Guest Book

To Johnny - I remember two Turners in the Met branch - both called Dave, just to confuse things. One was from the early 1960's era, and quite a stocky lad. The other one was a fair-haired lad from probably the late 60's/early 70's. Which one was your best man? Can you tell us all the EXACT name i.e. what the DA stood for; do you know where he hailed from? Somebody who reads this might know him. What about she who knows all????? The Secretary bird......

No, I'm not kidding about boarding school - my father was in the RAF and the RAF paid my fees to go there while my sister and mother swanned all over the world enjoying themselves. I was very bitter about that, but got my reveng. I am still very proud to see my entry in the school log
BROOKER R EXPELLED
Because I ran away, my father had to repay all the fees that the RAF had paid, and it just about finished him off moneywise. We never spoke again after that....but I'm not bitter!
I like Ken's remark about the taxi from the main gate to the Met School - but as I remember it, a lot of the Wrens were quite willing to offer him a ride......

To KA you must of completed your basics at Nuneaton and didnt move by overnight train on mass to Arbroath.which I did
Remember a young Ray Brooker getting a taste for Green bell peppers served in a Pub in St Martins Lane. which may of had him running to the nearest toilet.
Still trying to find the whereabouts of D A Turner signed himself DAT was my best man.

For Johnny Whitfield, got the photo you sent but did not recognise anybody other than your goodself.
For Ray Brooker, are you sure that you hav'nt been reading Tom Browns Schooldays, sounds like one hell of a school you went to!As for sport, are you sure? you used to ask for a taxi to take you from the Main Gate at Culdrose to the Met School!

Ah well,sport,eh? Now there's a story! I went to a very VERY strict boarding school when I passed my 11+ and until I was 16 I represented the school, and the county (Lincolnshire) juniors at cross country. I was very good! Then I rebelled against all the school stood for i.e. Church three times on a Sunday, daily beatings by the older boys, no contact with the outside world etc. (I could write a book) and ran away overnight to Portsmouth; and joined the RN - and as I was only sixteen, I was sent to HMS Ganges for a year. Everyone found it quite harsh, but after boarding school, I found it a doddle. Which brings me on to the reason for this dit. After a while at Ganges, I started receiving duty free cigarettes, and took up smoking in a serious way....and that was the end of running for me.....and then of course at eighteen the tot came along. I'm talking 1958-59 here, and the good old RN did their best to ruin your health. Glad to hear that some resisted, and carried on being sporting!

Hallo my grand old mate Spud, have decided to revisit the Guestbook pages after a wee while away. Firstly, I received your chopper trying to land in a so called "difficult sea" which took me straight back to my days on the Dalrymple on the dreaded Rockall/Malin run up to survey the continental shelf from Bear island to the Bay of Biscay along with Lt Cdr Dick Dodwell, Jesus did it bring back memories, i think I was sick for the first week onboard!! Bloody awful weather and it was in July!!!
Secondly, I never thought for one minute that anyone in the Met Branch would ever mention sport at any level, so it is with great humility that I mention my participation in the sports of the RN.
Here goes:- after I left training I was drafted to Portland (the first ever met rating to go there off course) I then represented Portland at X-Country in the Pompey command cross country chanpionship at Dryad along with George Chilton we were the only two Wafoos who ran against 140 odd fish-heads. Portland finished runners-up to Victory A and I still have the trophy to prove it!!
Portland didn't have an Air Dept football team so instead I represented 737 and then 771 Sqdns and then Portland itself.
On the Ark I played for her at hockey in Singers and also for the Air Dept and 815 Sqdn at football, then at Lee I represented the base at both Football and Rugby plus the Air Dept at football. On to the London where I played football for the ship and also for the Seamens dept!! then to Brawdy where again I played both football and Rugby for the base.
Onto the Albion and played for the Air dept and 848 sqdn at football and also for the Albion plus we (Lt Geoff Roberts, me and Tim Preston took part in the first ever inter ship quiz against the Eagle (which we won 34-26) Geoff scored 17, yours truly got 16 and Tim scored 1)
Then back to Lee to finish off and played for Lee and the Air Dept at football and then I went outside.
Also represented the Fleet Air Arm at Field Gun Crew and the gun crew at both football and cricket.
That's it Spud, I was a sportsman
and still continued playing in civvy street until I was 47 at football, rugby and cricket. seems so long since but the memories and photos, trophies and plaques are still with me.
No-one believed I was Met, they all thought I was a chockhead or a bombhead because as far as "they" were concerned Met men didn't play sport. Even on the Gun Crew I was put down as a NAM!!
great to hear from you Spud,
mebbe we'll now hear how Brooker scored the winning goal in a Wembley cup final, a century at Lords and ran riot in the Met school at both Kete and Culdee!!!
All the best Spud,
Cheers
G.

Well Ken fancy remembering that true I had forgotten that, as I was a Goalkeeper I suppose diving was part of my game, I still have the scars playing for the Birmingham forgot my knee pads, when I figure out my printer I will send you a Photo of me in goal when at Arbroath. made it for the Navy agaist Nato land forces in Italy but only on for a while really to short. loved Cricket.played for local teams after leaving the Navy.
always thought it was a shame sporting facts were never put on your history sheet. Played in Singapore once. after every goal went off for a tiger top to say the least it was a high scoring game.
great memories which brings me back to the wren of us in the school staff I am sure she was MT.

Johnny, don't know about your football prowess but I do remember you and I playing cricket for the Air department at Culdrose and you taking one of the most superb catches I have ever seen at any level of cricket.
I ws bowling, the batsman gave it one hell of a swipe, you were fielding on the boundary, and you took it one handed at full stretch about three feet off the ground!
Given the fact that you could hardly have been called a light weight at that time, it was unbelievable!
Bet you had forgotten that one eh?

I would like echo the comments made by Spud it is quite amazing just how many past Mets they have amassed in my own time in the Navy I think less than twenty have crossed my path. Partly because my course consisted of me and partly because I was with Asweps on more than one occasion.
Whilst at Kete I played football, though I am not sure whether that was during my course or later just before the change, were there other Fleet Air Arm courses at Kete I remember being in a mess where one of the Occupants continuously played music from South Pacific till we hid it.In my early days I was loosely a bit of a Muscle Bosun
resulting in the pains I suffer now.
I started my one man course after Chritsmas and new year 1958/59 and passed out met111 26th jan 1959.
then on Birmingham returning later that year for the changeover to Culdrose, if anyone can remember those periods it would be nice to rejuvenate my little grey matter.
Once again thankyou to the team

2012 Reunion (next week) numbers not meeting expectation (for reasons that can be discussed later).

I want to use this dit to give support to Charlie and his team's efforts over the years for the setting-up , admin, then admin and admin and re-design and redesign to expand capacity, of site (at no cost to us) - all effort to present our popular site which encourages the current banter, encouraging membership (and the possibility of regenerating the old 'banter site' which the Sec has on disc) and to entice more of our un-exposed, undeclared, shy, (all you need-to-do is say you were a MET and press enter) or 'lost and found'
Please join us now - this site will be lost without you.

Given we have a non-fee membership site I'm sending Charlie £10 to support the site - it needs it - I think I have had much more than a tenners value from the site in recent years

JW's current flood of memories are an example of the 'added value'to our lives (Not to mention Ray Brooker's and others very clear memories way back in Jurasic days)(Wish George Blu could be with us more often he is 'shirley' the BOSON PARTICLE to fill in any gaps.

Hope we survive and enjoy the interaction!