My apologies for not posting up earlier – been bit busy of late…
Keith McCart….
My history, I was born in Morecambe, Lancs, went to live in Singapore
with parents 57 to 60.
Returned to live in Chessington Surrey 60 – 61
Went to live in Aden 61 – 63
Back to live in Bedford 63 – 65
Went to Sea Training School in North Wales aged 15 in 1965.
Sept 66 flew to Montreal to join the London Banker as a Navigating Cadet
with LOF, then the Overseas Adventurer and finally the London Explorer
(just been converted from tanker to bulk carrier at La Spezia) Loved my year on
the General Cargo ship and would have stayed but didn’t enjoy the tanker and bulk
carrier with limited runs ashore, wanted girlfriends and so left in 1968.
My parents were in Tehran, Iran so I got a bed-sit in Bedford and worked in a
Building Society, soon as was old enough applied to join the Police. Spent a career
in the Police nearly all in the CID, finished as the Forces longest
serving Detective Inspector served last number of years in Luton (what a dump).
Soon as I retired with pension I went to live in Spain (recently divorced which was
something I hadn’t expected or wanted) I had owned a place on South Coast of
Spain for 26 years.
Went on a round the world trip in 2002 and discovered Thailand, the rest is
history !
I come from a maritime family, my grandfather was in the MN, my father and his two brothers were RN
during the war, my fathers elect brother George McCart aged 21 yrs went down on HMS Hood, one of the
1,400 lost. His name is on the Morecambe war memorial Morecambe Sea Front, My older brother went
into the RN and did 10 years before leaving and joining the Police. My younger sister went into the Wrens.
(If you Google ‘Neil McCart’ you will see my brother writes many ship books)
Even though it was short I loved my experience at Sea Training and with LOF.
We travelled to and from Singapore by P&O liner SS Carthage, and back from Aden on P&O Himalaya.
I always loved the sea and have had many cruise holidays over the years, this October we are off down
to Singapore and taking a cruise from Singapore.
I live now in Jomtien, few miles outside Pattaya, have a Thai wife I have been with now for 13 years. I
have a truck here and a big 1,100cc easy rider bike, together we have driven and ride all over Thailand.
Been down to Phuket many times.
I did Vietnam in 1967 on the London Banker (Da Nang & Saigon, ‘double bubble’) and always wanted
to go back so flew back to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh 10 years ago from here.
Have a great life here, younger wife keeps me on my toes !
Both Khun Or (wife) and I knew both Ambrose and Val Jones very well, visited them at their home in Felixstowe several times, I was also part of a group of ex MN we called ‘Old salts’ that kept in touch daily via the internet until Val died then Ambrose shortly after, I am still in daily contact with the others.
Click on pictures to enlarge
RG Note – Thanks Keith – We maybe will meet up in January when we are in Southern Phuket….