The 'Secret Lemonade Drinker'

If (Chief Engineer) Mike Nicholls is reading this, please don't worry mate the heading has no relation to a 'drink problem' - ha, ha!

Even though the weather had brightened up since yesterday, once again it was a day at home for me. With about 10 miles of 'electric string' winding through my lounge and a heap of gadgets piled on the dining table I was more interested in getting my 'media system' sorted out than birding. It always takes me an age to sort these technical things out but about 10 'o' clock a knock on the door saw my savior arrive. Gary White (the SLD) has been shipmate, great friend and now helper for many years and soon got down to getting all the right leads in the right holes, with me heading for the shops and a new i-Pod and lap-top computer. One more technician to visit tomorrow and we should be back to normal, and then maybe a few original photographs rather than another selection from the archive as below.

Black & Rufous Warbling-Finch

Black-necked Swan

Eared Dove

Giant Wood Rail

Green-barred Woodpecker

Guira Cuckoo

Hooded Siskin

Monk Parakeet

Narrow-billed Woodcreeper

Picazuro Pigeon

Plumbeous Rail

Red-crested Cardinal (male)

An e-mail from regular reader Janet Reed gives us an insight to the rescue described below - Many Thanks Janet.

The crew of the Weymouth RNLI relief Severn class all-weather lifeboat Beth Sell assisted a 24- metre sail training vessel with 16 persons onboard that was dismasted South of Portland Bill. Footage taken by crew members i-phones and pentax hand held camera. 5 Sept 2011.

Portland Rescue

A quick update on the Stat Counter, notably Spain hovering just outside of 3 figures!

	Num	Perc.	Country Name
	14502	71.63%	United Kingdom
	1498	7.40%	United States
	532	2.63%	Taiwan
	515	2.54%	Canada
	297	1.47%	Estonia
	283	1.40%	Australia
	219	1.08%	Germany
	183	0.90%	France
	158	0.78%	New Zealand
	144	0.71%	Netherlands
	129	0.64%	Italy
	108	0.53%	Japan
	95	0.47%	Spain
	83	0.41%	Brazil
	78	0.39%	India
	67	0.33%	Belgium
	62	0.31%	Poland
	53	0.26%	Colombia
	49	0.24%	American Samoa
	49	0.24%	Thailand
	48	0.24%	Sweden
	46	0.23%	Romania
	44	0.22%	Switzerland
	41	0.20%	Peru
	37	0.18%	Malaysia
	37	0.18%	Finland
	35	0.17%	Singapore
	33	0.16%	Israel
	32	0.16%	Mexico
	32	0.16%	Philippines
	32	0.16%	South Africa
	30	0.15%	Denmark
	30	0.15%	Korea, Republic Of
	28	0.14%	Dominican Republic
	27	0.13%	Hungary
	26	0.13%	Hong Kong
	24	0.12%	Bulgaria
	24	0.12%	Russian Federation
	23	0.11%	Chile
	23	0.11%	Norway
	22	0.11%	Ireland
	22	0.11%	Ukraine
	22	0.11%	Saudi Arabia
	20	0.10%	Argentina
	20	0.10%	Greece
	20	0.10%	Indonesia
	19	0.09%	Portugal
	19	0.09%	Turkey
	19	0.09%	Vietnam
	17	0.08%	Czech Republic
	17	0.08%	Sri Lanka
	16	0.08%	Croatia
	15	0.07%	Serbia
	14	0.07%	Pakistan
	14	0.07%	Malta
	13	0.06%	Anonymous Proxy
	12	0.06%	Costa Rica
	11	0.05%	Madagascar
	9	0.04%	Venezuela
	9	0.04%	United Arab Emirates
	9	0.04%	Europe
	8	0.04%	Egypt
	7	0.03%	Slovakia
	7	0.03%	Jordan
	7	0.03%	Austria
	7	0.03%	Oman
	7	0.03%	Lithuania
	6	0.03%	Bangladesh
	5	0.02%	Macedonia
	5	0.02%	Cuba
	5	0.02%	Ecuador
	5	0.02%	Kuwait
	4	0.02%	Grenada
	4	0.02%	Trinidad And Tobago
	4	0.02%	Belarus
	3	0.01%	Guernsey
	3	0.01%	Kenya
	3	0.01%	Georgia
	3	0.01%	Algeria
	3	0.01%	Jersey
	3	0.01%	Latvia
	3	0.01%	Lesotho
	3	0.01%	Guyana
	3	0.01%	Puerto Rico
	3	0.01%	Virgin Island, U.s.
	3	0.01%	Satellite Provider
	3	0.01%	Qatar
	2	0.01%	Nepal
	2	0.01%	Malawi
	2	0.01%	Lebanon
	2	0.01%	Senegal
	2	0.01%	Gabon
	2	0.01%	Armenia
	2	0.01%	Luxembourg
	2	0.01%	Zimbabwe
	2	0.01%	China
	2	0.01%	Slovenia
	2	0.01%	Mauritius
	1	0.00%	Tanzania, United Republic Of
	1	0.00%	Macao
	1	0.00%	Guatemala
	1	0.00%	Botswana
	1	0.00%	Montenegro
	1	0.00%	Maldives
	1	0.00%	Faroe Islands
	1	0.00%	Gibraltar
	1	0.00%	Bermuda
	1	0.00%	Morocco
	1	0.00%	Iceland
	1	0.00%	Bosnia And Herzegovina
	1	0.00%	Uruguay

Living In The Past - Jethro Tull

On a day when Portland recorded the highest wind in the land, at 58 knots, and the heavy rain only stopped long for me to pop down to the shops it was another day at home catching up. High on the agenda was the stereo system which is long overdue minimising, and with an i-Pod shortly to be installed, there was plenty of re-jigging to be done. Enter my good mate Gary (the Secret Lemonade Drinker), armed with all the tools of the trade, if it were note for endless tales of the sea we could probably have taken over from Abbey Road. So, all of that left with me little to report and no photographs and again having to rely on the archive to supply a little padding.

All of these images were taken in Ecuador early 2010.

Chilean Flamingo

Pale-mandibiled Aricari

Peruvian Pelican

Red-faced Spinetail

Red-footed Booby

Rufous Motmot

Snowy Plover

Toucan Barbet

White-necked Jacobin (female)

Bath For Two

Despite the blustery condition and a real threat of rain, it was a great pleasure to visit Bath one of the finest cities in the land with my friend Lesley Brown. With some of the finest Georgian architecture in Europe there was much to look forward to, but this notice in a shop window started out visit with a giggle.

The Archway leading to the Pump House.

A few studies of Bath Abbey in all its glory.

Just a part of the beautiful city gardens.

Pulteney Bridge

Two views of The Circus.

This exquisite Georgian home is open to the public but there simply wasn't time today.

Royal Crescent

Royal Crescent & Us.

The Gothic Parish Church.

A beautiful frieze on an unidentified building.

The Roman Pump House

& Palm Court.

A wall plaque describing just what it says on the can.

Finally, we ate in the reliable Loch Fyne Restaurant at the top of the town which was my 7th visit to the establishment. I have never been disappointed here as food, wine. setting and service is of the best. Between us we savoured Squid and Scottish smoked Beef for starters, Greshingham Duck & Scampi for main plus Pannacotta and Sticky Toffee Pudding along with a decent Italian Pinot Grigio Rosė. Thoroughly recommended if you are up that way!

Oh For A Life On The Rolling Sea

Given the day and the date, it's a little uncanny that Gibraltar should join the readership (as the 152 country to do so) on this of all days. I have lost count of the number of times we made 'landfall' off 'The Rock', followed by the continued hospitality most mariners enjoyed as result of a visit to this most famous harbour and naval Base. A huge welcome and hope, if you enjoy the read, you will pass the link to all other Gibraltarians.

The coincidence arises as I reach the 50th Anniversary of passing through this gateway at HMS St Vincent, Gosport, Hants on joining the Royal Navy. At the tender age of just 15 years and 50 days I embarked on my most life changing experience, a career at sea that lasted 48 years, and cannot think of a better way to have made a living.

Bell-bottom trousers, coat of navy blue.
Let him climb the rigging, as his Daddy used to do!

My fist ship, albeit for a short 2 months, HM Minesweeper Wilton. From there, I joined

the Type 14 'Blackwood Class' (all named after Admiral Nelson's Sea captains) Frigate HMS Keppel on the Fishery Protection Squadron. Not at all a comfortable sea going vessel, we spent most of that years service inside the Arctic Circle and other northerly latitudes. The real godsend was most of the sleeping arrangements were 'hammocks'.

The following 2½ years, by sharp contrast, were spent on the Persian Gulf Squadron in HMS Eskimo one of half a dozen Tribal Class Frigates 'built for purpose'. This was a commission full of great adventures, not least

assisting with the pull out of Aden, Yemen. It was also to provide me with the most indelible view of anywhere on earth as I went to bed under the cover of dark and woke to the sight of the paradise Island of Mahė, Seychelles. With no airport in those days, we had the place to ourselves and got a real taste of what Captain Cook's crew may have experienced.

HMS Undaunted came next, showing me the less glamorous side if the RN, as 'senior ship' of the 2nd Frigate (Training) Squadron at Portland, Dorset. There followed a dramatic career change as a number of us volunteered to join the Submarine Service.

There followed a arduous spell of training at HMS Dolphin the Submarine Training Base in Gosport, Hants including several runs through the 100 foot 'escape Tank'. From there HMS/M Tiptoe, the oldest Submarine in the RN at the time, was my new home for 6 months before

completing a full year on the Ampheon Class 'boat' HMS/M Alcide, which in turn was to be her last months in service.

'Spare Crew' in the Submarine Base was the springboard for Peir-head Jumps, the colloquial term for having to relieve a colleague at short notice on sea-going commitments, serving short periods in a number of 'boats' as a result. Of these HMS/M Ocelot the most frequent and for a while thought I was permanent crew.

By now my service in the RN was reaching an end but there was still time to serve in HMS/M Porpoise before my demob and starting a new lease of life in the Merchant Marine.

.

Of all my years on the Ocean Waves my fondest memories are for the Submarine Service where only very few ports were visited, but it was a most exciting way of life if you 'fitted the bill'!

The annual Submarine Reunions were an ideal way of reliving these years, while meeting new shipmates (here Sam Dodds, who I didn't know in the service turned out to be almost a neighbour living just a short distance from me),

refreshing the taste buds with a drop of Grog and seeing old shipmates.

Local man Sid Dolton was in 'boats' long before I but we served for a number of years together in Ocean salvage Tugs. Bless you Sid wherever you are.

Former Alcidians Billy Gibson and Charlie Peace - see you both next time!

Flag Officer Submarines 2001

From 1971 to 1990 I served in a whole list of different types of vessel, when in that year another career break saw me join Semi-submersible Oil Rigs in the North Sea. All of that is a story for another day!

Reference yesterday's Bees, John Gifford gave the wrong telephone number, it is
01305 813736