The Reverend Christopher Jarman RN (no doubt aspiring to become the Very Reverend) was the Chaplain of HMS.Rooke; he was also the designated clergyman who was to perform our children’s Christening at Gibraltar’s Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. As far as clergy go Reverend Jarman was probably one of the most pedantic I’ve ever come across although fortunately due to my work routine I didn’t have to suffer the pleasure of seeing him too often. However Carol didn’t have that particular blessing and had the dubious honour of having to liaise with the man on a number of occasions on the lead up to the big day.
(Cathedral of The Holy Trinity, Gibraltar)

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Thinking back he was the sort of clergyman who had a habit of asking the same religious based questions several times over but just in different ways – on ‘every’ visit. For example today he might ask ‘Why do you want your children Christened?’ while tomorrow he might say ‘what benefit do you see in having your children Christened?’ To answer the question to his satisfaction would be to include several quotes from the New Testament and because such interrogations went on for so long (hours during a home visit of which there were many) I was starting to think he was writing his dissertation (to become the Very Reverend?) on the back of our answers. 

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I’ve always admired people with a strong faith regardless of what that faith is. Within my own path I feel very much in tune and at peace with myself and that’s great for me and I’ve no doubt people with other strong faiths or beliefs feel exactly the same. For me though – although both Carol and me wanted the children to be Christened – I found the process leading up to the service just a bit O.T.T.

If I have a ‘guilty secret’ it’s probably that I’m very sweet toothed with something of a penchant for nice biscuits, which is probably the only thing I ever had in common with the Reverend Christopher Jarman RN (no doubt aspiring to become the Very Reverend) who was not adversed to clearing out our biscuit barrel (much to my horror). 

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Whenever Carol knew the Reverend (no doubt aspiring to…..) was visiting she would always prepare well in advance by stocking up with nice biscuits and warn me in no uncertain terms not to touch them; on one occasion she even descended into ‘hiding’ her stocks in a cooking pot right on a top shelf in the kitchen!!! Shocked or what?!?!? I was truly hurt that her trust in me was questioned. (But I found them …….and ate them :p ).

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On his final visit before the Christening service the Reverend (no doubt aspiring to become the Very Reverend) sat in our lounge with his tea as Carol went off to get the nice biscuits from the cooking pot on the top shelf in the kitchen. After finding out (to her horror) that the biscuits had gone she shot over to the NAAFI to get another packet and got back before her absence was noticed. 

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When I got home at teatime the air was blue. I don’t think I’ve ever been closer to either a divorce or being murdered then or since.

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