Conversation recorded 20th August, 1987

The great thing about just after the war was the great feeling of warmth .. about coming back and belonging .. and going out to the pub every night because you couldn't possibly stay in ... and meeting all the chaps with their tales of the desert .. the sand was about 2 foot deep in The Bell at one time ..

Interesting how different the army boys were from us in the air force - they knew none of our bawdy songs, for instance. I could entertain chaps who'd been in the army 5 years ... and I had to clean them up for elderly people of 60 who were also in the bar.

I was in the church choir as a youngster. I was born loving Anglican chant. I can't quite explain that, but I was .. and I still do.

Another boy and I made that wooden processional cross in the church, and I want that carried in front of my coffin when the time comes.

We weren't very good at woodwork, I may say, you can tell if you look at it ... that's 50 years I suppose that's been there.

I was in the choir with Sid Cox, Ron Vowles, Joe Ashley at Winscombe, Mackenzie Collins was head boy. He got 4/- a quarter. We got 2/-. I left that to do the organ blowing. I've still got the book I recorded my money in .....

...and Mr Ernest Edward Hardwicke, he was the churchwarden from 1930 - 1948 which covered my time, so I used to go down to Havyat Farm to get the organ-blowing money, 1/- an hour, which was quite good.

It was quite a tie of course - Friday choir practice, then Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon ... .. we used to have an organist for Sunday School. ...

... he used to go to sleep, fold his arms on the console, and I used to go and wake him up. We used to have great fun with him because this great blower thing we used, we could get a nice warble in the music ... but then he told me he knew my father, which changed everything.