Guest Book

First report for a long time!
Just bought myself a very sporty Japanese coupe car. It must be the boy racer coming out or maybe senility is finally taking over!
0 to 60 in 5 secs,150mph top speed, I will never see either of these measurements achieved but by gum it don't half look nice on the drive
Just need to grow a big moustache, root out the flares and the platform soles and here we go guys 70's all over again.

At Last a reply Cheers Ken, Its a shame had a lot of fun moments with Margaret. Hope you are well and enjoying your Golf.Isnt that a good old Navy song about saying goodnight to his Horse.

Johnny I think you are floggin a dead orse with your last query. They were on my course but I have not heard of them from that day to this.

Back to my original enquiry about my time at Kete, I was asking about two wrens and I have found their names, one was Wendy Wevell and other, who kept me in check was
Margaret Penhaligon a good Cornish name. They must of been on the same course as Ken.
does any one know what happened to them after Kete ?.

Alan Barr. I first met Alan at Kete over the last weekend in Sept 1958 before starting the Met III course comprising 14 Naval Air Mechanics and 7 Wrens. Alan was a gentleman, married with his wife Sheila and child in Basingstoke. We had a long weekend mid course and Alan brought back a brace of pheasants so we all had a taste of the famous bird, for me the first and only time. Eleven NAM's were successful, Pete Lonsdale topped the course along with Alan, yours truly, Dickie Bird, JTC Bell, Bogey Knight, Trevor Miles, Speedy Napton, Jim Green, Rick Parkinson and Brian Welham. 3 blokes went back to NAM duties, Frank Burns, Jan Thoms and Tojo White. Can't remember all the names of the Wrens but they included Patsy Tatham, Jean Creasor, Celia Potter and Janet Frost. I only saw Alan a few times, but never forgot his and Sheila's hospitality in having me over to their home in Johore Bahru for a great dinner evening in 1967 when Alan was at FEFHQ and I was a three badge killick in HMS Eagle. In 2009 I took my wife Faye to the cloudobservers' reunion and Alan and Sheila went out of their way to come and visit us in Pompey, spending several hours with us, Alan being a gentleman as ever. I hope Sheila can take consolation in that Alan will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Though our Paths never crossed any loss of a fellow ex Met is certainly worth a mention.
I hope Alan rests in Peace.

Very saddened to hear of Alan Barr's passing. Colin, his son says, in an overnight e-mail, he died on Friday after a short battle with lung cancer.
I have fond memories of Alan who ran the office at Brawdy in '62/'63. It was my first draft(aged 17) after RNSOM and he was a great example of the old style killick - firm and fair with great authority. Qualities I was to find lacking in Leading Hands more and more as my career outside the Met branch progressed.
A real gentleman, I had fairly frequent e-mail exchanges with Alan in recent years though I never met up with him again after Brawdy. He referred to me in his mails as 'young Sir' !
In the office at that time were Arnie Pearson, Taff (Francis) Hillier, Bob Capper, Bob Lewis (I think), Crash Evans (played clarinet?) and a few more names I can not recall right now.

Rest in Peace Alan.

Cheers Ray, I do have my Records though somewhat battered, I just cannot remember any Met Personel between those dates that I have given, apart from the two Wrens who I have already mentioned.I had a very short course, on my own.There may of been other courses during those Periods.

Johnny - there is an easy way to jog your memory, and that is to ask the MOD to send you your Naval history documents. I got mine, with all drafts, promotions, dates, etc. Then you'll know exactly what you did and when, even if you can't remember!

Ken and Ray I am trying to recall my early Days in Met and trying to remember who was where and when.
My first taste of Nval Met was in Jan 1959 at Harrier leaving in March 1959, returning again the end of Jan 1960 until its closure the day brfore my Birthday in April 1960. During my time at Kete I only remember two wrens one a tiny girl called Margaret who I took to the Griffin and met her again in Falmouth on another occasion, her friend was called Wendy, then I always preferred the fairer, any other Met personel is a complete blank. I played football at Kete and remember a person in the mess who isisted on playing South Pacific, we were all dreaming Happy Happy Talk but I dont think he was Met but the mess was certainly full of Naval Airman we few beat the Seaman at Football.
My own course was just me but cannot recall any other courses running along side mine.
If you more knowledgeable of things gone by could rekindle my mind, to many years of pulling pints along with working with numbers some memories have been lost, maybe 3 years of not drinking has deadened my brain, perhaps it should be refueled with a few Pinkers.
Any input would be grateful.