Friendship, Comradeship, Loyalty

Not just words but things that having a real meaning in my life.

I've known Stevie Newell since January 2nd 1970, that's longer than I've known my wives, my children and all my nieces and nephews.

Part of me guessed I might see Steve and his wife Yvonne today at Cornwall Armed Forces Day and I was right. Looking at him the years rolled back to when we were young men.

Steve came from Stoke to Torpoint and HMS Fisgard with an accent you could cut with a knife, a half decent footballer, and clever but above all a real nice guy. We hit it off straight away and for thirty-five years kept an eye on each other's careers throughout our time the RN. We never served together but we remained good friends. In the intervening years we kept in touch, always seeming to pick up where we left off.

Today as I looked across at him the years rolled back and as we talked about our our families, children and grandchildren it was with an ease that is hard to explain, comfortable in each others company. The talk turned to our Classmates of 701, Willie Crocker who survived cancer and a heart transplant, Stevie Lockwood, Geordie Granger, Taff Masterson etc. Sokari, our Nigerian classmate returned to his country since ravaged many times over by civil war and wondering how he is today.

There wasn't that many of us in 701, in fact the smallest ever Artificer Apprentice Entry so depending on how many I can track down 2020 should be a hell of a reunion.