We'll Get Back To You Soon

I suppose this is something that almost all of us have said at some time in our adult lives. It's not a great thing to say because it doesn't specify a specific time but most of the time most of us will 'get back to you'. I'm sure a minority of us (including myself) will have failed to fulfil  that undertaking and that has to be disappointing, inconvenient or even upsetting for the other party.

For my part I've been on the receiving end recently where 2 different recruitment agencies have said exactly that but have failed to follow through. One instance came after having sent my CV in to a company and after the first call heard nothing else; not an unusual situation as recruitment companies do this all the time and it's hard to sustain contact with these companies when there's nothing substantial to discuss.

The second instance came after being contacted directly and being told that there was a role coming up for which I would be a good fit and that we'd chat again in a couple of days. After a week, I asked if there had been any progress and was told, "We'll get back to you soon". Well, you can guess the rest. Of course, this is disappointing but is harder to take when opportunities, interviews and work haven't been forthcoming in some time.

It's been a lesson for me. I shall try harder in the future always to agree a specific date and always to ensure I do 'get back', knowing that if I don't I shall also be inconveniencing or disappointing someone else.

Incidentally, my LinkedIn profile can be found here. I hope you get back to me.

It's A Small, Small World

Over the summer months I help the Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association (the 3Rs) run their series of handicapped air races as the Chief Marshal (www.airraceuk.co.uk). In the past we've held races on Menorca but also hold ones at Abbeville in France and on Alderney as regular and annual events.

In my other job as a guide on HMS Alliance, I was taking a group through the boat this afternoon. At the end I chatted to one gentleman who was Spanish and from Majorca. I replied that I only had ever been to one place in Spain which was Menorca and that wasn't a holiday but for air racing. We chatted a little more about his interest in submarines and military matters before he asked me if I had said 'air racing'. I replied that it was and he said that he had a friend who also air raced. "It's not Gabriel, is it?". Astonishingly,  this man who is a Spanish commercial pilot currently flying from Stockholm to Vietnam and SE Asia, and I both knew the same man who generally attends the 3 air races above. In fact this man, Onofre, and Gabriel have been friends since childhood and Gabriel was responsible for getting him into flying (and for helping him get a flight at 7 years old!).

A clip from the Schneider race on Alderney with Gabriel at the controls

I can't imagine what the probability of this happening must be as for one thing, our running order as guides is decided on the cut of the cards, and this guy could have appeared at any time during the day.

Peter's Immutable Law of Ironing

The crease that is accidentally made when ironing is a million times harder to smooth out than the ones created during the laundry process.

History Oozing Out Of The Bricks

RNSM Guides with Chris Donnithorne
l-r John Buffrey, Pete Chilcott, Chris, Dennis Wade,
Denis King (photo taken by Charlie Hayward)

Today, myself and some of the other guides form the Royal Navy Submarine Museum who undertake heritage tours of Fort Blockhouse, were taken around the site by Chris Donnithorne site so that we could improve our knowledge. Chris has done much research on the history of the site and has gathered together a lot of material from a  variety of sources.

There is a likely history of a presence on the site since Roman times with the first records coming from the 15th century and then pretty much constant development. As one walks around the site it soon becomes pretty clear that it's possible to pick out any feature and realise that there is some tale or historical fact related to it: it might be the origins of Petrol Pier, the unique saluting guns, the world's first Attack Trainer or the fittings for the harbour boom. A few myths got debunked too.

• The recognisable fortifications date from the time of Queen Anne
• When the casemates were built in 1802, they were the first ones to be built since Henry VIII
• The only other saluting guns of the same type were to be found in Hong Kong and were probably returned when HK reverted back to the PRC
• There never were stables at Fort Blockhouse/HMS Dolphin
• The original (and existing) jetties, including Petrol Pier, were built in 1906

It's a truly fascinating site. Through the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, it's possible to organise a guided tour, and every September tours are organised as part of the borough wide Heritage Days

Plaque at the site of the first (of four) main gates

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The Next Tour Will Be At 1050

Hi everybody, I’m your guide and my name’s Pete
As you go on board mind your head, watch your feet
She’s really quite old, and has earnt her pension
Been here since ‘81 without much care
But you see the  scaffold’s there
And she’s getting well deserved attention

This end’s for escape, its the fore-ends and TSC
These white lockers hold escape gear and here’s the SSE.
Originally there’d be 12. Then that was 9 in ‘60
Down the loading hatch via the rails
Onto the racks or through the rear doors
Cuddling up to the spuds to the carrots and more

Over the sill, to the bunks that stay warm
In the mess for sleep, to eat, to play that’s the norm
Some quite low bunks and some more roomy
The next space has a battery
(In ‘71 we lost Chief Kimber)
The tower to the 4 inch gun is in the Wardroom

Ah - here’s the control room, oh so busy, so much to see
There’s the fruit machine, its face all black and dialled
We’ve got four wells although not four masts
Warner’s gone but there’s attack
Two-eyed search is further back
And rotating radar brings up the rear

The left hand side, is the side with tappers
One to steer, and heed voices from above
The man behind can be shallow or quite deep
His neighbour is the level headed one
All that brass lifts us up or drags us down
Two elements do the work although we might Q

Eyes left - radar, eyes right - comms and here’s the heads
Oh! the galley! Small enough for babies heads
The heads are quite modern these loos  flush
On Talent and others before  
If those steps weren’t followed
Getting your own back was your just reward


And through to the engine room we go
There’s the compressor in the corner
And here’s a lathe and a 6 valve chest
On the surface or just under
(Using snort and exhaust)
These 2 Vickers donks will drive us on

On we go, nearly done, past the screamers
To the switch gear and all that copper
Motors under here for when we’re sneaky
Through one more bulkhead
To the after ends we go
And this is like the fore-ends only less so

And that, everybody ends the tour
Thank you and if you’d like to ask some more
I’ll see you outside and what’s more
Buy me a cuppa and a cake
And I’ll ever be your mate

Especially if I get at least four stars and a good review on Trip Advisor.
(OK - it hasn't got a good cadence and the rhyming is rubbish but I'll chip away at it)

You only got how many votes to be a PCC?

The BBC is suggesting that the turn out for the English Police and Crime Commissioner elections will be in the order of 18.5%. I'm not sure how any candidate can honestly believe they have a true mandate. Technically, they do have a mandate because a very small proportion of the populace will have voted for them and the government argue that they have much more of a mandate than the unelected police authorities. Semantics.

On a personal note, this was the first time in my life that I chose not to vote in an election. There were 5 candidates for this area 4 of which had a political affiliation. Not one of those candidates had provided or published any material on which I could form a decision nor could I find any on the web after a cursory search. I had no knowledge of their backgrounds or their ability to be a 'super-bureaucrat'. I am concerned that these relative nonentities could be earning between £65,000 - £100,000 pa and have strong powers including the ability to summarily fire the Chief Constable.Sadly, the Secretary of State and her ministers see nothing wrong in this.

So you want to be a police and crime commissioner...

Yomp For Steve

This year after Steve Sharpe's death, (see my earlier post here ) his best friend, BJ (don't ask) organised the 'Yomp for Steve' as a way of bringing some of his friends together and to raise some cash for Shore Leave at Haslar. This was 8 miles from Titchfield Haven to Haslar - those who knew Steve will understand the significance.


Video of the 2012 event
Well, BJ has decided to do it again and has put next year's date in his diary and I'm asking you to put it in yours. 18th May. By coincidence, that's my birthday so please bring extravagant presents. You're asked to contribute £10 on the day and that will be passed to Shore Leave at the end. And they did a rather splendid barbecue for the walkers. No need to commit or part with money now - just mark the day and WTS.