TRM

Firstly, thanks for all the kind comments I've had, including a call this week from Milford's Barry Thynne, who as well as singing TRM's praises, also told me that he has a snap of the Beacon Star, which was sought by Margaret Lloyd in last week's column. And I also heard from Christine Hesslewood, who's grandfather had once skippered the ship. How cool is that? So, hopefully, I'll be including more soon.

But I'm sure you'll agree that it's not merely old photos that tug on our nostalgic heart strings, not by a long chalk.

It's also music. Songs from yesteryear that, when we hear them, immediately whisk us back to a different time and place. We knew who had Lipstick on their collar, and who was Crying in the rain.

Recently, on the wireless, I heard Marvin Rainwater's 1958 No 1 record; "Whole lotta woman" and suddenly, I was sat on my bed in Pill, strumming my guitar, and screeching out the words to what was the latest song we'd added to our repertoir in the Mike Walters' group.

My parents had already accepted the fact that, like so many of the country's war babies, I'd fallen, hook line and sinker, in love with the exciting new musical craze called rock'n roll.

I was hooked on Elvis, Buddy Holly and The Crickets, the Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Fats Domino etc. And despite their hope that it was nothing more than a "passing whim," one which I would soon outgrow, of course they were wrong, and the excitement of the 1960's music, with the Beatles, Stones, Moody Blues, Gerry and the Pacemakers etc never did just fade away.

And in Milford, one of the first groups who burst onto the scene was The Rebels. (See photos) They stormed into our teenage lives like an avalanche of raw excitement and has never been forgotten.

A few years ago, Freddy Dow, their Manager from late 1959 until 1962, talked to me about those heady days, and said: "They played Pill Social Centre on Tuesday nights, then I introduced the Friday night dances. They alternated between Pill and the Masonic Hall. We'd get 400+ at Pill, and 500+ at the Masonic and it was half a crown entry.

They backed many of the "big names," and on the night that Ray Ellington appeared at Pill, I'd arranged new outfits for the boys. Maroon jackets and white trousers. When the curtains opened and the crowd saw them, they went wild!"

And over a coffee in the Torch Theatre, Billy Jenkins once told me: "I was about 16 when I joined them, playing electrified accordion. Peter Owens was lead guitar, his brother Mickey played rhythm, Jim Hughes was the drummer, although, for a while we also had Les Cullen drumming both drummers with a full kit, what a big sound!

Dai Rolls was also rhythm guitar and vocals, Bobby Davies played bass and sang, and Billy Reynold was another vocalist. Later on, sisters Jane and Julie Evans joined as vocalists and backing singers."

As with most bands, there were occasional changes to the line-up. My old mate guitarist Richard Askwith occasionally stepped in, and Tony Horan joined as a keyboard player about 6 months before The Rebels disbanded.

Those of us who grew up in the R&R revolution will never forget those exciting times, and I feel a little sorry for today's youngsters, who missed out on the musical era of a lifetime.

I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of my old Pill friends, Ivor Day. Ivor was a firm TRM follower, we often discussed its contents as well as reminiscing about "the good old days."

A few years ago having catalogued a list of some of the "Ships broken up by Thomas W Ward at the Castle Works, Castle Pill, Milford Haven," he kindly gave me a copy, and suggested I might use them every now and then in my TRM. And of course, I have. Today I'm including the Sloop, HMS Rosemary, built in 1916, and so well known for the time it spent around local waters. It's history includes serving in the North Sea during WW1 and surviving being torpedoed in June 1916.

Then, as a convoy escort during WW2, her armoury included 1x4" gun; 1x12 pdr AA gun; 2x20 mm oerlikon cannons; 8x 303 machine guns and depth charge rails.

In April 1943, in Freshwater West, she went to the aid of the men of the Landing Craft LCG16, and tragically lost six crew members.

In December 1947, she arrived at Wards Yard to be broken up.

So, this particular snap and recollection are dedicated to the memory of Ivor George Day, thank you for your help over the years... RIP.

Now for our teasers; last week's was straightforward with the answer being ‘a barber’.

And those who found it a snip were Dom Todaro, Margaret Jones, Joyce Layton, Les Haynes, Elinor Jones, Phil Jones, Anne & Jets Llewellyn. Many thanks to all who got in touch.

Try this one: What is harder to catch the faster you run?

Don't forget, if you've got any thoughts, comments or recollections that would fit into TRM, please get in touch.

I'll leave you with this thought; the older you get, the better you get...unless you're a banana. See you.