A brief history of my charmed life.

 

Since leaving Cape Town in Feb 1962 by the Edinburgh Castle, I have lived in and around the southern counties of England.

 

I arrived in Oxford and studied for my A-Levels at the Headington Technical College. Sadly my failed 2nd year results at CT Uni did me no favours with the English employers.

Luckily I got a job for a year as a lab technician with the Oxford University Clarendon Laboratory.

I then managed to obtain three A-Levels and so achieved entry to the Physics Department of the then Brunel College of Advanced Technology in Acton, London (now Brunel University re-located in Uxbridge).

After four years of sweated blood I amazed myself my gaining both a Third Class degree and my lovely wife, Linda.

 

Both of us then obtained work with the Marconi Research Labs in Great Baddow, Essex. There I learnt to design microwave components for radar antennas and my wife (who was brighter than I by far) ran a metallurgical investigation lab.

 

During the following five years, we were blessed by the arrival of our daughter, Joanne, and of our son, Conrad.

I also joined the Essex Fire Brigade as a retained (that is part-time) fireman where I saw a slice of life that was extremely varied.

 

In '73 we all decamped to Cowes, Isle of Wight when I accepted employment by the Plessey Radar Company. I continued to design antenna and transmitter microwave sub-systems.

Foolishly, according to my wife, I again joined as a retained fireman for 18 years with the Isle of Wight Fire Brigade.

 

Joanne left school and, after travelling the world, eventually settled in Romsey, Hampshire with her husband. She is now a sergeant  in the Hampshire police.

We have a lovely granddaughter, Billie, now six years old.

 

Conrad tried his fortune as a chef but hated the hours and so eventually settled for a day job with a local timber construction firm. He is happier and more settled thank goodness.

 

I am now retired with my wife and we still live in the same house we bought in '73.

We keep ourselves entertained as members of several local clubs.

As francophiles we have also joined the Cowes Deauville Twinning association which gives us an excuse to nip over to France a few times a year.

 

We both enjoy messing about in our garden, making wine in summer from soft fruits (yum yum) and seeing the world whenever we can.

We visited Cape Town in '92 and '05. We tried to look up the names that I could remember but, alas, failed to make any contacts.