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One day sitting in the orchard centre talking with my friend confidant and Chinese teacher Yan she said I was inspirering her with my courage and attitude to my disease she said would change places with me but I said I enjoyed being special being as it was being looked after by lovely ladies I. Dedicate this story to her.

The only symptoms’ are a feeling of dread and I never sleep I have nothing to fear .

I was misdiagnosed by Epsom hospital but after a simple blood test at ST Georges although I had MRI lumber punctre.brainscans.I am currently being looked after by the surrey assessment team and my main carer is Tara and she is perfect for my care after a private company ran away in panic.

Family

I have a very supportive wife son a daughter, a dad my mother dead already possibly from Huntingdon a cousin , brother and the pride of my life three grandchildren and I am writing this story for them.

Memories

My earliest memory is being pushed along the top of Beulah Hill in a large pram in a particular outfit and I have a picture to prove it.

My earliest memory of Harold Wood is throwing conkers at the coaches in the high street.

Another is being given a half eaten biscuit by Mrs. copping and Tommy her Down syndrome boy

Things I enjoy now are music, holidays walking helping people like my friend Julia who lives next door, who visited me in hospital I have a great church I go to.

Biography.

Born at 1130 0n 14th march 1954 at home at 59 Burlington Road in the county of Surrey

Education

First school attended

Beulah road

For family reasons we moved to near Romford in Essex in

Second school was Harold park school 1958 1959 where their was a large playing field next to the park it was very nice school where I got my basic education and on the sporting side learnt to play cricket football baseball softball rounder’s against the girls

Secondary school was Harold hill grammar this was a particularly happy time where added trampoleening and swimming to my love of sport’s endured cross country up Bedford’s hill and round the Havering country park it was about 8 miles a very arduous course. I remember for several weeks in the winter we had to chip the ice of our third of a pint of milk and in the summer we had to wipe the tits muck of the milk

Also the area of Harold Hill was very rough so I had a lovely upbringing but I was tough we used to fight with the adjacent school Bedford’s Park although we had different times. We had woodwork and metalwork and nine olevels

1 French

2 Russian

3Physic

4Maths

5English language

6Physic

7geography

8English literature

9Biology

I did half three a levels pure maths.stat maths and english

My good friends at HHGS include Peter Johnson,Mark Nafzger,lou Mahanty and Trevor and the girl I learnt the trampoline with Sue Cook my

Friends outside school included Richard archer the undertaker,Mick HicMott the chippie and Debbie Bortoli who became a make up artist.

Two of us had lambrettas and pete had nortons.I started with an li150 from my dads friend reg 129 bla then graduated to an sx 225 which was pretty quick I passed my test at Gidea Park which gave me my freedom to visit the essex villages including Margaret my cousin in Billericay. Bank holidays were spent on the beaches at southend or Brighton amongst the mod verses rockers

I used to go to west ham with my skinhead mates I used to go Chelsea in the shed end

We even used to take place in the Chelsea cruise in my friends amc javelin for some reason we cruised the thames valley and that is where I met my wife at Wallingford where she stayed on a farm in wear gifford I rember the famers boy showing off but when he could see what I could do he slunk off but we did have some happy holidays in caravan in Wallingford

Part time Jobs while at hhgs news paper boy in Harold hill hospital dragging a large bag of newspapers and old Holborn for the old men., Ilford films as a lab assistant, Guidea park motors as a petrol pump attendant when petrol was 3/3 gal and was on some days pumped by hand. So I have been around.

Physically I am stocky like a troll and am tough

I have some martial training including kukushinkai at the Sutton dojo tang soo do and muay Thai

I have a well developed sense of humour and love things like Monty python red dwarf and Spike Milligan I think of my self as working class although my upbringing was middle class I have an elective taste in music such as bb king Eric clapton.muddywaters chicken shack dr feelgood wishbone ash I played in a group called harp and built disco called firebird I appreciate classical music my mother was a pianist and my auntie kit played at the annual cub scout gang show at the palladium

I was happy enough in Romford until my mother was ill

Mitcham

Then we moved to st olaves walk and the next phase began

We had moved next to mud drummer so we went to see his concerts my dad still lives there to this day my mum used to go a nursing home and my dad is a helper even to day I had friend round the corner and I go there to see my dad we go to a particular café where I eat all the pies. my Mum had family nearby and we used to go to a Greek restaurant I personally spent a lot of time in Romford, Stoneleigh ,walling ford

Ewell

Currently live on the longmead estate close to the day centre within walking distance of the shop, a social centre and the day centre. There is always traffic day and night. and aircraft noise but lonely until disease struck. I have a lovely female bunch of care staff coming morning and night. And a day centre to go to. I have Italians on one side and Swedish hells angels the other I am friendly with two old people opposite.

Previous houses were in ebisham road and very nice house in Ewell along a path close to the school and high street. Born in Thornton heath Surrey we have lived on longmead for many years. we did not have much in the beginning lino on the floor and paraffin heaters but have slowly built the house up over many years In the beginning I did all the DIY since being diagnosed I am retired. from this activity.

First occupation. whilst in longmead was Laboratory Technician at Department of Pharmacology Kings College London in the Strand I used to commute by train and the children would sometimes meet me. I used to work Saturday as overtime my particular friend was Alan Moss who restored an old riley which was used at my wedding. We used to smoke cannabis and were experimenting in the effect of cannabis on mouse brains. We worked hard and played hard our punch was lethal made as were from neat alcohol we used to enjoy parties, night clubs.discoes and going to concerts I have seen The Faces,David Bowie Mott the hoople,wishboneash

My favourite tipples then were Guinness, sisters of Murphy New castle brown but I enjoy the occasional glass of red wine we were part of a generation who harmed no one but were tough and self reliance I practiced karate with terry anfield at Kings college and went swimming at the oasis and I swim like a fish.

To earn more money my next job was a complete change of direction

Bus conducting bus driving bus cleaning night fore man

I went stock car racing and sea fishing whilst there.

I was based in leatherhead bus garage for London country bus I was happy there. I was shop steward for a while we even had a hotel there in Eastbourne we used to go deep sea fishing was organised for us in Brighton

Then I joined as external engineer in Chessington for British telecom who is basically a lineman going up poles installing new primary cross connection points the green cabinets you always see around Britain and providing new cable joints. Then I went to Merton College did my btec and was promoted to technical officer in planning a job I did for 20 years in Croydon, Red hill and Staines

I was heavily into martial arts during this particularly tang so A Korean martial art with master yap and muay Thai with master praual aimpia who started a restaurant who became an mp I rember helping him decorating I still have some of the plates indoors.

I love Chinese culture and was collecting paper cuts .prerevolutionary period.

I use chopstick when eating and I know that the honoured guests should receive the largest portion

Another friend of mine Master Sken became head of taequondo and after he cooked us breakfast of congee I went to a martial arts meeting I met the very famous Jackie Chan who is very nice man who made a point of shaking everyone’s hand

I have played football all my life including 5 a side, Recently learnt sail

And became part of the MRVS the auxiliary coast guard near Brighton we sail a ship from Brighton to France occasionally.

Holidays and recreation

Holidays were important for us early family whilst living in Essex include southend which has the worlds longest pier, the very pretty mersea island I have a photo of me in Christchurch in Dorset with my granddad. We had peter pans gardens and the best fresh fish and chips. Toured the Essex villages in our faithful old Austin sly 121 registration. When my dad acquired a ford escort we went further afield like Weymouth in Dorset and the very pretty Norfolk broads where I leant to canoe and sail and fish. We went to Cromer on the east coast which is wild and windy. . I have followed Fulham and Chelsea football teams, seeing them mostly at home A great influence on me was my Thai Boxing master who had a very successful career in bancock who started a Thai boxing club in Fulham who introduced me to respect,. Hard work Thai culture and Jacky Chan and Buddhism .I love to watch Bruce lee films it is a shame he died so young. I was told his fung sui mirror broke as he seemed invincible to me. Our first great adventure abroad was by coach to Brittany and from that moment I was addicted to France we used to have exchange students and we became friends with one particular student from Normandy we have been to so many family events over the years. We also go to see my friends near Gibraltar in Spain. We went to chang mai in Thailand to see our friend he is Chinese we visited the golden triangle whilst there.

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