Yes, of shipmates, Racehorse and Captain Jack Sparrow…
I am back home after 3 very active days.
From Plymouth to Emsworth at the invitation of a friend and ‘shipmate’ of many years who I’ve not seen for a very long time,faaaar to long; for the very great pleasure of meeting his wife and family.
If I write ‘we had a wine together’ I mean it in the nautical sense, a long yarn well lubricated.
It was this mate whom I have always held in very high esteem, James McGaw Thomson and Mike Lingwood who in effect enabled, gave me the chance, as a 25 year old Gordon Frickers to set up South East Boat Builders ltd of Rye, East Sussex.
Those days, to much fun, B****y hard work, now a golden memory, thus Jim and I down memory lane recalled many a name I have not heard in the past 35 years.
Then onto Portsmouth or to be more precise, Southsea.
Last Sunday was for me an outstanding day, very focused, happy work intersperced with delightful breaks and katy’s fine meals, I was with Peter and Katy Goodwin; and a captain Jack Sparrow.
Peter Goodwin some of you know is a naval author and historian.
Peter was an engineer in the Royal Navy including serving in conventional and later, nuclear submarines. He has written to day some 17 authoritative books, advised on many more, was an advisor for the now classic film Master and Commander and when I met Peter back in the 90’s, he was “Keeper and Curator” of HMS Victory tasked to return her to 1805 condition for the 200 th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar.
It may not escape your attention that we were at times ‘assisted’ by Captain or should that be Cat tain? Jack Sparrow.
All three of the Goodwin cats are named after famous pirates…