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I was at the school from 14/01/60 to 17/03/61. My first ship was the S.S. Oriana, which I joined with Alex Raeburn. I did five trips, Alex did two. My other ships were the M.V. Lobito Palm, M.Vikeja Palm, M.V. La Selva, S.S. City of Peterborough, Loch Avon and the M.V. Crystal Jewel.

My last ship was a B.P. Tanker British Star. I left the navy in 1965 and worked as an Ariel Rigger constructing radio towers and masts. Travelling mostly over all the UK I did this for eight years then became a Painter and Decorator, which I still do in and around North London. I am married to Gill and live in Hertford, I have two children (Nick & Tracey) and one grandchild (Nathan).

When I joined the Loch Avon in 1963, I bumped into Roger Webber, he was also at the school when I was there, he was signing on the same ship. I remember that well. I think we had three fires on board that trip. One was in Long Beach, California. We had a "job and finish" on the funnel. There were four of us on Boson Chairs when the funnel began to get hot, so hot that the paint began to peel off! One of the boilers had caught fire and the heat was coming through the ship to the funnel. It took about three weeks in a Los Angles dry dock to put right. That wasn't so bad! I remember all the boys well, Cowrie, R. Williams, Whelan, Ward, Atheral, Austin and Bloomfield who I saw in Sydney, Australia. He was on a Port boat while I was on the Oriana, and of course Alex Raeburn.