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In Conclusion Looking back on my life now from my 70’s, I wouldn’t change a thing; it has been a wonderful journey and I have been incredibly fortunate. I have travelled to many great places around the world, had some very memorable experiences, and enjoyed the company of many lovely people. It feels as though I sat down before I was born and planned out what my life was to be, both good and bad, in order to have the experiences I needed to have and the lessons I needed to learn. Even though I left school at the age of 15 without a single qualification, I was to obtain many over the course of my life in a variety of subjects including three degrees, two of which were Masters. I became a successful businessman, with interests in property development, construction, entertainment, curtain manufacturing and retail, and in training. I qualified as a Chartered Surveyor, Chartered Builder, Chartered Building Engineer, Corporate Building Surveyor, and an Architectural Historian. I became a visiting lecturer for several colleges and universities, and a guest speaker for a number of cruise lines, enabling me to travel around the world on luxury cruises and share my experience and knowledge while getting paid for it. I was to write numerous distance learning and online learning units, as well as books and magazine articles, and to become a Publishing Partner with the Encyclopaedia Britannica. The military was a major part of my life and something I really would not have wanted to miss. Not only did it provide me with many wonderful experiences in many different parts of the world, but also, during my formative years, it prepared me for many of life’s challenges. My military connection started when I was 13 years old as a cadet with 204 (Lincoln) Squadron of the Air Training Corps. At the age of 17 I joined the Royal Marines where, after the completion of basic training, I was posted to 45 Commando and saw active service during Great Britain’s war in Aden within a fighting company in the Radfan Mountains and on internal security duties in Crater, Sheik Othman, Little Aden, and Steamer Point and included a period of attachment to Naval Security at HMS Sheba. On return from Aden, I joined 41 Commando, which was a part of the Arctic Warfare Commando force protecting NATO's Northern flank. On having completed the Snow Warfare and Parachute Course, I became a member of the Commando’s Reconnaissance (Recce) Troop. My next tour was on the amphibious assault ship HMS Intrepid as part of the Royal Marine Detachment working with the landing craft and beach party which was responsible for getting the embarked troops ashore. The ship was also involved with the relief operations in East Pakistan following the 1970 cyclone disaster and that certainly made me appreciate my life and realise how fortunate I was. On completion of my Regular service in the Marines in 1972, I started my own property development business until the Falkland War when the military once again attracted my interest. I commissioned into 2503 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment, where I served as a Flight Commander as part of an airfield defence unit. After five years I transferred to the Territorial Army and joined the Royal Pioneer Corps as a Company Training Officer and then as Company 2nd in Command (2i/c). As a result of the amalgamation brought about by the Logistic Support Review in 1990, the Royal Pioneer Corps became part of the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC). During my previous time with the military, I had undergone specialist training in Jungle, Snow, and Amphibious Warfare, and completed courses on Parachuting, Signals, Driving, Security, Tactical Questioning, and Movement Control - including the Movement Control Staff Officers Course - as well as numerous courses on management and administration. Thus, I gained experience that I was able to pass on to future officers and NCOs. While with the Royal Logistic Corps, I held the positions of Company Commander and Regimental 2i/c, before being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and taking over as the Commanding Officer of 168 Pioneer Regiment. It was during this time that the Strategic Defence Review of 1998 resulted in 168 Pioneer Regiment being tasked with forming two additional squadrons as independent squadrons within the Specialist Regiment, resulting in the formation of the largest unit in the British Army. The responsibility for the formation of these two squadrons, located in the northeast of England, fell to me as Commanding Officer. The achievement of this task enabled me to finish my time in uniform ‘on a high’. In addition to my normal Regimental duties, I was the Project Officer for the introduction of Distance Learning into RLC Territorial Army Training and the writing of course content material. I was also involved with management and trade training for officers and other ranks, lectured on the Regular RLC Officer Management Courses, and was an assessor on Officer Promotion Courses. In addition, I was involved with the selection of potential recruits and officers and the interviewing and appointment of civilian staff at Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham. In 2000, having reached retirement age, I joined the Lincolnshire Committee of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (RFCA). There, I maintained my military connections and utilised my business links as their Employer Liaison. Eventually, I became Vice Chair, and later the Chairman, of the Lincolnshire Committee, and Vice Chair of the East Midlands Committee, a position I held for five years. My military experience and time with the RFCA enabled me to publicise the benefits of military service from a personal perspective, be that as Cadets, Reserves, or Regulars, and to promote the skills that each of these areas can provide in life. During the Covid pandemic, I volunteered to deliver food parcels to veterans on behalf of Age UK Lincoln, and then took over running Zoom meetings for Veterans, something that I continued to do even after the end of the pandemic. Having served in the military for over three decades, I’m one of the few people in Great Britain who has served in all three military services and been in the Cadets, Regulars and Reserves, as well as in the voluntary sector. Over my lifetime, I have come to accept events without questioning them, as there always seems to be a reason that I’ll discover eventually. An example of this was when I tried to sell my offices back in the 1970’s and couldn’t, yet over the years they provided me with an income from rent and, later, a home just when I needed it. Having been through the hard times, I am aware of the positive things that have come from the negative, and how much the negative has positively influenced the person that I am today. Consequently, I always look for what I might get out of any situation that I find myself in. But then, I don’t see something as a problem, but as a challenge to be overcome or a situation that needs to be changed. Despite my acceptance of life’s events, that doesn’t mean I won’t fight for what I want, as I am prepared to work incredibly hard or make whatever sacrifices I need to make in order to obtain them, be that working 15-plus hours a day, seven days a week, and giving up “playtime” to reach my goals. When I am planning something, be that a new project or a journey to the airport, I always "expect the unexpected" and I build in a factor to allow for that. By doing this, you are better equipped to deal with any unexpected events or occurrences, and they are less likely to upset your plans. Dave and I sometimes talk about the day Val asked me to leave and how I could have sunk into depression, taken to drink, lost my job, and ended up sleeping on the street. Instead, I rose above the difficulty rather than sink into the depths. Certainly, I was fortunate in that I had a place to move to. I also had something to occupy my time and, equally as important, my mind, and to give me something to focus on. Keeping yourself occupied, both physically and mentally, is always important in such situations, as it was when I had to move down to London and work all the hours I could. I would go to concerts and shows and visit new places rather than sit in my room and feel sorry for myself. Even during the time in the Marines that I spent in the Navel Detention Quarters, I made the most of my situation. I looked for the positive side and took life as a challenge. I always looked to see what I could gain from the situation or experience. There is always a positive side, something to be gained, be that in the near or the distant future. During my life, I have experienced several lows but, having seen the misfortune that others have had to endure, especially in places like Aden, East Pakistan, and India, I have nothing to complain about. The lows have made me appreciate the highs and I realise I wouldn’t have wanted to miss the bad times, as hard as they were. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate all the good times I have experienced, and they served to motivate me to improve my life. The other thing worth remembering is that it’s not where you start in life, or where you finish, it's the journey that you take. It's about what you see and what you do along the way. It's being able to live each day and to get something positive from each and every experience that life brings your way. It’s being content with what you have, not bemoaning what you haven’t. That is what successful living is all about. If I were to summarise my advice for someone starting on life’s journey it would be: Know yourself, your strengths and limitations, as you are. Then you will be able to get the most from your strengths and not let your limitations catch you unaware, and it will give you the opportunity to improve yourself. Be aware of your own situation and consider others and their situation, and what the consequences of your actions will be on them. Treat others with respect. Don’t assume. Determine consequences before you act and don’t make decisions without thinking through those consequences. Don’t rush into things. Give yourself time to reflect ahead of decisions that you might make. Ask yourself “What if?” when considering your actions. Be yourself and be true to yourself, and don’t just follow the crowd – be your own person. Trust your gut feelings but be prepared to leave your comfort zone and take calculated risks in order to achieve what you want. Deal with problems, don’t ignore them. "Fight the crocodile nearest the canoe", in that you deal with problems that are the most urgent as they arise. Learn from the past. Plan for the future. Live in the present. Look after your health, both physical and mental, but enjoy life. I certainly have. As for my future, who knows? I will play my cards as they are dealt to me. That doesn’t mean I won’t strive for what I want. I have learnt to accept who and what I am, but to strive for what I want to be. I will change what I can’t accept but accept what I can’t change. If I can do that, then I will be content. It is contentment that we should be striving for, and something that I am fortunate enough to have attained.  |
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