after 1945 No 25

                                                                                                          After 1945  No 25


Angela has found a flat in Canterbury,right next to the entrance to the cathedral,so we are going to have a look at but, it wont be ready  untill later on in 1956 because it  has to be refurbished,this would suit us because we will be able to look for furniture and beds etc and have it stored untill the flat is ready,its seems funny the two us looking at a flat and furniture,I really  cant beleive it  we are really going to be a couple, I suppose this is the meaning of comitment,working together  and shareing  things and idias and thoughts. We have  decided to make an appointment with the Priest to dicuss our wedding plans with him,and we know we will have problems with him at last the evening comes when we have arranged to meet with the priest,who of course knows Angela but I sense he is not all that keen on me,anyway we sit and listen to him  talk,asking us if we realise the true meaning of marriage and what it involves, etc etc then comes the real point of the meeting,regards me changing my faith to that of cathlic faith,and then the children will be welcome  into the cathlic faith and the church,I sayI see no reason why I should  have to change my faith,he reminds me that as a cathlic Angela cannot marry  one who is of the church of England faith, or any other faith come to that,,so unless I change, and become  Cathlic he cannot marry us,I say  that this amounts to a form of blackmail, and is not very christian like.but he says there is nothing he can do about it,so I should go away and think  hard about it.Angela  then says we could be married in the chuch of England, he says that we would be living in sin in that case as the marriage would not be reconised in the cathlic chuch, so Angela says we would do this if nessesary so I remind him that this would not be the case in my church,and would be perfectly legal, but he then says that Anglea would be making a  great sin,and could be xcomunicated from the Cathlic church,so he sujests that we talk to Tony and Jessy and come back and see him again with the right decision,We do talk to Tony and Jessy,and say that we could  be married in my church, but then they say that they could not go into a chuch of England as it would be a sin,and they would not consider that we were truly married anyway.Now I realise what my Mother meant when she said  I would have trouble with Angela  as a wife, we return to see the priest to tell we have made a decision, and will be married in my chuch, and then one in his.if he will agree to this.then both families would be happy.he says  that he will only agree with this after speaking to his Bishop and getting his decision.so we arrange another meeting with him,the next meeting with him  is also dissapointing,because he  says that he would only except this arrangment if I will sign a document to say I will have any children brought up in the cathlic faith,I again say that this is blackmail and I will not do it.he then says that this is the end of the matter, he will not marry us,Angela whispers  to me just do it Len !!  and let him think he  has won.so I say I will agree to his request  he says I have made the right decision.and will marry us so thats it,we can now get on with our Marriage plans,and set a date for the  22nd September 1956 so Tony and Jessey  will  also be happy that we have made the right decsion in their eyes.so all is O K at the moment it seems. so .Angela can now  decide to get her wedding dress made,and the design she wants. and I can make arrangements for our honeymoon, I think we should go abroad,to Italy to a place called San Remo on the mediteranian coast.I have have been saving up for this and have now paid for it. with Thomas Cook travel agents. a friend of mine { Billy Little } ask me if I would like to have our wedding recorded, and he would love to do it for us,as a wedding present. I say  that would be great,so I will ask the priest if  this will be O K..at our next meeting with him and  I must say I dont hold out much joy as regards this,but can only ask.so at the next meeting I ask him if this would be possible, and he says no this is not possible,in the cathlic church, as it happens Prince Rainer of Manoco and Princss Grace are also getting married  that month, and are having a whole film company  filming theirs, so I mention this to him,and ask if this is because they have money and are famous, and Angela and I not famous or wealthy,.and I understand that money dosnt count in the eyes of God.so whats the differents betreen them and  us.I can see he really dosnt know how to answer that one.and  says  that perhaps something could be arranged for us to do this. this time I win,.I dont think he has had anyone stand up to him and his church so much before, and will be glad to get rid of us,I dont really have much time for these religius ministers and priests they dont like you to question  their beleifs they prefere you to obay.not question.and somtimes  they dont know quite how to answer you.  
                   

after 1945 No 7

                                                                        
After 45 No 7/


I am now earning a decent wage so Angela and I can go out for drives in
the evenings,and meet the lads, have a drink,so  we all get along well
having fun and going to the dances,I am shure Angela and I are really
meant for each other  because we get along so well together,also she is
a terrific dancer, I wonder if  I ask her, if she might say yes to us
getting engaged,and get married in the future,its a big dicision to
make, but I really do love her,and she does love me, and feels that we
were made for each other.but it would mean having to look for somewhere
to live, like getting a flat or house somewhere,so I will need to pick
the right time and place to ask her.anyway after going to a dance one
evning we are sitting in the car outside Mrs Kennets and I decide hat
this might be the right time to ask her to marry me.so I pop the
question, and to my delight she says she would love to.,so we will
start looking at engagement rings, but I will have to tell my Mum and
Dad, and wonder what their reaction will be.also we will have to tell
Tony and Jessy this may be a bit awkward because Tony and I dont really
get on all that well,but because Angela hasnt lived with them for
sometime  it might be a little easier  because Angela has become more
independent these days after living at Mrs Kennets but  we will have to
see,when we mention it to Freda and her boyfriend Jeff they say that
they are also going to get engaged  as well  so that good for them .
now I must tell Mum and Dad,My Dad says he has no objections, and he
likes Angela  very much, but  says it is a big dicision for us both,
and hopes we have thought things through.but is all for it if thats
what we want.my Mum isnt so shure she says there is a lot difference
going out with a girl, but when you get married you have more
responseabilities.also Mum says I will have a lot of trouble  trying to
marry a Cathlic girl. and should  we have children they will insist
that we bring them up in the Catholic Faith,also  they will insist that
I change my faith to theirs. Mum beleives one should be allowed to
choose your faith,and Cathlics are not allowed to do that,I mentioned
all this to Angela,next time we meet, and she says that she has not 
been to church for a very long time.and also dosnt beleive how the
chuch  treat their members, and do dominate them so isnt really all
that bothered, and as regards her brother Tony, he can take a running
jump as far she is concerned,so we will go and see  the priest and see
how he reacts to us,and our thoughts of Marriage.Jessy is delighted
about us getting married, and thinks we make a lovley couple.Tony I
feel  is not of,the same oppinion, but Angela says she is over
twentyone, so he has no control over what she decides to make of her
decisions.or life.

life after 1945 No 6

                                                                    life after 1945 No 6



Now that my National Service is comming to near its end in Novermber 1954 I am beginning to wonder what it will be like to  be a civilian again,and to be able to do what I like when I like without having to have a pass,there  are 4 of us due for De Mob so we decide to go around the camp together as we have to get a clearance  ticket from all the sections on the camp to say we are clear from them.this has to be done before we can get our discharge papers and warrants to go home,also we have to  hand back our uniforms  except  for the greatcoats,  peak caps, and boots,the reason for this is because we shall be on call for 4 years incase we are needed for anything during those years.and need to be called up again.we must also organise a de- mob party at the local pub,for everyone in our billet or section,except for those who are on leave or duty so we all put a donation into a [ pot usualy about 5 shillings, { twentyfive new pence } this will let everyone drink as much as they  like and crawl back to camp afterwards,hopeing that they will not be charged for being drunk by the gaurd house  when we hand back our passes,some of the lads have been charged in the past by the R A F police,who are also stationed on the camp, and have put them on a charge.in the past, so we crawl back to bed in the billet,after a good night  but three or four of the lads decide to get back on  the police lads,and tell the rest of us to put out the lights in the billet so that it looks a though we have been in bed for some time, and are all asleep,the rest of us are a little concerned as to what they may do,because if they are cought we shall all be in trouble,and this could delay our demob in the morning,as we could  all be put on charges  of some kind,anyway we do  as they ask and all get to bed,put out the lights and pretend to be asleep,when  suddenly there is a rush into the billet, and these  four lads  rush in and climb into their beds still in their civvies,and also prentending  to be asleep, a little later  the military police  are in the billet putting on the lights and ask us if we have  seen or heard anyone or anything,we say that we were all aleep  untill they came in and woke us up by putting on the light and making a noise,I hope they dont make us get out of bed because they would then see that the other boys are still in civvies that would be the end for all of us, luckly they seem to think we were  genuinely sleeping after our demob party down at the pub,and they leave us alone, We ask what the lads had done,to get their  revenge on them, they tell us that they had got two foam extinguishers put them facing the door of the police billet,knocked on the door and then set off  the extinguisers,so you can guess what  happened when the M Ps opened their door,they were coverd in white foam from head to toe. I suppose this was the reason they  were slow getting around  the billets,as they would have to have changed their  uniforms  and clear up the mess.They never did found  out who the colprits were so we were safe thank goodness.
               Next morning we have to collect our discharge  papers from the units we visited  the other day, and our rail passes home,it seems strange to realise that I am now free to return to civvie street for good.and get my old job back at the dental lab where I did my apprenticeship I will  be what is known as an improver for awile,under the supervision of a senior technician,so the next thing I shall have to do is go and see my old Dental sergeon about  returning  to work with him again,He is very pleased to see me ,but has some bad news because  he says he hasnt a vacancy for me,and although  he is supposed to take me on after my National Service { this is the law } it would mean he would  have to sack Eric, the senior.technician,and  seeing that I have not done any dentisty  for  two years  I wouldnt be  able to do some of the work, and would be slow. also he is a married man,and  has resposablities that I dont.this is a blow  for me  as I was hoping to get back with him.after a few weeks holliday,but instead I will have to sign onto the dole and look for another position.so this I do, but they dont have any vacanies for dental technicians on their books but I will recieve two pounds and ten shilling a week. untill I find work. I have been uninployed for about four weeks when I hear there is a job with another dentist in canterbury,so I go to see him,his practice is called Bradley and Post,and he says he will take me on as an improver so this is good news,so life is good .and I can see Angela  every day and we can go out together again.Angela has  decided to move to lodgings with a nice couple who live in  the Sturry Road  called Mr and Mrs Kennet,but they are pretty strict about time and  when she should get home at night, this applies to her own doughter Freda who also has a boyfriend called Jeff so if we go out we have to make shure that we get the girls home on time,this means ten o clock, and we have to get pemission from Mrs Kennet if we want to go to the pictures or a dance,this a bit of a nuisance  as the cinamas dont close  untill around ten or ten thirty, and the dancehalls are open untill twelve oclock but its O K we can manage with that.Now that Angela lives where she is, I can pick her up on my way to work, and again home after work in my car.so things are great at last. 

life after 1945 no5

                                                          
                                                                                 After 1945 No 5.


Had a loveley weekend with Angela,and am so pleased that we are still together,alsoI hear that my old school pal Len Smith is being called up and is also going into the R A F,another pal Derek Butler is also in the R A F,and maybe joining me on my unit at Ruislip so I will have some company to travel with at weekends,this gives me an idia,if I apply to the C O and ask permission to bring my car onto camp, we can drive home every weekend together,I fill in the aplication form which he will sign and  if I am lucky I may get the O K eventualy to bring my car onto camp,lots of the chaps have their cars on camp and some their motorcycles,sometimes  I go with one of the lads  in his car,for runs into the town or the Lido which is in a park near the camp.
         The morning that I have to  report to the Dental Centre  I am told  by the wing commander in charge that I shall be working in the store,this is  a supprise to me, as I undrstood that I would be working in the lab,I ask this wing Cmdr why,and he say that beacause I have  less than a year to go,its not worth him allowing  me into the lab.to work.I am told by other staff that this wing cmdr is a right snob and treats everyone under him as if they were out of the gutter,this even includes  other Officers  and underlings,anyway they say that he is due to leave very soon and we will have another one come in.to take his place, I am disapointed that I will not work in the laboratory as the  flt Sarge  had hoped but I can still catch up on a few tips from  the other dental  lads and even cast a few impressions  for them WOW !! how great  I will really learn from that. but its nice of them to  let m do odd things.but the wng cmdr  must never find out.or we will all be for it.this dental Hospital is very small but deals with all the very high ranking officers such as Air Officer Comanding,. {  AOC } these Officers are like gods  or they think they  are, but I suppose if you are that high up in rank  they a are,because you cant get any higher, or you would be higher than the Duke of Edinburgh, and you cant  do  that. because there is no rank higher than him.so they are equal..I have an uncle thats a wng Cmdr so I hope he dosnt come into the hospital as I would have to treat him like any other officer.couldnt Call him uncle Dave could I ?? so I hope he never has to come in.
         Because there  are so many diffierent  officers from other Nations  in london its hard to know  who are  intitled to a salute,and many  lads have been charged  for not doing just that its even got to state where we are throwing salutes up to a doorman, at a hotel, so we hear that  they are  going to request tthat we should wear civvies to and from the centre,  and change into our uniforms at the centre,so now we will wear civvies from now on,I  have at last recieved  permission  that I can  bring my car on  camp this means that when I go home this weekend I can come back in my car,and then Derek and I can travel together at weekends.Derek will come down to the Dental Centre and  meet me there,after work.so all is working out O K just like being in civvie street.I  meet the Flt Sgnt that got me the transfere one evening and he say he was sorry to hear I had not been let into the Dental laboratory as a Technician, as he had intended but I say  thats  its O K,  anyway and not his fault,he did what he thought was best for me.only thing is I  will never get any promotion, still not to worry.
       the New wng Cmdr  has arrived and he seems a nice chap. ex bomber pilot,and is  like other officers who are automaticly pilot officers if they are dentists,and most of the ones in the centre are ex pilots who flew in the war, and are more one of the boys than  officers.great  chaps,only one trouble with these guys is now that the other wng. cmdr. is away. they tend to treat the place like home,they hold parties at the weekends, and  some are a little wild  and because there are beds  in the  hospital,for recoveries, they have girls in over the weekends, eventualy they are told that it must stop or at least cut down on it, these chaps even take the lads out for drinks sometimes but they could  get into  trouble for doing this, because other ranks are not supposed to mix with officers in the R A F there are Officers Messes, Seargents messes, Cpls messes, and otrher ranks messes. the  R A F is very snobby, and you have to rember your position..and not mix with these other ranks in or off camp the .but dont think many take much notice of this order.except if you are on the camp.    

after 45 No 4

                                                                             LIFE AFTER 1945.No 4


The Monday arrives, and  I have to start work so I catch the bus to Canterbury,but I confess I feel a little nervous because I dont know exactly what I will be doing, so arriving at the depot I meet the manager  Mr Moyse.,who thinks the best thing for me to start with, would be in the packing department, where everything is packed and  taken to the post office for distributation to there clients, so thats my job  to start with, and I have to enter everything into a post book so that there is a record of the goods being sent.and what  the postage is on them,so thats my first day at work and I quite enjoyed it.we sell  everything that the dentist use, and the Dental Technicians use, the technicians are the men who make the actual false teeth,and crowns inlays etc.I have now worked here for some time, and have saved enough money to think I could buy a new cycle,so will start looking at the different cycles that are for sale.in the shops.eventuauly I decide that I like the new racing bike,that has  three speeds,but it costs trwenty pounds so if I want this one I will have to pay some of it with installments because its more than I have saved up, My dad isnt too keen on me doing this because he dosnt beleive in buying  this way.but he say he will sign the agreement so that I can buy it.so I  put down my ten pounds,and this means I can have the cycle.in a couple of days.at last the day come when I can pick up the bkie and ride it home,I  must say I like it even more  now that its all made up and I can ride it,so I feel  on top of the world, and very happy ,now I will be able to ride to work every day so saving the bus fare which will now go to  help in paying  off the hire purchase account. I will be  doing about twelve miles a day going to and from work,and home for dinner.at lunch time.also I will be able to go out with my pals,like Len Smith. Brian Southern .Allan fuller, Johny Kirkham,Allans dad is the local Police Seargent for our area, and he lives in broad Oak,so  now we can all  ride up to meet Allen and go for faily long rides into the country,sometimes even to Herne bay,which is a twlve mile round trip.Must confess its great to be able to go places together.we even meet to ride to work in the mornings..   

 

                                                                            Life After 1945  No 3

  I rember  on one day I was given the cane for being acused of hitting a girl, { let me say hear and now  I would never hit a girl at all.} but what happened was when changing classes for the next  lesson we had to  walk along  the passage way to the next classroom there wa another  class changing from theirs to another,and our two line  passed each other,I saw a girl that I liked in the other line,and we had talked about  having a date,sometime, and as we passed I put out my hand to touch her as we passed,but the head master saw this and thought I had hit her,so ordered me to his office where I recieved  ten of the best on my hands,there was no good trying to explane what  had taken place because  he woulnt have listened anyway,and you were  always accused of lieing any way,so I had sore hands for best part of the week,and on one occasion one boy had to be  taken to the hospital after recieving the cane  from this head master.we heard that after this happened the boys farther went to the school and draged the headmaster from his office,and gave him a beating,  but nothing was ever heard  of.regards this, This headmaster was well known for his cruelty,and he was a sadistic man,I was glad that my time at school was nearing its end,and I would be able to look for  some work,of some kind I dont know what  as I had not really given it much thought,At last the day arrives when all those leaving school have to present themselves at the to the main hall,to recieve their school leaving certifacates and shake hands with the teachers who have had to put up with us through the last years,so thats it I am now adult enough at fourteen years of age to enter into the real world, prividing I can get a job that is,in our area,  most jobs are either working on the land ,in a shop,or office,I would not be able to work in an office  because of my lack of education,and I dont want to work on a farm as I know what this entails having relations who have them,anyway I dont like farming.My Mum says there is a job advertised for work in a Dental supply company as a counter hand, and sujests that perhaps I should apply for this;and go for the interview,this  appeals to me too as its different to most jobs,unless you have a really good  education and could become a solicitor or something but you would also have to have parents who could afford to pay for you to be endentured to one.I think this is around one hundred pounds so is out  of reach for most families,so I go to see the manager of this dental shop,I  explane to him that I am not very good with Maths but he say he will give me a chance to prove myself, and I can start work on the following Monday after  leaving school.