The Old Sea Dog

 I was born on the 28th June, on the Isle of Wight, sometime I am told in the middle of an air raid, however when I asked my mother and father some years later, the actual time, they both told me they couldn't remember, the air raid was over Portsmouth, and both of them were trying hard to protect each other and me. It would seem that I was born feet first, and as my mother would say, I have been on my feet ever since, As a young boy, I was the explorer, We moved to Portland, my father buying the house belonging to my grandfather, he was my favourite granddad, and I always called him Pop, he had his own business, he was a painter and decorator and worked alongside his only son, Jolliffe and son. As a schoolboy on Portland, I would find out where they were working, and after school would head for the house, and help bring the ladders and paint pots back to the workshop. They didn't have a van, just a pair of old trucks that had to be pushed to and from the house being worked on,...

 Can I just say, to all of you who have been reading my blog, and the story I finished yesterday. I would like to thank you. As I said at the very beginning, this is a story, however, the names used are those of people I know, within my own family and friends. Like my own family, the Palmers, Ken, Dorothy, Kelvin and my younger sister Penny, and of coarse myself, Michael or Mike as I preferred to be called. Yes, I did go to Malta in 1956, and I did go to Tal Handaq school, even the canoe is true, except I use to go out in it with my brother, we all came back to England in 1959 and I joined the Royal Navy at Gosport, H.M.S. St Vincent, but I did go back to Malta with the navy, and of coarse to the Far East, Middle East and across the pond to the U.S.A. But to be honest, I hated going there, to me, the yanks always had this view that they were better than us in England, we have bigger buildings, we have bigger warships, I did have a right old go at a couple of American sailors who we...

 As winter passed into spring, Mike and Nann's love grew stronger, they realised, that whatever the navy threw at them, they would be able to weather the storm. Every week on Saturday night, Nann would sit at the table and write to both sets of parents telling them all the news, and in every letter, she would send pictures of both herself and Mike, and of coarse their new granddaughter, telling them all the little things that Debbie got up too. However Grace was only interested in one thing, was Michael treating her properly, and Nann was able to reply that yes Mike was being a very good husband and the best dad in the world. As she said. "Mike is a wonderful man, yes he still smacks my bottom, but as I now know, this is a love tap, so that when he does it, I know he loves me, and it's not painful, it just makes me feel happy. And as for him being with Debbie, they play on the floor for hours, it's only when I have to tell her that daddy has gone to work, that she gets...

At just after twelve, Mike was walking down Manoel Island road, the sun was shining and the day was warm. As Mike got halfway down the road, he saw the pram, then the woman waving at him, as Mike got closer, he realised it was Maureen and Debbie. It seemed, that while Mike was away, Maureen would walk Debbie up the road, in the hope that she would fall asleep and Maureen could get on with a few jobs around the flat. As they all walked back together with Mike pushing the pram, and Maureen with her arm around Mike's waist, Maureen was saying, that since he had been away Debbie had been a right little madam, playing her up, at every chance she got. Back in the flat, Debbie was laid on the rug, on the floor, Mike and Nann were sat on the sofa looking down at her, but were still able to have there kiss and cuddle, they had been away from each other for almost six weeks and somehow needed that little bit of quality time together, Nann got up and made them both a cup of tea, when she came...

 H.M.S. Bossington went to sea in the August for the big exercise, it lasted for just over three weeks, without mishap when they needed to take on fuel, that was done in Golden Bay with a small tanker coming alongside them, also in Golden Bay the ship took on stores and mail, again done by both ships going alongside each other to make the transfer, the weather was very good, and the sea was flat calm so that with fenders over the side, both ships could do what was needed without any problems. Mike was on the bridge whilst all this was going on, he again was duty bridge messenger and the skipper needed him to be ready to pipe if needed. Once Mike's duty was over he went down to his mess, on the table, all in little piles was the mail for the lads in the mess, in Mike's pile, were ten letters, going to his bunk he lay down and read all the letters, one by one. In all of them, Nann was saying the same things, how much she loved him and missed him, but also about the new baby, ever...

 Ken and Dorothy were invited to Mike and Nann's flat, to join them for dinner. As they all sat around after being given a guided tour of the new flat, Dorothy wanted to know why these two young people had fallen so deeply in love. "I don't know," Mike said. "We just seemed to click." Nann looked at her new husband. "Not quite," she said. "It is true, you took my breath away that first morning on the bus going to school, but what did for me, was the fact you loved water, and of coarse the canoe." "So," Ken said. "You fell in love with the canoe before Michael." "No no," Nann said. "I started to have feelings for Michael from day one, but when he showed me the canoe, and I had to do the swimming test, I realised that this man here." she put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "Was a boy who could be trusted, he looked on my safety as paramount and I knew that in his care I would always be ...

Shinner asked Mike if he would do Anita a favour."Sure." Mike said. "What would you like." Anita looked at Mike, her head slightly bowed, she was starting to blush. "Will you dance with the maid of honour," Shinner asked. Mike looked at Anita, she was also wearing the same oyster coloured dress as Nann, except the bodice of Anita's dress was slightly different, as Anita did have a bigger bust than Nann, but she still looked beautiful. Mike smiled at Anita, then taking her into his arms they danced together, as they danced Mike whispered into Anita's ear. "Don't tell the wife, will you, she can get very jealous if I dance with someone else." Anita smiled. " Maureen is my best friend, she has no reason to worry, I love David, and will never hurt him." they were both giggling over their silly conversation, as the music stopped Nann tapped Anita on the shoulder. "Any chance you and I can change partners." Nann had been...