Do you remember . . .

A pie and peas at Harry D'wheels?
Or was it the Nassi Gorang at Sembewang?
Maybe it was the smell of cordite from the 4.5"
or just a game of cards in the mess.
The 'flicks' on the Quaterdeck and "feet up" as another greenie washes the deck beneath your seat.
Maybe it was Tombolla night
or a cup of hot Kai on a cold first watch on the Bridge.

Could it be Lockhart Road in Hong Kong and the 'girlie bars' "I rove you Tommy San" she'd say and ask for a 'Cherry Brandy' that cost three times that of beer, "That's flat Coca Cola!', "Neva hoppen!", "Hoppen all the time" replies Tommy.

Or the many exercises where the 'old lady' could still best the rest in a test, because we knew she could.

Ah, the memories . . .

Tom 'Fool' Hardy's . . . Memories

I joined Quiberon on 4th May 1960 as a Writer, having been drafted from Albatross and was made a LWtr not long before leaving Quiberon on 22nd May 1961. This mad me a 'bare bum kellick' as my badge was not due until October. It was rather embarrassing to be a 'bare bum kellick' as you were treated with disdain. When I drafted into Cerberus from Quiberon there were a few 'bare bum kellick' writers so we used to say we had been naughty boys and would get our badges back soon.

I was victualled in Mess 8 and the original mess mates when I joined were LSA(S)'s 'Blue' Rees, 'Monster' Morgan, 'Butch' Don Williams, LSA(V) Ken 'Cardigan' Cashmere, an SA(V) whose name escapes me, L/Wtr 'Matt' Dillon and myself Wtr Tom 'Fool' Hardie. Blue and Ken slept on the (bench seat) cushions, Monster slept on the table and the other four of us slept on stretchers with our heads up against the lockers and feet under the table. We had two scuttles (port holes to you land lubbers) and an escape hatch so with wind scoops, we had an airy mess although every now and then a wave would throw up some slop which would be picked up by the wind scoop and you had a nice cold salt water shower. This usually occurred when you were eating a meal just to make it more interesting.

Mess 8 was just aft of the galley on the port side with the hatch to the engine room and an air conditioning unit for the engine room in the entry passage to the mess. The air conditioning unit was the noisiest unit I have ever heard and you had to yell above it to be heard. In harbour they shut it down. You couldn't sleep unless you were inebriated as it (the change) was just too quiet.

I got my nickname "Fool" from 'Monster' Morgan LSA(S), sometimes known as 'Chad' - whilst serving on the Quiberon. He was reading an article about Hans Hass the diver, who used to dive and swim with sharks. The interviewer thought that was rather 'foolhardy'. Monster was tickled by this and from then on I was known as 'Fool' Hardy. Most people thought the nickname suited me.

Monster, when getting ready to shower, had a habit of standing buck naked (not a pretty sight) with his towel slung over his shoulder and the handle of his toothbrush held between the cheeks of his bum. He would rummage away saying "has anybody seen my toothbrush?". After the third or fourth time we learnt to ignore him.

Apart from working in the Pay Office, I also worked the canteen with OA O'Connor. "Do you hear there, the canteen is now open". "Watch your fingers, the canteen is now closed"!

TRIPBOOK 1960/61