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Joined my first ship the Port Lincoln 3 days before my 16th birthday, (needless to say I kept that very quiet). Served on one or two other Port boats, then sailed on the Union Castle MV Bloemfontein Castle. Deciding to try the R.F.A. I joined the RFA MV Wave Victor, then the SV Eddyfirth, a little tiny coastal tanker. Landing in Grimsby I decided to try my luck with the fishing fleet, signed on the S.V. Tokio, as a decky trimmer (yuck), one of Taylor's. Deciding life below decks (in Icelandic waters) must be better I signed on the M.V. Olivier, as a Trainee Engineer, thus ended my life at sea for some time.

I joined the Royal Air Force, (don't ask long story) somehow got a transfer to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, did my 9 years and came out.

Back to sea it was then lads, Trinity House Lights & Buoys Dept at East Cowes, on the T.H.V. Churchill as a fireman, they only wanted someone for a short period, man off sick. Then I struck lucky and was offered a A.B's job in the same depot on the Trinity House 70ft Pilot Vessels, at the Needles, later at the Nab Tower station on the 40ft Pilot Vessels, until made redundant in 1988.

Before going back to Trinity House I was Bosun-Mechanic on the semi hovercraft, surface effect vessel; "Sant Agata" run by Cowes Express, a 50knot (yes that's right, 50 Knot) 380 passenger catamaran, running from Cowes I.o.W. to Southampton.

Finally it was back to the T.H. Lights and buoys at Harwich, serving on various lightships and lighthouses in the offshore support group, then on the T.H.V. Patricia, T.H.V. Mermaid until retiring in 2002.

After retiring from Trinity House I went back to the skills learnt during my time in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps see www.thedogtrainer.info

(That's just a potted version.)