kevlaw

Birth to Secondary School
Foots Cray, United Kingdom
Born. Primary School. Parents divorced and we moved to...
written by  kevlaw on March 19, 1966 from Foots Cray, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Where we used to live

All Aboard!
Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Joined HMS Southampton as an 18yr old Weapon Engineering Artificer (Apprentice)
written by  kevlaw on July 5, 1984 from Portsmouth, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Grey Funnel Line

Here! I'm off to sunny Spain!
Santander, Spain
Took the ship for a long weekend in the Basque Country.
Had my first cappucino. My first olive. First time I was rescued from a windsurfer (no wind - current took me away). First time I even fell asleep in a night club because I had not slept for three days.
Wonderful time.
written by  kevlaw on August 7, 1984 from Santander, Spain
from the travel blog: Grey Funnel Line

Teenage Years
Bexleyheath, United Kingdom
Lived on Gravel Hill,
Went to Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School.
written by  kevlaw on July 7, 1978 from Bexleyheath, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Where we used to live

In the Navy!
Torpoint, United Kingdom
Started my engineering apprenticeship at HMS Fisgard.
written by  kevlaw on September 3, 1982 from Torpoint, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Where we used to live

We are Sailing!
Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Took two attempts to get going. First attempt was aborted when we hit and sunk the famous Shambles Buoy off Portland Bill.
written by  kevlaw on September 1, 1984 from Portsmouth, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Grey Funnel Line

I am a Rock
Gibraltar, Gibraltar
My first run in with a Barbary Ape.
written by  kevlaw on October 1, 1984 from Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Learned my trade
Fareham, United Kingdom
HMS Collingwood, weapons engineering school. Completed my apprenticeship.
written by  kevlaw on April 1, 1983 from Fareham, United Kingdom

All at Sea
Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Joined my first ship HMS Southampton. Became a man.
written by  kevlaw on June 7, 1984 from Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Bobbing along, bobbing along
Deadwood, Saint Helena
Was actually Ascension Island (but that's not on the map).
Have you ever seen shitfish? Like piranhas but not nearly so cuddly. And hungrier.
Received my Crossing the Line certificate from King Neptune himself.
written by  kevlaw on October 11, 1984 from Deadwood, Saint Helena

Sheep and Penguins
Stanley, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Around and around in the Falkands.
Action station: 30mm Oerlikan
Defense station: Gunbay magazine room.
Bunk: 3M Main Gulch
written by  kevlaw on September 15, 1984 from Stanley, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

We're going to a party way down south
Stanley, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Banned from all four pubs in Port Stanley. Didn't step on any landmines. Savaged by neither sheep nor penguin.
Trivia: My Dad wanted to move to the Falklands in 1981. My mum said no. They got divorced soon after.
written by  kevlaw on November 15, 1984 from Stanley, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

No more heroes anymore
Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Paid my respects at the grave of Sir Earnest Shackleton, Adventurer. Hero.
written by  kevlaw on January 1, 1985 from Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

First House
Portchester, United Kingdom
Shared a house with Jacko, Harry Havron, Ginge Trippet and our crazy landlady.
written by  kevlaw on August 1, 1985 from Portchester, United Kingdom

House by the Sea
Alverstoke, United Kingdom
Two years of high jinks in the fun house by the sea.
Shared with (at various times) with Jacko, Willie Oliphant, Kev Dudley, Ade & Rob Cocking.
written by  kevlaw on July 1, 1986 from Alverstoke, United Kingdom

P..P..P..Pick up a penguin
Stromness, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Narrowly escaped being savaged by fur seals, dive-bombed by skuas, drowned in elephant seal saliva and fluffed by baby king penguins
South Georgia was voted Most Beautiful Place in the World, January 1985.
written by  kevlaw on January 12, 1985 from Stromness, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Alone on a wide wide sea
Darwin Settlement, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
More sheep. More penguins.
Spent a lot of time sitting inside a 30mm Oerliken. A lot more studying for a Math A level.
Was ship Cribbage Champion.
written by  kevlaw on February 1, 1985 from Darwin Settlement, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Deterring the Ruskies
Helensburgh, United Kingdom
Joined my first submarine HMS Revenge loaded up with 16 ICBMs (3 nuclear warheads each) and prepared to bring on Armageddon.
Set my personal record for most pints of beer in a single session. 18.
written by  kevlaw on March 1, 1987 from Helensburgh, United Kingdom

An Officer and A Gentleman
Dartmouth, United Kingdom
BRNC Britannia. They tried to make an officer of me, but I was having none of it. Had a blast though drinking lots of beer and messing about on the river - often at the same time.
Broke my personal record for 'most drinks (no too the same colour)'. 32 in case you were wondering.
Dartmouth is so beautiful it makes you cry.
written by  kevlaw on January 5, 1988 from Dartmouth, United Kingdom

Show me the way to go home
Deadwood, Saint Helena
Was s'posed to go to Antigua, but trip was cancelled.
written by  kevlaw on March 1, 1985 from Deadwood, Saint Helena

O Say can you see?
West Palm Beach, United States
Disneyland. Beach. Grippa'd for the first time.
written by  kevlaw on March 10, 1985 from West Palm Beach, United States

Let the Navy to see the world
Gravesend, United Kingdom
Didn't really live in Gravesend very much as I was a-travelling (qv).
written by  kevlaw on April 28, 1988 from Gravesend, United Kingdom

What's Next
Saint Mary Cray, United Kingdom
Stayed with my dad for a couple of months while I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Still haven't figured it out.
written by  kevlaw on December 1, 1989 from Saint Mary Cray, United Kingdom

Home again Home again Jiggety-jig
Home at last
written by  kevlaw on March 22, 1985 from Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner
Stepney, United Kingdom
Lived in apartment with Rita. Then Richard. Then Jacko. Then all alone.
written by  kevlaw on March 1, 1990 from Stepney, United Kingdom

I'm Getting Married in the Morning
Marsa, Malta
Married my lovely wife and went to live in her mother's house in Malta.
written by  kevlaw on March 19, 1993 from Marsa, Malta

Hoe Hoe Hoe
Plymouth, United Kingdom
Lived with my lovely wife in our first apartment on the lovely, lovely Plymouth Hoe.
Lived above Mr Daniels for a while in the ancient Barbican. Plus a few cupboards.
written by  kevlaw on June 1, 1993 from Plymouth, United Kingdom

Lalalalala America
New York, United States
I didn't expect that.
Got a letter from the postman. Asked if we wanted to go to New York. Not really, I said, but we can try it for a year. But then we are coming home for sure.
Battery Park City is one of the greatest places in world to live. In the shadows of the twin towers [er. not any more - ed] there are a thousand things going on. We loved living in New York.
Picked up the first of our children in Brooklyn Heights.
But after the coldest winter in 3 million years we started wondering 'where can we go that's warm?'
written by  kevlaw on July 19, 1994 from New York, United States

Start me Up
Palo Alto, United States
Joined a startup and lived on Sand Hill Rd.Only for a little while.
written by  kevlaw on August 12, 1996 from Palo Alto, United States

Heatherstone Apartments
Mountain View, United States
Bought my first Kumquat tree.
written by  kevlaw on September 9, 1996 from Mountain View, United States

Battles with my Grass
Los Gatos, United States
Longest time in one place since Bexleyheath 1982
written by  kevlaw on May 1, 1997 from Los Gatos, United States

We are here forever now
San Jose, United States
Nicest house ever on Bubblingwell. Two crappy townhouses, a misguided startup, one more child and an aborted return to the homeland later and we buy a house. This is where we will die.
written by  kevlaw on May 1, 2000 from San Jose, United States

Ain't no pity in the Rose City
Portland, United States
Best city in the United States. Top 3 in the world. Famous for beer and roses but it's a lonely place.
written by  kevlaw on February 28, 2008 from Portland, United States