M3 Fatality. Its been a long old day.

[Phil2M]

How many other forum members are stuck on the m3 this evening?

fun isnt it?

Grrrrrr


Still, it was really great to see John and Ry. I thank you most sincerely for your hospitality John.

Great talk Ry.

Phil

[Phil2M]

Could a moderator change my title to m3 please?

M25 also blocked in my direction.

[Deejayuu]

M61 also blocked for most of afternoon. Artic burnt out, glad i was heading south passing what must have been 10 miles of standing traffic heading north!

Dave

[johnG]

Now it can be told.

Ry (Charlie 585) gave a brilliant talk today on the Mulberry Harbours of WW2 to our historical society here in Southampton. That man belongs on the lecture circuit - he is very, very good.

Then there is Phil2 who drove all the way from Essex to hear Ry talk......pity he blew out a tyre of his car on the way, had to drive on the rim to get off the road, and got lost when he arrived in our big wicked city of Southampton, but he did arrive, and what a pleasure to have a couple of blokes from the forum back to my flat for a light lunch after the meeting.

Seems as though Phil is having trouble getting back home....it could only happen to a lad from Essex !!!

Seriously though, it has been a great day, and if anybody on this forum is looking for a really good speaker then Ry is your man.

Thanks Ry. you were brilliant, and great to meet up with you Phil.

Best wishes,

john

[Phil2M]

It now gets better for me. A spanish lorry just took out the car in front of me. serious collision. now im standing at junction 5 m25 waiting for the police. ambulance got here pronto.

shes badly shaken but safe, i think.

[johnG]

This is getting to be unreal. I just can't wait for news of the next incident on Phil's trip to Southampton and back.

Hope you get home OK mate.

johnG

[orasot]

Hope you don't have this sort of luck sunday Phil!!!!!
Wilf

[Phil2M]

Do you think its ok to pee on the embankment in front of 4 cops and a couple of paramedics

Serious note, shes okay, she just embarassed me by summoning me to the ambulance to thank me. Who would drive on by? I ask myself.

He Speako No English, what a surprise!!

Its cold! and this to be honest just scared the crap out of me. thank heavens I wasn't just 2 seconds ahead!

I fully agree with all John's comments about Ry. It was a pleasure to see him in action and John you are a true gentleman.

Thanks for your well wishes and thanks for changing my title

[Phil2M]

Originally Posted by orasot

Hope you don't have this sort of luck sunday Phil!!!!!
Wilf

now you've gone and bloody done it!!

[johnG]

Does this sort of thing happen to all our members when they go out visiting, or is it just another Essex thing?

I know there are a few old Scouts on this forum.....Phil is one of them...so am I, so what a pleasure meeting up at last.

A truly great day, enhanced by the saga of our lad trying to get back home.

Stay tuned in Phil we are still with you

john G

[badjez]

Mulberry Harbours are to blame for my collecting addiction! If your still stuck in the queue and want to hear the story...

Mr Pain, my Uncle's father (my sister's sister's father-in-law) wasn't allowed to join the TA pre-war despite working for Herts County Council who sponsored their own RE unit. He was in the Highways Dept and specialised in concrete (post-war he designed the M1 through Herts, but don't hold that against me). In late 1939 the War Office put out a request for men with engineering skills to assist the BEF constructing defences in France. Mr Pain volunteered and attended somewhere in London on a Friday morning where he was Commissioned into the RE and fitted with a uniform. The following day he was issued Field Engineering manuals and taught who to salute, and how. Sunday am found him on the boat train from Waterloo to France. Once there he was seconded to various units eaching them to build concrete field defences, and mumping badges for his son from them all. Mr pain made it out of Dunkirk and was then employed on building anti-invasion works in the UK, collecting badges etc as he went, sending them home to my Uncle. He was then posted to Galloway, where he was joined by his family. All he ever told them was that he was building slip-ways for landing craft. It subsequently turns out he was probably employed on the prototype Mulberry Harbours that were trialled on the Kirkudbrightshire coast. 'Major Pain' landed on D+3, constructing the harbours we think, and subsequently commanded an Artisan Company, RE. he ended the war as Town major in germany somewhere.
In the 1960's I was given a khaki cotton bag containing numerous badges, mainly broken by my uncle. These were the basis of my collection.

Are you home yet, or have you fallen asleep at the wheel...
Stephen.

[Phil2M]

I just walked in and guess what...... ?

just kidding, lol.

I was just thinking as i drove along that I wonder why I decided to post on here about my troubles. The answer I think is that I knew when I got home that I could end the story on a relevant note - I had two new badges waiting for me, police ones of course

[Phil2M]

Hello mate,

Thats quite a piece of family history you have there, I would be very proud of that. Thankyou for sharing it.

Cheers

Phil

[johnG]

Glad you go home OK in the end Phil and there was a happy ending to it.
Best wishes,
John

[Charlie585]

Hi gents,

Phil,

I'm relieved that you made it home in one piece, never a dull moment - and two lucky escapes in one day! Someone is smiling on you mate. Good to see you again yesterday and sorry you were only able to catch the second half of the presentation.

John,

The pleasure was all mine, I'm very glad that you were pleased with my presentation and it was encouraging to receive such positive feedback from the members of the society. Thank you once again for you kind hospitality, it's always a pleasure to swap a few stories from our service days. I look forward to the next time and hope that my next presentation will be as successful as the last.

Stephen,

Good to hear of the experience of your relative, very interesting indeed. There was a lady at John's meeting yesterday whose husband had been employed as a welder on the Mulberry project and it was apparent that she was genuinely moved to know that the efforts of those that worked on this endeavour at all levels are still remembered and appreciated.

Regards to all.

Ry