Guest Book

Well done John, but a couple missing. We'll see if anyone else gets them.

Now just 3 weeks from my big 80.
Here are a few RNAS which in my time of just over 8 years I have set my foot in, though with some a day or so.
Hal Far HMS Falcon, Brawdy HMS Goldcrest.
Bramcote HMS Gamecock.
Lee-On-Solent, HMS Daedalus.
Arbroath, HMS Condor.
Abbosinch, HMS Sanderling.
Lossiemouth, HMS Fulmar.
Yeolvilton HMS Heron..
I had a total of 18 Drafts in my time not including the exercises on USS WASP and Londonderry.

Sorry, HMS Seahawk.

Well, after the usual contributors (Ken and John) I thought I had better prove that I am still alive and kicking! With John mentioning age, a younger mate of mine recently asked me how old I was , and I told him I was trombones at present, but raoidly approaching Sunset Strip. He had no idea what I was talking about.
Unfortunately, my sight is deteriorating rapidly from Stargart Disease (very rare and incurable) and I am on the waiting list for a guide dog. I have promised to raise money for this charity, as unbelievably each dog costs £45,000 over their two tears of training - if you don't believe me, just Google it.
I am going to do a skydive for them, and three of my mates have promised me £3,000 between them, providing I jump but don't open the parachute.
Now here's a question for all of us oldies. How many (mostly defunct) Air stations can you name in UK - locations and HMS tite? A starter is Helstom amd HMS Seahowk.
Might get a couple of extra contributors.......
Ray

Hi Ken,
Nice to see you are still going strong even though we are approaching our 80's,
I must admit that in my 8 years in the branch I only met a few of my fellow Met observers, therefore may of the names I see are unknown to me,
Actually just before your entry I was looking at 2 handsome young men who were at the Floral dance in Helston, I was the one holding the Monkey.
Those were the good old days,
I looked at my Naval movements and found I had been drafted some 18 times in my short 8year plus a couple of months but that didn't include Aswep exercises on the USS Wasp and Londonderry.
Often wished I had stayed in.
Wishes to all that knew those early years.

Have just been looking back through the guestbook and it is not hard to see that all those contributors from the very early pages in 2011 are no longer contributing, and that includes myself.
It would seem that all of us in the 70 to 80 age bracket have swapped all our salty sea dog stories and swing the lights sagas,all our tot time tales and stories of hairy runs ashore. Maybe there is nothing else for us to contribute. This I find sad, the Ray Brookers and the Johnny Whitfields, the Kenny Ashtons and the Dave Peggs and many others, have given us all some fantastic laughs and jogged our memories over the years and in my case sponsored a desire to share some of the details of life after leaving the service.
Indeed I produced a potted history of the years following my leaving the service which I shared with a few of the above names contributors.
now it seems that the generations of Met people who followed us all need to take up the baton and keep this wonderful Guestbook running with tall tales and adventures, experiences that they had as "non tot drinkers" post 1967.
Thanks also to those moderators who keep the "Departed Shipmates" log up to date. It has allowed me to keep up to date with those people who,although they may have crossed the celestial gangway, we admired, learnt from, respected, and in some cases remembered with much love and deep affection.
Au revoir for now, but not goodbye, I look forward to seeing contributions from those who followed us and maybe, just maybe some more from the "Old Stagers"!

Hi. Does anyone know the whereabouts of Dave Castle please

Thought I would take this opportunity to wish everyone a most enjoyable Crimbo. Despite a forecast for rain on the big day here, we plan to laze it with grog and scran. Cheers to all those I spent time with and may the New Year be a good one for you. A Special Hello to "Bugle Pete, Julie and the Girls", and a long owed greeting to "Elusive Budgie Burgess". During this latest house move, I discovered your lost eloquently written letter from way back. Fond memories of fabulous times. If in fact you live in Norway I suspect you moved there to be close to Santa for first dibs at the presents! Merry Crimbo all and a Happy New Year. Keith.

Hi. I’m a daughter of Charles Simon Keeley who sadly passes away in 1978.

I am sorry to see that Clem Oliver has passed away. I believe he was at Christmas Island at the same time as Clement.

My mum had some correspondence with Clem in the early 90s following a radio 2 programme searching for Christmas Island shipmates.

If anyone knows of my dad or of Clem and his time at Christmas Island it would be so lovely to hear about it.

Thanks Kristina.

Have just read Don Watling's post, and whilst I never met the gentleman I would probably guess that his police training had developed his ability to size up people he met very quickly, accurately and very succinctly.
Welcome to the Guestbook my friend