How many of you are reminded of where you were when you first heard a particular song? For example any time I hear the old song "Now is the Hour" reminds me when we were preparing to return to the UK in 1948 from South Africa on the cruiser HMS Nigeria where the ship had been stationed for two years though I was only on it at the time for18 months. It was the flagship of the South Atlantic station and used to patrol both coasts of Africa up to Freetown on the East Coast and Mombasa on the west coast.

We had moved round to Capetown from our base in Simonstown to load a cargo of gold bars for the Bank of England and as we slipped our moorings in Capetown our Royal Marine Band started to play "Now is the Hour"s there was quite a crowd on the wharf to see us off and quite a few girls with tears in their eyes.

Another one "Goodnight Sweetheart" takes me back to the Korean war as while on the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney they used to play it every night over the speaker system this was in late 1951 early 1952. Memories. Mauri

Correction to Songs, I must be getting old. Freetown is on the West coast of Africa and Mombasa on the East Coast sorry about that??? Mauri