biog

For what seems to be most of my short life I've always been interested in the military. The home where I was bought up always seemed to be in the flight path of Lightnings Bucaneers and Vulcans. Later these lords of thunder would be replaced by Jags and hawk trainers but it didnt matter, the spirit of freedom had been sown and in April 1988 I left to join the RAF as an Air Defence Mechanic. Fig 1 is the first real radar I got my hands on, the Plessey AR320

After spending what seemed like an eternity on an airfield in Northumberland I was posted to Staxton Wold in N Yorks. The radar there was the superb but now sadly decomissioned S721 or T91 radar. This was a bit of a nightmare posting, due to the fact that the radar was so reliable we could only get downtime for servicing in the middle of the night. The spine of the array ( fig 2 ) was actually a hollow body for the 40 or so transmitter modules and it was quite usual to be swapping them in the pitch dark. Imagine trying to hump a container the size of a large tv set and the weight of a small adult up the stairs that can be seen in the photo. In the dark, and the snow and rain

After Staxton I was posted to the Hebrides, one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been. Work was a 20 mile drive from Benbecula to a desolate wind swept hill in North Uist. The winds up there never seemed to stop and on more than one occasion my spectacles were blown off my face. The equipment there was an American Radar made by Martin Marrieta. An earlier model than the T91 there were distinct similarities between the two so it looked as though there was a bit of spying going on.

After nine short years in the RAF it was time for me to pack my bags ( aww ) and get the ultimate promotion , Mr. Settling in Norfolk I soon put my skills as a radar tamer to good use in the Computer Departments of Jewson, Norfolk Constabulary and, best of all Lotus Cars at Hethel. Lotus was a real hight point but in 2001 we decided as a family to move back "oop North" to be near our roots

Whilst in Norfolk it didnt take me long to tire of the 9 - 5 office life, so I took what was to prove to be one of the best decisions of my life. I joined the Terratorial Army more specifically the Royal Signals. Not only did I regain my identity in a civilian world but I also gained some friends in the ranks with whom I would be proud to serve with if the need arose.