Significant Dates in One's Life

... It was 51 years ago to the day that a young Uncle Vanya signed on to the great British Army, one coldish, dampish day on the 5th of November 1963, to be taken away to the Army Recruiting Office in Plymouth to sign away his life to the Greater Glory of these here United kingdoms to be trained as a Cold War Warrior and a Hero of this nation...!!

I still don't know why the two Army Recruiter Sergeant came all the way down from Plymouth to the small North Cornwall village of Port Isaac where I was living at the time with my family. Perhaps they came to make sure I didn't run a way. They could have sent a Rail Warrant in the post for me, as there was still a railway nearby, the North Cornwall line from Padstow to Exeter, some years before Doc Beaching got his mits on the UK's railway system.

Anyhoo!!    I signed the paperwork, was given some cash, and an onward Rail Warrant and told to make my way 'oop north' to sunny North Yorkshire where I would be met at Darlington rail station and taken to Catterick Camp and the then Vimy Lines (Vimcy 'C' block). So my illustrious Army career began.

Any other significant dates that folks out there in cyber land remember during their career as a Hero and warrior of this nation.....

A, well, time for me morning Meds, coffee and a gander outside to see what the weather is like. Onward and upward, some more coffee and cake methinks...!

unclevanya wrote:

... It was 51 years ago to the day that a young Uncle Vanya signed on to the great British Army.

I still don't know why the two Army Recruiter Sergeant came all the way down from Plymouth to the small North Cornwall village of Port Isaac where I was living at the time with my family. :

Probably on a Jolly Boys Outing!

Shelldrake wrote:

unclevanya wrote:

... It was 51 years ago to the day that a young Uncle Vanya signed on to the great British Army.

I still don't know why the two Army Recruiter Sergeant came all the way down from Plymouth to the small North Cornwall village of Port Isaac where I was living at the time with my family. :

Probably on a Jolly Boys Outing!

It is probably those fantastic Cornish pasties that did it. Boy I still miss them, had an Auntie in Red Ruth years ago, and she made fantastic pasties.

I recall my 21st Birthday, on Guard Duty in 24 Sigs, June 1966, a Sunday to boot. I suppose it saved me from a hangover but I was not pleased.....

My 21st (1954) was spent in Kure, Japan attached to Australian Signal Regt. Their fiendish SSM arranged for me to be orderly dog. On top of that we were in the middle of a typhoon and a stand to was ordered. Didn't remember much as I was as pissed as a cricket but I was complimented the next day for the way the weapons had been issued and withdrawn from the armoury, complements of our Japanese house boy who took my keys and did the job. He was also great at disposing of the top secret waste from the Signals Office and Cipher Office. What a way to run an Army. If Taff Reese or Eric Filmer are skulking in the back ground, thank you boys for getting me pissed ... but what a party.

The day I was BORN can't remember much about it but I'm still here

john boy wrote:

The day I was BORN can't remember much about it but I'm still here

Don't worry John Boy, the older you get, the more you remember, now where was I....

Eric England wrote:

Shelldrake wrote:

unclevanya wrote:

... It was 51 years ago to the day that a young Uncle Vanya signed on to the great British Army.

I still don't know why the two Army Recruiter Sergeant came all the way down from Plymouth to the small North Cornwall village of Port Isaac where I was living at the time with my family. :

Probably on a Jolly Boys Outing!

It is probably those fantastic Cornish pasties that did it. Boy I still miss them, had an Auntie in Red Ruth years ago, and she made fantastic pasties.

I think Red Ruth was a ruskie spy, Redruth is a place in Cornwall I do believe !.

My husband studied at the Camborne School of Mines near Redruth. We courted there and jolly nice it was too. Though he wasn't army, he had me walking the coast for miles in all weathers with a heavy rucksack and was quite impressed I didn't lag, even when we climbed Scaffell Pike in the Lake District. Well, pad brats are impressive all round!

PetraCreser wrote:

My husband studied at the Camborne School of Mines near Redruth. We courted there and jolly nice it was too. Though he wasn't army, he had me walking the coast for miles in all weathers with a heavy rucksack and was quite impressed I didn't lag, even when we climbed Scaffell Pike in the Lake District. Well, pad brats are impressive all round!

Ah Yes, Cambourne, very nice but you can't get there from here. You have to go to Exeter first !!!.

Unclevanya, isn't Port Isaac where they film Doc Martin.

Yes - the Doc Martin comedy TV series has been filmed in Part Isaac for a number of years. The TV production company will be filming again in 2015 for the next series of this show, according to a local Port Isaac business owner when I was visiting there back in May of this year.