beetle which Icrashed within a week of getting it. Roy bought a Renault. After a while though, he dcided he did not care too much for the original colour and hand painted it, WITH A BRUSH, a very strange turquoise colour.
I don't think it was worth a great deal after that. Roy thought it looked great though.
Ciggies Ray? yes I smoked Blue Liners, but when we were at sea I preferred Lucky Strikes, paper packet slipped into the pocket on No8 shirts, shook one out when you needed em. Much more macho!

Hi Ken and Johnny - yes, back from Burma two weeks ago to this crap weather. Glad to see we are communicating once again. I'm off to do some sea-time at the end of the month - well, a narrowboat on the Monmouth canal in Wales. Break out the duty frees! Can't remember if either or both of you smoked blue-liners back in the day........

Welcome back Ken, I hope you had a enjoyable Holiday away from this filthy weather, I am not sure if Ray is back yet, I am awaiting to go into Hospital for a new knee, had a appointment for the 18th only to be cancelled 2 days later.
As I said in my last entry things have been very slow since you went, a couple of wrens seeking old shipmates, I knew that you would have some information for them, being younger your memory is much better than mine.

Sandi Jones!Memories of Hal Far came flooding back when I saw your name. I still have a great photo of you and I hanging out the Met Office window taken about 5 o'clock on a beautiful sunny morning.
Last time I heard your voice was on Ocean Sounds when I used to travel to Southampton to see customers, Recognised those dulcet tones immediately!

SPUD has added a few comments to the most 'recent' FORUM' threads - tempus fugit slowly ....

Spud appeals to George2 (George Blu) to log-in to FORUM or respond to SPUD e-mails or contact SPUD at e-mail on file -
your INBOX is overflowing ....

A few names dredged up from my memory of HalFar and the "Bunnies". Back row right hand end Val Mitchell an Air Mech, front row L to R kneeling Annie Thompson Air Mech, Annie Pye, Stores, and Chris Stamp Met - who looks very much the same nearly 50 years on!