Hello folks,
It's been a while admittedly since I last graced these pages, I plead mitigating circumstances & idleness for this lapse.
Despite a lack of activity here, elsewhere I've been hurtling round like a mad March hare (honest Injun! Can we still say that nowadays or is it going to upset some offendee or other somewhere? Ah Bollix to 'em! I'm to cantankerous to bow to PC & whinging Lefties!) Anyways, like I say, I've been playing catch up with some old comrades from a former age & time, the 80's to be precise, 30+ odd years since! 
Can't really say what set me off on this venture, mayhaps a chance to regain some hint of a youth so happily squandered, maybe the looming spectre of a 25th Wedding anniversary in July this year (Hers, ours, mine
). The 25th Anniversary of the Gulf War that happened in Jan/Feb 91, which in a convoluted, roundabout way was responsible for my pitiful muttered proposal & the perceived joys to be experienced (or not as the case may be ) of wedded bliss to the Witchitty one. Or the e-mails exchanged with various Lads who served together at a pivotal point in our young, starry eyed & idealistic lives?
Er, all of the above I suppose. Over the last couple of years I managed to catch up with a couple of lads on a regular basis, last year a third mate had the dubious honour of reacquainting his august presence with "Scouse" Williams & his Missus. This year it'll happen again, plus a further victim has been singled out, the poor sod doesn't realise the depths of misery he's agreed to! Mind, he is a Boyo, so one can assume he's attuned to gloom! 
Spending time browsing through old photos in my collection or on the book of faces, remembering the names & fizzogs of the lads & lasses, the abysmal fashion styles (Cook house specials), dodgy haircuts & 80's porn star "Tasches", along with the units & locations, I was sent hurtling back to a time of simplistic pleasures, optimism, work hard play hard ethics, defender of the universe, invincibility & immortality! Plus lots of strong Beer by the bucket in for'n parts ...... Ah, the indestructible confidence of youth eh?
Fast forward 30+ years, er right, don't know what happened, the slim, athletic, baby faced, svelte young Adonises are now baldy, rotund, married/divorced, jaded & sceptical middle aged owd grumps (well most of them anyways, not me, I'm still marvellous, 'andsome & Athletic ..... my blog, my rules!) Who'd a thunk it?
Time spent in the "Big green fighting machine" definitely broadened this young lads horizons, 18 year old & living in a foreign land, experiencing new cultures & experiences (Beer, Women & scoff), being sent off to strange places (twice) to be shot at & blown up by people I didn't know & certainly didn't owe money to! Off to the wilds of British Columbia to play soldiers & experience the culture (Beer, Women & scoff). Being taught how to "Banzai" down snow covered slopes in the Hartz mountains & the Bavarian Alps with a couple of planks strapped to your feet while kitted out in jeans & trackies! Sailing around the Batic, North sea & Ijsselmeer, experiencing new cultures (Beer & scoff, the more astute of you may now realise the lack of Wimmin' & rightly assume I was either married or pretty damn close to it at this point). Added to all this joyousness I was picking up a wage every month to boot! It don't get much better really, but despite that I finally decide to chuck it all in in 1993 & become a "Mr" again with the intent to try a new approach to life where fashion & style wasn't dominated by green or "Camo", "Say Lavvy!" as the Froggits would say.
Anyways, all that aside, there really isn't any realistic option that those halcyon days filled with the bloom of youthful exuberance can in actuality be recovered, it'd be like trying to herd a gang of moggies, nigh on impossible! Still, at least a few tails can be tweaked in the process & as long as you're quick sharp enough, you can avoid the inevitable swipe of claws. And of course, as you recount favourite little anecdotes, the old grey cells get a proper workout & guaranteed, a pound to a pinch of pig squit ..... your "Mate" will remember some hideously embarrassing little episode you've conveniently forgotten & with great relish/malice, happily recount said narrative to all present to your utter horror & chagrin ..... Squaddies man, evil gits! Happy days!
Well that's me for now folkses, thanks for reading .....
As if proof were needed, see below the gallery of gruesomeness (with the exception of the unfortunate Damsels
). Most piccies have been shamelessly blagged from my fellow troopers who in true Squaddie tradition have selflessly displayed these images to give everyone a good grin!
A younger me in wombats, Rob "Pedro" Evans (we'll be catching up with him this year) & Jock Aitkin - G troop relaxing after a days graft (the innocent youngster at front left is the Daft Yorkingshire lad Glas) - Legs & Oggie in the block - NI 84-85 Me making a fashion statement with my Del team , although difficult to see the "Porn star Tasche" was taking form. - Marion & Man at Q&M's around Feb 88 in Bavaria (in a Pub on the way home from a days soldiering) - Sylvia & Stan in the same pub you can see who the grafter was eh? - That was then & now the years have caught up with us & here the proof , The youthful Glas now a Dad of two strapping young Lads - Legs now a retired Copper & Squire of his own demesne on Mersea Island where we visited last year - The old & bold "Stan" the man Matthews.
It's been a while admittedly since I last graced these pages, I plead mitigating circumstances & idleness for this lapse.
Despite a lack of activity here, elsewhere I've been hurtling round like a mad March hare (honest Injun! Can we still say that nowadays or is it going to upset some offendee or other somewhere? Ah Bollix to 'em! I'm to cantankerous to bow to PC & whinging Lefties!) Anyways, like I say, I've been playing catch up with some old comrades from a former age & time, the 80's to be precise, 30+ odd years since! Can't really say what set me off on this venture, mayhaps a chance to regain some hint of a youth so happily squandered, maybe the looming spectre of a 25th Wedding anniversary in July this year (Hers, ours, mine
). The 25th Anniversary of the Gulf War that happened in Jan/Feb 91, which in a convoluted, roundabout way was responsible for my pitiful muttered proposal & the perceived joys to be experienced (or not as the case may be ) of wedded bliss to the Witchitty one. Or the e-mails exchanged with various Lads who served together at a pivotal point in our young, starry eyed & idealistic lives? Er, all of the above I suppose
. Over the last couple of years I managed to catch up with a couple of lads on a regular basis, last year a third mate had the dubious honour of reacquainting his august presence with "Scouse" Williams & his Missus. This year it'll happen again, plus a further victim has been singled out, the poor sod doesn't realise the depths of misery he's agreed to! Mind, he is a Boyo, so one can assume he's attuned to gloom! Spending time browsing through old photos in my collection or on the book of faces, remembering the names & fizzogs of the lads & lasses, the abysmal fashion styles (Cook house specials), dodgy haircuts & 80's porn star "Tasches", along with the units & locations, I was sent hurtling back to a time of simplistic pleasures, optimism, work hard play hard ethics, defender of the universe, invincibility & immortality! Plus lots of strong Beer by the bucket in for'n parts ...... Ah, the indestructible confidence of youth eh?
Fast forward 30+ years, er right, don't know what happened, the slim, athletic, baby faced, svelte young Adonises are now baldy, rotund, married/divorced, jaded & sceptical middle aged owd grumps (well most of them anyways, not me, I'm still marvellous, 'andsome & Athletic ..... my blog, my rules!
) Who'd a thunk it? Time spent in the "Big green fighting machine" definitely broadened this young lads horizons, 18 year old & living in a foreign land, experiencing new cultures & experiences (Beer, Women & scoff), being sent off to strange places (twice) to be shot at & blown up by people I didn't know & certainly didn't owe money to! Off to the wilds of British Columbia to play soldiers & experience the culture (Beer, Women & scoff). Being taught how to "Banzai" down snow covered slopes in the Hartz mountains & the Bavarian Alps with a couple of planks strapped to your feet while kitted out in jeans & trackies! Sailing around the Batic, North sea & Ijsselmeer, experiencing new cultures (Beer & scoff, the more astute of you may now realise the lack of Wimmin' & rightly assume I was either married or pretty damn close to it at this point
). Added to all this joyousness I was picking up a wage every month to boot! It don't get much better really, but despite that I finally decide to chuck it all in in 1993 & become a "Mr" again with the intent to try a new approach to life where fashion & style wasn't dominated by green or "Camo", "Say Lavvy!" as the Froggits would say.Anyways, all that aside, there really isn't any realistic option that those halcyon days filled with the bloom of youthful exuberance can in actuality be recovered, it'd be like trying to herd a gang of moggies, nigh on impossible! Still, at least a few tails can be tweaked in the process & as long as you're quick sharp enough, you can avoid the inevitable swipe of claws. And of course, as you recount favourite little anecdotes, the old grey cells get a proper workout & guaranteed, a pound to a pinch of pig squit ..... your "Mate" will remember some hideously embarrassing little episode you've conveniently forgotten & with great relish/malice, happily recount said narrative to all present to your utter horror & chagrin ..... Squaddies man, evil gits! Happy days!
Well that's me for now folkses, thanks for reading .....
As if proof were needed, see below the gallery of gruesomeness (with the exception of the unfortunate Damsels
). Most piccies have been shamelessly blagged from my fellow troopers who in true Squaddie tradition have selflessly displayed these images to give everyone a good grin!A younger me in wombats, Rob "Pedro" Evans (we'll be catching up with him this year) & Jock Aitkin - G troop relaxing after a days graft (the innocent youngster at front left is the Daft Yorkingshire lad Glas) - Legs & Oggie in the block - NI 84-85 Me making a fashion statement with my Del team , although difficult to see the "Porn star Tasche" was taking form. - Marion & Man at Q&M's around Feb 88 in Bavaria (in a Pub on the way home from a days soldiering) - Sylvia & Stan in the same pub you can see who the grafter was eh? - That was then & now the years have caught up with us & here the proof , The youthful Glas now a Dad of two strapping young Lads - Legs now a retired Copper & Squire of his own demesne on Mersea Island where we visited last year - The old & bold "Stan" the man Matthews.
