Guest Book

Pic of HERMES in online GUARDIAN today.
Now INS VIRAAT (India) she is expected to go on until 2020 if they can keep their Sea Harriers flying until then. She was launched in 1953 ! What a long life! Comprehensive article on WIKI !

Hi Don - remember you well (Northwood late 60's - when the Officers Mess burned down around Christmas I think).

Best wishes SPUD

Met Observer 1960 1968
Brawdy Portland Malta Admiralty Tiger Northwood and Eagle
I recognise a few names from This forum Now retired and living in Northamptonshire

Ray, by the way is Bhutan near Bradford?

You are quite right Ray, I was driving round today watching the fuel gauge needle head very rapidly south and thinking "what have you done you knob?", but later when I was parked in Asda car park a guy knocked on the window and said what a fantastic car it was.
Made me feel a whole lot better, what the Hell, I am only spending my own "bees and honey", so my daughter will be a few quid poorer than she thought she might be, how sad, never mind.

Seems like you are having a huge old-age crisis, Ken. For 'back to the 70's' it should read 'now in my 70's'
Same thing happened to me on my return from holiday in Bhutan a couple of weeks ago (trying to spend all my kid's inheritance) Sandra and myself had the English Consul to Bhutan as a tour guide....when I got home and said to my mate 'we were driven round by the British Consul' he said 'give over, you mean you were driven round IN a British consul'

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.