LIFE IN SHOREHAM – CHAPTER 9
I started to look for a property to rent in Shoreham and had to bear in mind that not all people were happy to include a dog. I could understand as they at time can cause some problems (but I must say Shelley had not shown in her life time any destructive patterns apart from wooden planks on the beach). I saw several places, but they were not right and time was running out as I had to renew my contract for my bed-sit in Hove.
I met a couple called Ted and Joan in the Schooner at Southwick and they were very kind and offered me a temporary room at their bungalow for the sum of £10 a week which included meals. I had to put some of my personal items back in Hove at my Aunts which was fine but sadly she had now had three strokes and was bedridden with every possibility having to go into a nursing home.
I moved in with Ted and Joan – they were a great couple Ted having worked all his life for the Civil Service in London. He commuted every day by train to his office near Victoria and on his return every evening had a couple of Gin and Tonics with Joan which sometimes extended into the late hours. They had some optics for dispensing their favourite tipple mounted on the wall in the kitchen. Shelley seemed happy and was at first given the outer conservatory to live in, but after a while her dulcet charms worked on Joan and she became part of the furniture.
I discovered that they did both enjoy their drink more than most and any excuse to have friends around ended up in another session for them. I sometimes got involved but most of the time did my own thing.
I started to use the Schooner at weekends and met some great nautical characters. With the harbour, busy locks and beyond that the sea there was always something going on. The public bar had fishermen and in the evening these were often joined by visiting crews from the ships that docked in Shoreham Port.
It was a real hive of activity and every time one went in there was always someone new to meet. Shelley loved it and made many new friends by showing how good she was at opening her packets of crisps. For some reason she never seemed to put on any weight or get any bigger. She was a very small Labrador with an endearing nature attracted people and there is no doubt she played on it. Who says dogs are not intelligent?
I was walking back one evening when I heard a couple of loud bangs. It was the Shoreham Lifeboat crew being informed that it was time to launch on a call (or shout as I was to find out later). I carried on walking with Shelley and watched the boat launch and stayed until it returned. Those left back at the boathouse were chatty and I asked if I could come down and help. I was given the name of the Coxswain Kenny Voice and told it was best to phone him.
In Southwold I had shown an interest in the inshore lifeboat and recall in my early days going out once on the Dungeness boat when I was doing a feature on them as a trainee reporter for the Kent Messenger. I remember to this day the names of most of the crew, they were Oilers, Thomases, Richardsons or Tarts and all lived in a close knit community at Dungeness Point.
A couple of days later I received a call from Kenny Voice and he asked me to pop down to the boathouse to meet him and the Hon Secretary of the station John Harrison.
As Shelley was part of my life she came too and made quite an impression running up and down the slipway retrieving any sticks that were in the way.
After a couple of pints of hot tea over a long chat of what would be involved and what would be expected of me I was told that I could join the launching crew and make my way up from there through the ranks. I was a lifeboat man! So I thought, and could not wait to tell all and sundry.
Back at Ted and Joan’s I explained to them what I
I started to look for a property to rent in Shoreham and had to bear in mind that not all people were happy to include a dog. I could understand as they at time can cause some problems (but I must say Shelley had not shown in her life time any destructive patterns apart from wooden planks on the beach). I saw several places, but they were not right and time was running out as I had to renew my contract for my bed-sit in Hove.
I met a couple called Ted and Joan in the Schooner at Southwick and they were very kind and offered me a temporary room at their bungalow for the sum of £10 a week which included meals. I had to put some of my personal items back in Hove at my Aunts which was fine but sadly she had now had three strokes and was bedridden with every possibility having to go into a nursing home.
I moved in with Ted and Joan – they were a great couple Ted having worked all his life for the Civil Service in London. He commuted every day by train to his office near Victoria and on his return every evening had a couple of Gin and Tonics with Joan which sometimes extended into the late hours. They had some optics for dispensing their favourite tipple mounted on the wall in the kitchen. Shelley seemed happy and was at first given the outer conservatory to live in, but after a while her dulcet charms worked on Joan and she became part of the furniture.
I discovered that they did both enjoy their drink more than most and any excuse to have friends around ended up in another session for them. I sometimes got involved but most of the time did my own thing.
I started to use the Schooner at weekends and met some great nautical characters. With the harbour, busy locks and beyond that the sea there was always something going on. The public bar had fishermen and in the evening these were often joined by visiting crews from the ships that docked in Shoreham Port.
It was a real hive of activity and every time one went in there was always someone new to meet. Shelley loved it and made many new friends by showing how good she was at opening her packets of crisps. For some reason she never seemed to put on any weight or get any bigger. She was a very small Labrador with an endearing nature attracted people and there is no doubt she played on it. Who says dogs are not intelligent?
I was walking back one evening when I heard a couple of loud bangs. It was the Shoreham Lifeboat crew being informed that it was time to launch on a call (or shout as I was to find out later). I carried on walking with Shelley and watched the boat launch and stayed until it returned. Those left back at the boathouse were chatty and I asked if I could come down and help. I was given the name of the Coxswain Kenny Voice and told it was best to phone him.
In Southwold I had shown an interest in the inshore lifeboat and recall in my early days going out once on the Dungeness boat when I was doing a feature on them as a trainee reporter for the Kent Messenger. I remember to this day the names of most of the crew, they were Oilers, Thomases, Richardsons or Tarts and all lived in a close knit community at Dungeness Point.
A couple of days later I received a call from Kenny Voice and he asked me to pop down to the boathouse to meet him and the Hon Secretary of the station John Harrison.
As Shelley was part of my life she came too and made quite an impression running up and down the slipway retrieving any sticks that were in the way.
After a couple of pints of hot tea over a long chat of what would be involved and what would be expected of me I was told that I could join the launching crew and make my way up from there through the ranks. I was a lifeboat man! So I thought, and could not wait to tell all and sundry.
Back at Ted and Joan’s I explained to them what I
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