Guest Book

My fondest memories were firstly HMS Ganges at age 16. Having been at a very strict boarding school for five years, I found Ganges an absolute doddle. My best time by miles was on the Happy Hermes - great crew, happy ship, good runs ashore and fond memories. When I look back at it, I realise how easy we had it compared to most others - the chefs especially - cooking up three meals a day for 2,500 men; and me sitting at a desk plotting a chart! How about the rest of you who read this Guestbook? Fondest memories?

You are probably correct in what you say Ken but those memories of those early years were at Kete, Culdrose and Admiralty are the most precious years of my life and should never be forgotten.

Pete Jonwes, that will be the welsh spelling will it Ray? Yes you are right he was a bit of a lad with the ladees, we roomed together for about a year so I had first hand experience!
But I have to tell you he was but a mere novice compared with the late great Tony Bell,G.A Bell as was. Before I was married he talked me into going on a blind date with him and two very sprauncy ladies Up West as they say, had to throw a sickie next day I was so tired, from the boozing obviously!
On a more serious note, we have all had the very conversation about pubs in London and the Admiralty in general about four years ago on this very guestbook, and if you check back you will see that its almost word for word the same as that which we have just concluded.
is this the onset of the dreaded Alz disease or is that we only remember and love to talk about the times that will never be repeated?

Yes Ken it is very strange, Tricia,s parents lived in Forest Hill, we also had a large one bedroom flat between Forest Hill and Catford that had a huge marble fireplace.We also had flats in Peckham, Dulwich we always tried to find our own places but generally South of the River. Tricia says she had 12 different moves in such a short time.

I remember Pete Jonews very well - a real smoothie with the opposite sex. I also remember him getting married before a draft to Terror. Wonder what happened to him....anybody know?

How strange that we all seemed to gravitate to the south of London, Pete Jones and I had flat in Clapham Common West Side for a few months before we moved to a huge one room flat on the corner of Gloucester Road and Nevern Road in Earl's Court. That room saw a few "goings on" I can tell you! Earl's Court was the centre of the universe in the very early sixties.
When I got married in '62 Connie and I had a lovely flat in a large house in Forest Hill.

Sorry that was Clapham South Tube Station.

My first ever married quarters with Tricia was above South Balham Tube station we use to go to a pub on a Sunday who had a string Quartet playing it use to be packed, I use to do my Sun Bathing on the common. when I had a body to show off. opposite was Nurses quarters.
Of course Balham was the gateway to the South as Hancock would say.

Whilst I was at Admiralty, I shared a big flat in Balham with Tony Newrick and Roger Edwards and Spud Murphy for a while, and we used to frequent a local pub in the evenings. Forget what it was called, but Roger, who had a fantastic singing voice, used to entertain the clientele with Rolling Stones and The Animals songs - like 'It's All Over Now' and 'House Of The Rising Sun' He was really good!

I visited it a few years back and did go down stairs and it wasnt that pleasant, needed a few drinks to forget the surrounds, the staff were not pleasant. after over 45 years in the trade I insisted that all customers were greeted with respect, not " what u want mate " followed by "like init " even after I had thrown them out I still called them Sir.