Serving the Colours

@RHerriott

I was interested in Jenny's forefathers, at least the ones who served in the British Army.  Until well after the second world war there was often no other opportunity for an unemployed young man than enlisting as a 'sodger!'  Of course many joined the Royal Navy or Merchant Navy in similar circumstances, but reliable long term work was not always easy to obtain, nor to keep.  So, for many soldiering was a choice.  It gave a regular wage (10 shillings a week or so in 1914), a uniform as clothes were expensive, and the opportunity to see the world, a world that would remain unseen otherwise.

Those in work could count on a day or so holiday in some jobs, a weeks leave was possible but usually unpaid, unless you were in a clerical role, and wandering around the world was only for the wealthy.

So, in 1925, unable to find work, my father and his mate next door wandered up to the recruiting office.  

'How old are you?' asked the sergeant.

'18,' They replied.

'Go for a walk around the block, and come back when you are 19,' suggested the sergeant.

A short while later the pair returned.

'How old are you,' gruffed the sergeant.

'19,' they replied.

'Sign here.'

And they were in.

Well not exactly.  The MO, the doctor, decided my dad's mate had flat feet and rejected him, so my dad found himself alone in the 2nd Battalion the Kings Own Scottish Borderers,' for 7 years and 3 in reserve.

Within a year he was sending postcards from Egypt, where he climbed the pyramids, then Hong Kong where hew as to lodge for 5 years.  A young man of his time would have been lucky to get a train to North Berwick or Glasgow for a holiday.  Railways enabled many to get out and about, but if paid 10-15 shillings a week then a 3'6d rail fair was a lot.  There again, where would the money for the day off come from?  

I suspect there was also the Imperialist propaganda at the back of his mind.  The UK had an Empire, we ruled the world, and he would see no problem at the time with dominating either the Chinese or the Indians he would meet much later.  He probably considered he was doing them good!  How times and ideas change in a hundred years.  

@RHerriott

Was it 1961 my brother enlisted?  A very different time, a very differing mental outlook among the people.  The Empire remained, though it was breaking up fast.  People rejoiced in a time when 'they never had it so good,' and yet the draw of a service life, this time as a photographer in the RAF was tempting for many.   There was no 'walking round the block,' here, you enlisted at 19 or went away for a year.   National Service had ended, no conscription, so all this was voluntary, and my brother had no intention of slugging it out under bullying corporals in the army, so he joined the RAF.  Here, he found bullying corporals, but once passed the test he found intelligent men who were willing to work for the cause and have fun at the same time.  The RAF has always drawn in a more relaxed crowd, mostly middle class, and often technically minded.  This is something soldiering had little need for until the last 30 or so years.  Many young soldiers now have learned their job through online games rather than pub brawls.  Many enjoy both of course.

While dad kicked around the Chinese for a while and then tended to the hospital patients in India where he chose to be an orderly, Rob had a much more civilised time in Germany, Cyprus and what is now Dubai!  He also endured after 102% in the Gulf the pleasure of RAF Kinloss, where 102% only existed in your oven.  Whether he owned or stole the Royal Enfield bike I know not, but we never saw it. He did have a habit of acquiring shoddy vehicles.

The point that got my attention with Jenny's family is how so many were forced into the armed forces.  It was a take it or starve policy that many benefited from.  But how did this affect the children?  Some I know had family in RAF or diplomatic service and travelled across the world.  Some were dumped in Boarding schools, others on family members, or trudged around the world grabbing education here and there.  Was this good for them?  

I have to say it would have suited me in some ways,  constant change would enable me to leave behind things I did not like, as well as things I did like.  The experience of foreign places early in life, the warmth instead of the sold, different exotic foods, and possibly a less disciplined regime?  A Boarding School would have been awful, not that this would have been considered by our family, only the middle classes went there.  The main loss of constant moving would be the effect on the family.  If the family was good and able to keep together it could be a great time.  If it was troublesome or partings were forced this could be difficult for many.  Families are meant to be together.

I never enlisted, though my father often suggested I joined the Soviet Union army, for the sake of the country...

Cold Stroll

 

Clear skies above and frozen temperatures below, an ideal  winters day.  However, for those who had to walk, drive or cycle to work across a frozen white landscape their impressions may have been unwelcoming.  

The peely-wally moon struggled to be seen in the bright morning air.  Continuing his journey unmindful of the 8 billion below he hung above slowly disappearing as the sun rose higher.  Now taken for granted by us all but in the past early man watched the moon and the stars above circling the earth.  He calculated his journey, not always understanding the difference between a star and a planet, but very early on had worked out how they rotated above us, possibly understanding that we two rotated and moved through space also.

As I was passing, I decided to take the lift to the top of the car park where the frost whitened the layout.  Few park here, most prefer downstairs, inside, and free from chilly weather.  I wanted to see how the sun lay across the houses.

A light blue haze hung across the houses blurring the distant electricity pylons, the ones that power the homes and enrich the power companies.  The heat comes not from the radiators but from opening the bill every month!  It is nice to know the men at the top of such companies will not need council benefits to heat their houses.  

Under these whitened rooftops live some 40,000 souls.  I know this for a fact, partly because of the 2021 census returns indicate this, partly because each and everyone of them was in the shop early this morning stocking up for the weekend and Christmas!  December is a time when shopping must be done the minute the stores open.  Waiting until later means meeting the 40,000 and this includes the kids at the weekend.  

The dads, usually abused by the chattering classes in the media, were out in force once again.  The trailed behind them kids of to gatherings, organised or individual, shops, parties, special events, and things which cost dad lots of money.  One was seen somewhat bewildered by one lass, about 7 years old, who was much in tears though dad did not seem to understand why.  His perplexed expression was a picture.  I winder if he ever sorted this out?

I fought through the crowd and crossed the deserted park.  The grass was beginning to show green by this time, the dogs would be pleased, and the sun was reaching the furthest portions of the grasslands, easing the frost away, though by the time I write this scribble it is already back to zero degrees around here.  It was so cold in the morning I had to open the windows to let the freezing air in to warm up the house!  I might use heating tonight...

Kids Day

I opened the doors at ten and fell under the crush of kids, mums, push chairs, dads, grans and granddads who were waiting outside.  We never stopped and by 11 am I had had to reprint all the paper 'trails' we were giving out, refill all the 'stickie' labels and still they kept coming!
My reckoning claims around a hundred thousand came in today but this might be inaccurate.  The fact that they were still coming in long after I left at 2 pm tells us that we touched on a popular subject this time.  
I was weary when I arrived, an hour short of sleep, and was posted giving out the trails and setting folks in the right direction.  My knees did not like standing all day but I really enjoyed today just the same.  Most of the kids were young ones, mostly under 9 years, a great many under 5 years and they were easy to please, few were unhappy and for most this did not last.
A magician was on hand with card tricks which proved popular, one lass aided the kids making cupcakes, she had to run back to Tesco for more six times but the first thing all kids liked was 'cupcakes!'  In the big hall many more made magic wands, each and every one in the hands of a three year old designed to 'take someone's eye out.'  
This I think was an excellent day even though the quiz was too difficult for most and I had no clue as to what it was about.  Still they all appeared happy, mums and dads, including the dad who was constantly chasing his 3 year old this way and that, all smiled and were determined like the kids to get a free sticker at the end of the day.  It is amazing how getting a sticker cheers a small child!
I am now attempting to find something nourishing for my hulk.  The kids will sleep well tonight, mum and dad will sleep well tonight but none will sleep as well as I will!
Wake me on Thursday!

 

Chilly Meeting

Some men love having a son, they can do so much with this heart treasure, they look forward to the day their son becomes something of worth such as a great footballer, this however costs.  On Sunday I passed the park where the local non-league teams under 7's were playing (I guess the age from their appearance).  On either side of the pitch stood a motley collection of persons slowly freezing to death while their son began the ten year slog to make it to the top. Wrapped in their winter best they cheered, clapped and encouraged within the limits of the rules, too much interference causes trouble so parents are urged to keep it quiet at this level, and at the same time drank the umpteenth cup of coffee from the stall that cleverly parks itself in the middle of the pitches.  
It amazes me these kids, when we were eight years old we chased the ball as a group, usually around forty of us at school, and had no idea what to do when we got it bar kick it, anywhere!  The guys playing here were well coached, kept to their positions more or less and were learning to kick the ball properly.  On occasions it is clear one or two of these lads will make it high up in years to come, others will drift into park football or drink, drugs or women problems like the majority however, but what fun getting there!  Dad will age slowly while his body succumbs to frostbite in winter and sunburn in summer with little hope of ever seeing his son score the winning goal in a cup final.  He will think at the moment it is however worth it!

Today was museum meeting day.  This can be enlightening, with info on the future exhibitions, shop work, marketing but it can also be worryingly slow if he or she asks that daft question and he is in attendance to answer it slowly and with added repetitions while he or she argues the case meaninglessly to win a point.  Today however the manager was not with us so that saved us thirty minutes!  
Info on the next few exhibitions was offered, talk on what to do with money in the shop, discussion with my suggestions with what to do with suffragettes came to nothing as a dozen women disagreed with my suggestion, there are no railings available either, and so on until  happy group fled the scene leaving the clearing up to the staff.
Back tomorrow to show my cheery welcoming skills to all and sundry, especially the women who will be checking up on the half term holiday activities so they can dump the brats for an hour or so. I expect a lot of phone calls and visits tomorrow regarding that.  Then I will have time to myself, unless I get snowed in of course.

Ruminating

The Blogosphere has been choc-a-block with comments on the late Neil Armstrong.  No point in repeating what has gone before but it was indeed a moment to remember that first step onto the Moon!  In fact while ruminating on this I drifted off into many memories of the time, including the trip before Armstrong's.  On that occasion the capsule went close to the moon, and watching on our B & W TV It appeared to me that they were just skipping the surface of Earth's satellite.  It was a fascinating close up of the surface of the moon, almost like being there, we were so close.  The memory stays with me and by the time the actual Moon landing was to begin I, like the rest of the world, was agog!  

In many ways it is difficult to comprehend the emotions of the time.  Here was man, American or Soviet it mattered not, about to leap into space and stand on the Moon!  This was indeed as important as those famous explorers of times past, and on this occasion almost the whole world would be able to see it happen.  To place a man on that globe hanging above us, sometimes a thin crescent, sometimes huge and bright, all to often hidden behind cloud, was an amazing experience.  Having been brought up during the 50's, fed on a diet of 'Dan Dare,' and guesswork regarding space exploration, reading about rockets that would soon speed through space taking us to the far corners of the galaxy was eye opening, and here we were actually doing it! Fantastic!

The night before they launched the BBC broadcast a special programme from the launch site.  This ended with the camera slowly passing in front off the waiting rocket, this was lit by searchlights in the dark night, as the theme from '2001 Space Odyssey' (Zarathustra) played.  It was an emotional moment.  I was, as they say, 'thrilled,' indeed excited.  Later my mother and I sat up late into the night watching the actual landing.  Here was a historic moment indeed.  One of the few real historic events in mankind's existence, and I (along with billions elsewhere) was there.   

I had just turned 18, that year my father had died from cancer, and Jesus decided to inform me of his existence.  Altogether a funny old year looking back.  My dad was born in 1908, five years after man had conquered flight.  In his time he saw the development of wireless, television, a depression and a major war.  He also saw the new world in 1945, better housing and an NHS without which his illness would have been unbearable.  He died when we stood on the Moon, how far had we come?   Human nature has never changed and 

while we conquer space we still cannot conquer famine, crime, ourselves.

By 1972 when the last man (who was he?) walked on the moon it had become old hat.  Space travel rarely excited any more.  The Voyager craft and their kind sailing to the edge of the Galaxy excite some interest but rarely does space mean much to us today.  The recent Mars landing and the pictures returned have been worth while but far short of the adventure of reaching the moon.

A local scare has seen the police, sharpshooters and all, Zoo keepers, and helicopters aplenty scouring parts of Essex for a Lion!  There are thought to be several large black cats, possibly Puma's that have once been kept illegally as pets and now released into the wild, roaming in various places.  How true these stories are is debatable.  However a large 'yellow' creature was seen, captured on film, and one man heard a 'roar,' and so a police chase was set off.

Nothing was found, and the chase called off as it was 'just a large domestic animal.' says the coppers.  Hmmm I hope they are right, or a few dogs will get one big fright the next time they chase a cat.

  

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