Emergency Landing

Emergency Landing

Indian Ocean, 1974. I was the aircrew man on HMS Lowestoft's Wasp helicopter. The pilot, Lt Kidd and I, were flying on a brilliant day at 400 ft above the sea when suddenly there was a loud bang!
The pilot and I looked at each other wondering what had just happened. The aircraft flew on as normal but I could detect an increase in vibration mainly by looking at the instruments. One of these, a basic temperature gauge was vibrating more than normal and I decided to look through my missile aimer's scope which was like a pair of binoculars. This confirmed that indeed there was extra vibration present. The pilot suggested that it might have been a sonic boom from an aircraft high above us but none were in the vicinity. I suggested the aircraft's gearbox. It was then that he requested an emergency landing on the nearest vessel with a flight deck. RFA Olna was visible and minutes away.

The landing went as normal. An engineer was dispatched and winched down to Olna using Falmouth's Wasp helicopter. He did a few tests and took oil samples but could find nothing so we flew back to Lowestoft where further tests were carried out. Nothing was found but I knew deep down inside that the gearbox was faulty. I tried to tell the flight crew and the pilot but no one would take me seriously. They even sent and engineer up in 451 to check out the scope but he returned saying it was fine. I knew it had changed dramatically. I was given a direct order to fly in 451 so I had no choice. My nerves were frayed.

Flying continued as normal but when we were asked to identify a large Russian warship on the horizon, I was unable to do so since the scope was vibrating too much. It was the Cold War years and I hate to think of how many missiles must have been locked on to us before we got too close.
Years later I found out that this ship was the USSR Leningrad, the flagship of the Soviet Union.

Lt Kidd, the pilot, was fond of doing excessive acrobatic manoeuvres with the helicopter such as stall turns which made me even more nervous. The helicopter just kept on flying as normal but when HMS Falmouth's Wasp ditched into the sea and was a complete wreck, the crew surviving, they requested to borrow ours. It was then that I had many mixed emotions. What if it should crash. I would feel responsible but I was not taken seriously.

For some days I had to live with this possibility until shockingly a message came through that 451 had actually crashed on the flight deck of the Falmouth. Miraculously, the aircraft had sustained no damage and had made a heavy landing on the deck when the gearbox had failed. Yes the gearbox!
Nothing was ever mentioned about this incident in relation to me suspecting that this was the problem but nevertheless, I was completely vindicated.

I would never have made a good aircrew man though and indeed after this incident and others such as metal fatigue that later that led me to be reverted back to Radio Operator.

Is Time Travel Really Possible?

Is time travel really possible?

If time travel was really possible, then we would already know. Why? Because in the words of the famous Physicist Stephen Hawking, "A time traveler would already have come back to tell us".

However, don't let that disappoint you too much. We can still use our imaginations and still get a lot of enjoyment from reading novels on the subject.

The novel that I have written is based on a true story. That is not to say that the time travel component of the book actually took place but that I use a true story as the basis for the book. All the characters are real but their names have been changed. All the locations in the book are real as are the pets but they retain their real names. In fact if you wished to visit the locations described in the book, you could do so.

This is my first attempt at writing a novel but I chose to write it by using as much of my real life experiences as was possible. In fact the very first person to review the book seemed to be convinced that I had indeed traveled back in time, back to a day of my choosing in order to put right something that I have wished I could do for many years. I don't write in a sensationalist way. I don't write to impress; nor do I use flowery language. I just write to tell a story of a naive young boy inflamed with passion for a young girl I loved a long time ago.

The large imposing Grandfather clock also exists today and features strongly in the storyline. The book titled "Inside the Clock" is available in the Amazon Kindle Store

(Please be aware that you do not need a Kindle to read this book) All you need is the Kindle app which will enable you to read Kindle books on your computer or phone etc. For information on how to do this, just follow this link: Kindle For Computer

Go on, give it a go. You never know it might change your life as it did mine.

Turning the clock back

Turning The Clock Back

If you could turn the clock back, to what particular day or period would it be? I sometimes love to dwell on this question. What would you be able to do? Would you prevent that fatal accident of a friend or put that lottery ticket in that had all the right numbers that you lost. There are so many things that you could do.

Would you go back to make more of your parents and argue less? Would you try to get on with your sister? The list goes on and on but of course it's too late now to change any of that and even if you could, would it be dangerous?

We've all seen the film "Back to the Future" and look at some of the consequences that transpired in that. It was utter chaos for a while but it was such an intriguing movie. That's the problem you see, change only a small thing and it could have massive consequences later on.

If you have regrets in your life, then try to come to terms with them. If you could change that fatal day, then it could have had even more fatal consequences later on. It's just the way it is but anyway, it's just an academic exercise.

But thinking about this, is it possible to change the future rather than wishing you could change the past? What do I mean? Well it will take self control but picture this scenario; you are in a car and someone cuts you up or annoys you to the extreme. Road rage takes over and you find yourself making dangerous manoeuvres just to get even. The consequences could be dire as you tend to do things in anger that you may regret later on. Although it's easier said than done, don't you think that it would be a lot better just to let it go instead. Many a person has wished they had.

So in a sense, this is how history can be changed. It is a case of self control and wisdom, to pre-empt a situation. Of course life being what it is, things will happen that are out of your control and one must accept that things happen regardless and these things must be accepted but whatever is within your power to do for the better, then do this. At least you will know it wasn't your fault and you can rest assured that you could have done no more.

As a consequence of writing this article, I have been inspired to write a novel addressing some of the above. It is based upon real life events which actually occurred and I have used these as a basis for the novel. All the characters and all the locations are real. When you read this book, you the reader must decide just what is fiction and what is real. "Inside the Clock" is a short story available on Amazon Kindle Store.

Motorcycle Safety - Your attitude

Motorcycle Safety 

Motorcycle Safety - Best Autobiographies

I bought my first motorcycle in 1970. It was a Honda 50 bought cash from Bill Heads of Preston.
I was in the Merchant Navy and the wages at that time were pretty good so I was able to buy it outright.

In those days, you didn't need a crash helmet and we would often ride around without one, eyes streaming and long hair following suite. The first day I took out my Honda 50 I crashed it into a concrete lamp post. It was fortunate that I did not kill myself. I did not sustain any injury and the bike was not badly damaged. It was just luck if you like.

Moving on 40 and more years, things have changed a lot. I now shiver at the thought of riding without proper protection especially a crash helmet but more especially, I now preempt a situation rather than just react to one.

This takes many years to develop but when you are young, your reactions are lightening fast and for some of the time this can carry you through. If you keep on like this though you might just run out of luck. To preempt a dangerous or hazardous situation takes knowledge and experience and a certain amount of maturity. Its called self preservation. The longer you live, the more you realise how important this is.

This leads to boring riding I hear you say. But no, not necessarily. Look at it this way. When you are a kid you look for thrills. How fast will it go, how far can I push it? Eventually you get used to the fairground mentality and you begin to appreciate the finer points of road craft. This in itself is not boring and may well save your life.

Once you get over the cheap thrills syndrome assuming you haven't killed yourself already, you can begin to learn the skills that will set you up for a long, safe and enjoyable motorcycling career.

The first thing to say about motorcycling is that it is an exquisitely dangerous pastime and one to be undertaken with respect. I think that the best advice I ever got with respect to motorcycling is this: pretend that you are invisible. Alright, it may seem to be a bit excessive to think like this but it is a good starting point. Many other road users will miss or not be able to see you at all so if you assume this to be the case, then you will be forearmed to be able to preempt and react to a hazardous situation.

Often this will mean slowing down in certain situations especially in traffic and where junctions are involved. Most fatalities and accidents happen at junctions. Statistics show undeniably that this is the case. When approaching a junction you must always think "what will happen if that car pulls out?"
Has the driver seen you? Was it possible for the driver to see you? After all, you can't see through a truck or round a bend so it makes sense not to go like your on a race track where you are aware that potential danger exists.

Granted, it may take years to learn all the tiny ins and outs of all the potential hazards that may lurk at every turn but it will do no harm to start now. Basically, it's not so much how good you are at controlling your machine but its about your attitude.

Don't buy a Kindle!

That's right don't buy a Kindle to read your books on. Not unless you want to that is. So why do I say this?

Well the good news is that you don't actually need a Kindle to be able to read books from the Amazon Kindle store on. You see the answer is simple; you can just get the app instead and then, hey presto, you can read it all on your computer, i-Phone or tablet. It's so simple you will wonder why you never did it before.

So what are the benefits? Well I can tell you now that this little snip of information could actually change your life for good! That dramatic yeah? Yeah could be. You see there are millions of really good books out there for incredibly cheap prices on Amazon but that's only half of the story.

What do you mean I hear you say? Well get this; did you know that there are also hundreds if not thousands of books on Amazon that are actually free? Yes FREE FREE FREE! Don't think for one minute that these books are not worth reading or are somehow second rate. Oh no no no.......
You can get high quality up to date titles just by downloading the Kindle app which is also FREE !

So how is it you can get free books, more free books than you could read in a life time? FREE popular titles anytime you wish. What's the catch? Well the short answer is there 'aint a catch. No catch and there never was a catch. Get this, once you got this app, all you need to do is search Amazon for FREE books of any genre, yes anything that appeals to you. The reason a lot of books are free is that to enable authors to promote their books, they are allowed to put their titles on the Amazon Kindle store for FREE . I even put my books on there for free. That's how I get most of my exposure to readers and in turn I get some reviews. This way a book gets a higher ranking so more people see it and then more people read it and......you got the picture. Everyone wins.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and change your life and never buy a book again as long as you live unless you want to of course. Most online books are good value anyway FREE .

My Obsession with cars

My Obsession with Cars 

It all started a long time ago when I was just 20. I bought my first car, a Triumph Herald 1200 for £220 on a loan, the first of many a loan like some sort of demented ball and chain.

It was 1973 when I first drove my Triumph away from a back street garage in Portsmouth. I felt liberated and it was the beginning of a long and exciting career of owning cars. I loved cars right from the beginning and I could not wait to drive. To feel the adventure, the independence that a car could give you. It was amazing and exciting all at once.

I was in the Royal Navy at the time and after work when the ship was in port, I would often go and just sit in my car for hours on end imagining all the great times I would have driving it especially at weekends when I could drive the 240 miles home to see my parents.

The only problem was is that I had not yet passed my driving test so I could not drive without someone who had a full license. At first I had a few driving lessons in cars such as the Triumph Toledo and I did quite well but they were often interrupted by going back to sea.

I was finding it too expensive for driving lessons even though they were only £3 per hour at this time so once more I got my friend to help me out but things did not go smoothly and what actually happened is here in an excerpt from my autobiography "Running For Home":


"I began taking more driving lessons but was making slow progress. I began to think about buying a car and started to look around the second-hand car showrooms. I thought I’d found the ideal car for me. It was a bright red MG Midget, a tiny sports car that I liked, only problem was, it was not insurable as I was too young. Finally I came across a Triumph Herald in dark blue. I knew this to be a good car as of course my dad had previously had one and I bought it with a loan of £220, the first of many, many loans to bug me for the rest of my life like some sort of possessed ball and chain.

At first I could only park it in a large car park outside since a dockyard pass was required and these were in short supply. I put my name on the waiting list. Depending on where the ship was berthed, it could be quite a long walk. I appreciated this car so much that I would often go and just sit in it for hours, dreaming of all the driving I would do in the future.

‘L’ plates were purchased and I would get a fellow crew-member to give me driving lessons. These did not always go well and things came to a head when my mate decided to get out of the car and storm off. I had a decision to make. How was I to get the car back? I could not just leave it in the middle of the road. By this time I’d got a dockyard pass so I decided to drive back. The only snag was that the dockyard police were on the gate as usual but I thought I’d chance it and come clean if they stopped me. As I approached the main gate they immediately stopped me but after a brief explanation I was allowed to continue back to the ship.

 After this I hatched a cunning plan. I removed my ‘L’ plates and decided to risk driving about on a provisional license. In those days, unless you were stopped, it was very unlikely that you would be caught. I did this for several weeks without any problems apart from stalling the engine once in traffic and nearly bumping the car in front. In time my confidence grew and grew and my driving improved to the extent that I knew I could pass a test. I was really keen to pass and I spent hours poring over the Highway Code until I knew it backwards. I booked my test.

The day of the test arrived. It was April 1974. I drove alone to the test centre, intent on taking the test in my own car. On parking the car just down from the test centre, I had a quick look around before furtively sticking the ‘L’ plates back on. I went into the test centre and my examiner came forward. He asked me if I was taking the test in the schools car or my own.

On approaching my car I said that my friend with the full license had gone into the pub. The test went really well as I’d gained a lot of confidence in my own car. I didn’t get much wrong in the theory either though in 1974 a car test was ludicrously easy to pass in comparison to the present day.

At the end of the test the examiner happily informed me that I had passed. I happily informed him that I would now go and get my mate and walked towards an imaginary pub. As soon as he was out of site I quickly tore off the ‘L’ plates and gleefully drove away. I felt elated". 

And so began the long road ahead and the many cars I enjoyed from then on. Some were good and some were not but each had its own character and with all of them I felt that same tingling sense of adventure and anticipation when I set off on yet another journey.

Actually, I became much too obsessed with cars and I have to admit that for my relative financial situation in life, I spent far too much on cars. Having said that, I strangely don't really regret any of it.

It was my passion and I loved driving and I did it while I could and nothing can ever take that away from me.

There was a darker side to my obsession with cars though and it was this; the main reason I aspired to bigger and faster cars was that I thought that I would be admired and respected. I was insecure and imagined that I would gain recognition for what I had achieved. The car had become a status symbol. As embarrassing as it seems now, it was true. My Father would always say; "you'll get over it" but at the time I did not understand what he meant.

The list of cars I have owned is quite long although by no means a record. In the main the cars were second hand and in many cases, quite ordinary so I take some consolation that I was not in the main, completely obsessed.

Here is a list of the cars I have had the privilege to own over forty years:

Triumph Herald

Riley Kestral

Triumph 2000 MK2

Datsun Sunny

Triumph 2000 MK2

Granada Mk2

Fiat 132

Triumph 2500 PI

Fiat 127

Mini 850

Morris Minor

Rover 2600 SD1

Lada Estate

Rover SD1 3500 Vanden Plas V8

Lada 1200 saloon

Volvo 340

Rover 800

Mercedes 190E

MG ZR 120

Rover 820 Vitesse

Mercedes E class estate

Mitsubishi Carisma

Of all these cars, the best one has been the last on the list and the one I have kept the longest. It has been an amazing car and one of only three I have had from new. I have owned it for over nine years and it has the same battery, the same exhaust, the same spark plugs and clutch and all the original bulbs! The only things I have changed on it are the brakes, the tyres, wiper blades, the cam belt and one brake pipe. It has passed every MOT except one where the brake pipe was concerned. I have only had it serviced once but change the oil every year and I have only changed the air filter once which did not seem to significantly improve fuel consumption.

So there it is, my history so far in motoring. The only accident I ever had was when a motorcyclist rode in front of me as I accelerated across a junction off a green light. It was a classic roll over the bonnet crash but he was largely unhurt but his bike was in bits.

My son threatens to be just like me and has had three cars in 5 years and is due to get another soon although his latest will be a sensible Smart car with incredible economy, a massive contrast to his last car; an MG ZS 2.5 V6. I can't say a thing because its me all over.

Oh, and I also have a long career in Motorcycling but that's another story! 

If you want to read the rest of the book and see just what I got up to in my life, then please click on the link here: http://goo.gl/SZhD6Z

Two motorcycle crashes in one day...

Two Motorcycle Crashes in One Day - Top Autobiographies

This was one of the worst days of my life, two motorcycle crashes in one day. Granted they weren't serious and miraculously, I wasn't injured except for a few bruises. This is what happened.

A recent photo of me and my current bike

I was in the Royal Navy at the time, and I was returning to Portsmouth Harbour to rejoin HMS Grenville on my Honda CB175 twin. I had bought this bike from new and it was my first "real" motorcycle. Though it was small thinking about it now, it was capable of keeping up with motorway traffic reasonably well. I could cruise at about 60-70 mph and of course the fuel consumption was good.

On this particular day, I was on my way back from Leyland in Lancashire, a 257 mile trip which I make quite regularly. How I managed this it is hard to imagine and I doubt if I could do it today. I was all of 19 years of age.

I really enjoyed my motorcycling of that there is no doubt and I would be passionate about all aspects of it including the equipment. I say equipment because this was to have a significant effect of what happened later that day.

When I started off at about 1pm the roads were dry and the weather looked good for the duration of the trip which usually lasted about 6 hours. I would stop a couple of time for a break and have some refreshments of course. My Mother would often make me sandwiches and a flask and even forty years later, I can still remember the taste of some of those sandwiches.

The trip was going well and the tinted visor I had purchased that weekend cut out the glare from the sun and made the first half of the trip a good one but what I had not bargained for was how fast the light had begun to fail. Why did this matter? Well the tinted visor began to make things worse and when I had left the M5 Motorway and entered into the country roads, visibility was so bad that I couldn't see where I was going properly. This began to get dangerous though I knew the road well.

I had at least slowed down a bit and things seemed to be going well until I encountered a hairpin bend. I knew it was coming up but was not sure quite when. I was traveling at about 50mph when I saw it but too late. In panic I braked hard, too hard and the back wheel locked and I lost control of the bike. Suddenly I was flying in the air, accompanied by crashing and grinding and sparks. I landed on my back sliding along the road with the bike catching me up, growling and grinding and sparking.

There was an embankment on the side of the bend into which I slid and came to a halt the bike flopped onto my right foot with a thud and I screamed out in pain. Then all was silent and pitch black, especially with a tinted visor! At first I was afraid to move but then I became conscious that should another vehicle come along, it may not see me in time and run me over. Tenuously, I got to my feet. Nothing seemed to be broken though I had an excruciating pain in my toe. Next I grappled with my bike all the time praying that it was not too badly damaged as to be unrideable.

Once I got the bike upright I could smell the fuel that had leaked from the tank. I was shaking badly by now as I fumbled for the bikes key. I turned it and pressed the ignition whilst at the same time saying a small prayer The engine burst into life and sounded exactly the same but the beam from the head light was shining into the sky. This was easy to put right since it was on a swivel so I just re-adjusted it to the correct angle. Just then another vehicle approached, I attempted to wave it down but it did not stop. I got the bike on its main stand and more by feel than anything else began to inspect it. I could not see any damage so there was only one thing for it; without mobile phones and miles from anywhere I would set off again and see if the bike was ride able.

One thing I did was to remove the tinted visor from my helmet and stow it in my backpack. Taking the bike off its stand, I once more set off, very slowly at first and gradually, as I began to assess the bike for damage, I was able to increase speed to near normal again. I knew that the bike had sustained some sort of damage since the steering and handling were not the same as before but not to the extent that it would affect the rest of my trip,

All seemed to be going well and I was confident that I would make my destination and my speed was increasing it became obvious that I could not see without a visor. The wind was making my eyes stream too much even at an extremely low speed as the temperature had dropped. It became even more dangerous than no visor at all. There was only one thing for it, I would stop and replace the tinted visor. It just snapped into place and once more, I was off.
Progress was much slower than a normal trip but soon I hit the bigger "A" roads which were well lit and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I entered Portsmouth Dockyard and made my way toward the ship. I was aware of the numerous railway tracks that criss-crossed the dockyard and was careful not to get caught in them. Whether it was fatigue or just pure misjudgement, I could see the bike begin to drift into one of the rails. It was as though there was an invisible magnet willing the bike into the slot next to the rail. Suddenly the front wheel slipped into the slot. It was impossible to control the bike and I knew in an instant that I was once more, going to come off. The bike just seemed to flip over on its side quite violently and once more I lay on the ground thoroughly defeated and miserable. Though this was a very slow speed crash, I hurt myself more than in the relatively high speed crash of just a few hours ago. Again though, I was largely uninjured and the bike remained resolutely in one piece.

The Quartermaster on duty on one of the nearby ships called out; "are you alright mate?" I can still clearly hear those words.

The moral of the story is; never wear a tinted visor on a motorcycle at night. Always carry a clear spare. Of course it seems obvious now but when you're only 19.........