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From: "fitt" <>
Subject: [WATERGUARD] Jim Fitt
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2007 15:36:05 +0200


Hi Guys



Does anyone remember me?



I was APO Gravesend 1964 to 69/70

WTC Carby House -1964/5??

Took the last written PO exam (nearly failed)1968/9

TPO DD Folkestone Summer of 1969 - oh what a glorious summer!!

Winter 1969/70 Gravesend as a very fed up APO again.

Summer 1970 PO DD Luton Airport (the only memorable point was when I learnt
to make paella, and afterwards was propped up in the Green Channel. A
forerunner of the 'cardboard cut out'. Oh and I nicked the giver of free
flights for having a smuggled VW Beetle!! That did not make me very popular!

Winter 1970/71 Gravesend and Harpy. Managed to get on one of the last Wilson
boats at New Fresh Wharf (I think it was) then 'paid' the Appointer to get
me to Dover rather that LAP for my next spell of DD / seasonal aid.

1971 & 72 Dover. Discovered that I hated clearing passengers and cars. Being
on DD I wasn't allowed anywhere near ships - boarding or rummage. Yuk.



Post Waterguard period. Fixed Dover. Spent most of my time escaping the car
and passenger halls by disgracing myself at South Pier Boarding and having
DMRC and station crews - then I discovered Cutters.

>From 1982 I was I/C Salcombe. That sounds grand but it was a very very small
port.

Got bored and promoted and went as SO Rummage London Port based at Tilbury
in 1987. A great two years followed by an even better five as Fiscal Officer
of the SBA's of Cyprus. 1989 to 1994.



All these good times have to be paid for so I ended up as an unwanted,
unloved, underpaid and unattached SEO at NKBH and London Port Collection. I
eventually managed to get myself 'downsized' in 1996 and then had a whale of
a time (mostly) in being paid vast sums to travel the world by 'consulting'
in lots of countries ranging from the 'good' (Cyprus, Latvia, Vietnam, etc)
to the bad (Mozambique, Kosovo (not Customs - UN) and Afghanistan). Now I
live in the Garden Route, South Africa soon to be moving on to Cape Town.
Yep I still have itchy feet. I blame my Waterguard training of DD & seasonal
aid. Although realistically it's more like the 'moving target' syndrome,
that I also learnt during that period, that has driven me.



If you really want to be lulled off to sleep at night I could send you my
CV!



I went to the Gravesend Waterguard reunion a few years ago and met some of
the PO's and APO's of my formative years. It was great. Isn't it amazing how
in groups like that we all revert to the pecking order of the past. Never
mind how grand or lofty one is, or isn't, now, what really matters is
whether you were a 'governor' or a 'lad' in your relationships in that
Waterguard period. Ohh happy days.



So is there anybody there? If so it would be grand to hear from you.



Jim Fitt



PS



Can I borrow your Codes for the CPO's checks this month? There's a waxer in
it for you!

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