I am a recently retired firefighter and ex-serviceman from Nottingham. Born and bred in Marple Street 'Old St.Anns' which is now sadly all demolished although the memories live on.

I served in the Royal Navy from the age of 16 in 1979 until joining Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service in 1989. I retired in October 2014 as a Watch Manager at West Bridgford fire station.

I served as an Able Seaman(AB) Gunner aboard HMS Glamorgan during the Falklands war in 1982 and was stationed in Gibraltar for a year at HMS Rooke during the last 'siege' before serving on HMS Bristol. I also served in other locations including a return to the Falklands, the Gulf and the North Western Isles of Scotland on the trials team chasing torpedoes!

My time in the fire service was very rewarding and I occupied various roles from Operational Firefighting to Research and Development as well as time educating others in the Training Department.

From practical firefighting, water rescue, mass decontamination, rope rescue, road traffic collision and extrication, trauma care, high rise appliances and chemical procedures; to charity team building events and managing the football section; Service life was varied and the changes in the nature of the job and its technological and procedural advances were very substantial and rapid. 

It was a good time for me to leave the service and de-institutionalise.

 

I have a very understanding wife and my children are all doing well at work (2 chartered accountants and a forensically inclined daughter). So I packed my bike and maps and headed to France. (I went to Andalucia as well but soon realised that I prefer an English climate, so headed back to northern Europe!) I have discovered many interesting places and met lots of new and colourful friends, but my passion is the Great War and learning French is allowing me to make even more discoveries.

I speak with old men and women that have lived through occupation and served in the war in Europe and beyond, their family histories are full of stories that make your hairs stand up on the back of your neck and bring a tear to your eye. Their parents' struggles, the loss of loved ones, their fighting for the resistance and the rebuilding of a modern France with all the values of an old age being stoically clung onto. In these villages of the North there is still a sense of community and a connection with the church and a life we used to have in England 50 years ago. They work the land and live off the fruits of their labours. I shall continue to travel between the two countries for as long as I can. We have so much in common but there is so much more room to cycle and so much to discover that I think the lifestyle is drawing me in.

Maybe once I have grasped the language I'll stay at home!