Now retired I live in a very pleasant South Coast area in Hampshire U.K.although always have lived within the surrounding 10 miles. Married 62 years to Margaret we now have an extended family most recent additions being Ruby our first great grand daughter, now nearly 14, Amalie age 8 years, Gracie 8, Zac 5, Archie 4 and new addition, Dec 2023. Interested in all kinds of music I Popular Classics, Swing band music I absolutely love, Count Basi & singer Joe Williams, Lionel Hampton, but my all time favourite is Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman. Also a fan of early Rock & Roll, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley from the 1950's era. The Beatles are way, way out in a place of their own. Like some Pop Music and Ballad Singers such as Matt Monro, Ella Fitzgerald, 'Ole Blue Eyes', In my teens with 4 fellow apprentices was a founder member of a MIME group, 'The Wranglers' who entertained the youth of the 1950's at various Southampton Dance Halls, Theatres and Cinemas for a couple of years. Enjoyed 16 years as a football referee under the auspices of Hampshire F.A. reaching County standard as a class 1 referee. Unfortunately never consistant enough to hit the top level, nevertheless I hope I contributed enough to be appreciated, althouth I must admit to being chased up the pitch a few times by irate players unhappy with a decision or two! Always enjoyed football though never good enough to play to a decent standard so pleased to be able to put a little back into football by refereeing. I have NO motorcycles at all now, though my main love was and still is Norton motorcycles, not only owning them, but touring all over Europe before and after the Berlin Wall came down. A very understanding wife allowed me to tour Europe every other year for 20 years and holiday with her on alternate years. My solo motorcycle trip to visit a new friend in Hamburg via Osnabrook and Berlin in 1981 was somewhat hair raising. My Sisters husband Tony, an Insurance rep arranged a few days stopover at the 14th Royal Hussars Tank Regiment barracks at Spandau, right next door to the Prison block where Hess, Hitlers deputy was being held. Looking back I must have been mad venturing into the Eastern Block at a rather sensitive time and on my own! The week I spent in Berlin had an American Spy Car passenger shot dead by an East German guard. I am brought from this holiday onto my favourite type of holiday from 1990, Cruising. Cruising the Baltic countries, Wes...
