Towards the end of September 1977 I was unceremoniously informed my posting to Gibraltar was being cut short due to my being on notice to leave the Royal Navy. Instead of returning to UK in March 1978 for my release in the April we would be flown out of Gibraltar on 22 November 1977; they had taken four months off my draft and, as a consequence, we had only six weeks left. Needless to say we were both devastated.

(1977 Nuffield Pool, Gibraltar)

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It wasn’t long before I became aware that our stay ‘could’ be re-extended ‘if’ I withdrew my notice and I would be lying if I didn’t say I was tempted; but after twice feeling powerless to support my family during times of crisis my mind was made up and not even an extra four months in (my) paradise would change that.

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The reality of leaving the Royal Navy was bleak beyond words; the prospect of being homeless and jobless indefinitely was a high price to pay particularly with having a family to look after but the alternative had become unthinkable. If I stayed in (yes) we would enjoy our full time in Gibraltar and (yes) I might even be able to negotiate an extra six months on the Rock on account of my loyalty. But sooner or later that bubble would burst, our time in Gibraltar would end and I would most certainly be drafted for at least two years sea time – very probably to include a long deployment out to the Far East. The very idea of leaving my family that vulnerable after the experiences we had with the Navy was out of the question.

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In the event of our changing circumstances we decided to just make the most of the time we had left and to try not to worry too much about the future because which ever way we looked at it we had no idea what that was anyway other than returning to UK in winter with no extended family support to speak of. The very thought was frightening and stressful and as that dreadful countdown began so too did the challenge of keeping calm and staying positive in front of the children. One of our strategies in doing that was to continue doing the things that had become normal to them like having a day out to Nuffield Pool or Catalan Bay. We were a strong family but that strength was about to be tested.

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