merlin
Member
- Location
- Saint Petersburg Russia
Well I am writing this sat at my laptop in St.Petersburg and thinking back over my life and how all the interlinked events led me here.
This was all prompted by Josia
Its a long story but I will start at the beginning as it does all seem to have a bearing on why I had several mid-life and later crisis and ended up here.
I was born in Worcester UK in June 1941 and remember climbing out of my cot and falling to the floor clasping a bedside lamp, which was my first crisis. I do remember bits of WWII, and VE day with crowds of people cheering and dancing in the streets, and illuminated boats on the river.
My father had a big influence on my life as of course most fathers do, for better or worse. He was a jack of all trades and could fix anything. He taught me how to build short wave radios from scratch, winding the coils and fitting valve/tube holders etc. I have also inherited all his other DIY skills. I was brought up in a corner shop and largely granny reared as my father was in France during the war, and my mother ran the shop.
Me with my mother.
Me on the left with my mother and brother, and our Morris 8
A funny though in retrospect an alarming story concerning the shop and DIY, we had gas lighting everywhere, even in the garden sheds, (the previous owner worked for the gas board) and a cooker etc. Some of the pipes which were all old lead ones, ran under the shop floor, and periodically sprang a small leak, and you could smell the gas. As I was small enough I was sent under the floor to find the leak by running a lighted candle along the pipe, and finding the leak as a tiny flame, I then hammered the pipe to seal it.
We also did strange things with the electrical wiring, as a result I have tackled many gas fitting and boiler repair jobs and rewired houses with confidence, so it was an education of sorts. My father was self taught in all of his occupations, and I followed that pattern.
I will away and have a vodka now which I drink here as its only $2 a bottle so irresistible nthego:
This was all prompted by Josia
So if I bore you to tears you know who to blameHi Terry, I trust you will share with us sometime the circumstances and motivations which led to your being in St. Petersburg. An interesting and historic city I know, but not a typical retirement location for a Brit.
Its a long story but I will start at the beginning as it does all seem to have a bearing on why I had several mid-life and later crisis and ended up here.
I was born in Worcester UK in June 1941 and remember climbing out of my cot and falling to the floor clasping a bedside lamp, which was my first crisis. I do remember bits of WWII, and VE day with crowds of people cheering and dancing in the streets, and illuminated boats on the river.
My father had a big influence on my life as of course most fathers do, for better or worse. He was a jack of all trades and could fix anything. He taught me how to build short wave radios from scratch, winding the coils and fitting valve/tube holders etc. I have also inherited all his other DIY skills. I was brought up in a corner shop and largely granny reared as my father was in France during the war, and my mother ran the shop.
Me with my mother.
Me on the left with my mother and brother, and our Morris 8
A funny though in retrospect an alarming story concerning the shop and DIY, we had gas lighting everywhere, even in the garden sheds, (the previous owner worked for the gas board) and a cooker etc. Some of the pipes which were all old lead ones, ran under the shop floor, and periodically sprang a small leak, and you could smell the gas. As I was small enough I was sent under the floor to find the leak by running a lighted candle along the pipe, and finding the leak as a tiny flame, I then hammered the pipe to seal it.
We also did strange things with the electrical wiring, as a result I have tackled many gas fitting and boiler repair jobs and rewired houses with confidence, so it was an education of sorts. My father was self taught in all of his occupations, and I followed that pattern.
I will away and have a vodka now which I drink here as its only $2 a bottle so irresistible nthego: