Hogan plus Vowles

Yesterday morning Tina called into the kitchen and pointed down the back garden or rather "bog extension" and there were 4 ponies having a grand old rootle. They looked pretty wild little fellows so I wondered if they belonged to tinkers [gypsies or travellers] so phoned around neighbours. Ponies can really mess up a garden and other neighbours do have some good lawns. Tinkers can be a problem too. Anyway this fellow turned up with a couple of boys and a horse box and they sorted it. The man had a beard that made mine look nothing, he looked like a lost prophet on crack. Today after Mass I was walking the dog and bumped into John Finnegan and our friendly Kerryman Richard pictured herein. They said "You had de ponies?" "Yes" says I " sorted by this weird fellow with a beard." "Was dis fella really dirty and bedraggled?" says Richard. "Yes" says I. "Ah" says Richard "dat'll be Scruffy Murphy!" A gem of ...

Today is Tina's birthday and we've had a lovely day. This is a recent picture of her taken on Ballybunion Beach when Gerard, Claire, and Talan visited us here in Kerry. She would love to see any of our lovely family visit us here. She loves you all very much. 

Welcome to Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland

We are back in circulation on the internet now that we've started on the next part of our lives. We now live in the Kingdom of Kerry in Ireland - yes we've moved lock, stock, and barrel! This all started back in May when I was contacted to do some consultancy work in the ferry port of Rosslare - a big ferry had clattered into the linkspan and they needed expert advise etc. Tina came with me and we spent a few days there in County Wicklow. Tina has always loved Ireland so she just had to come over with me. This experience awoke old memories and thoughts of living in Ireland [we lived here many years ago]...... Cutting a long story short we talked and examined this from all angles and here we are way in the West of Ireland. Make no mistake Ireland has changed radically - it was once one of poorest nations of Europe - now it's called the Celtic Tiger and it's one of the most affluent countries in the western world. Affluence brings many good things but it also brings many...

Happy birthday AL!!!!!!!!  

I really enjoy obituaries particularly those in the UK newspaper "The Daily Telegraph." It's not a morbid thing rather the opposite - I think it's a celebration of life - explorers, doctors, jockeys, farmers, ballet dancers, and even dictators and whores at times! it's life! Sometimes you recall a person and think yeh they should have an obituary and so here's one for Fred Bailey. I worked with Fred back in the late 1960s; we were with Sammy Collins a madcap Texan who dredged for diamonds off the Skeleton Coast and was one of the first entrepreneurs in the offshore oil industry. We were based in Ras al Khaji, a wadi on the Saudi Kuwait border. I don't know when Fred was born, I guess sometime about 1910 or thereabouts in Kentucky. He was a real "good ole boy drinking whiskey & rye" - a real red neck bozo you might say. He made being non-PC an artform! He referred to a gay person as "a Goddam morfradite!" - his version of hermaph...

This is Fred Bailey outside Longwood, the house and estate on St. Helena, where Napoleon spent the last period of his life.The estate has been given to France and the Tricolour flies with pride over the lawns.  

In a grove below the house at Longwood on the island of St.Helena is Napoleon's original grave. Napoleon was imprisoned [house arrest in effect] at the beautiful estate of Longwood following his defeat at Waterloo. The island of St.Helena lies in the South Atlantic, in the Trade Winds, between South Africa and Brazil. He died there, some believe by poison, and was buried on the estate. Years later his body was brought back to Paris and, as they say, the rest is history... The reason for this blog will be apparent later... 

This is Bob Duckitt who is married to Ruby - they are our neighbours and are the kindest nicest people one could wish to meet. Bob is 84 and it would be rude to ask how old Ruby is - they will be celebrating 60 years of marriage in a couple of weeks. Normandy Connections? Some 62 years ago Bob landed with the 49th Division, amongst the West Yorkshire Regiment, on the Normandy Beachs with fierce fighting around Caen. The Canadians landed to the east of them and there was Tina's Dad - a Captain in the Royal Artillery seconded to the Canadian Army. Tough times and these gentle men fought to make the world a safer place - we do owe them our respect and our deepest gratitude. There are the connections and so from time to time think of them......  

This map shows the Normandy battle fields in 1946. Arromanches is behind Gold Beach where the 49th Division, the West Yorkshie Regiment etc. landed. East of this location are Juno and Sword Beachs where the Canadians landed.  

Near the village of Wetwang, Yorkshire, there is a man who carves furniture from a solid trunk of oak or ash. Brilliant! It is one of those things that every man wishes that he could do and had the time, opportunity, and the wonderful skill. Imagine that in say, 100 years from now, someone will touch this or sit on it and think of the person who made it.... it is a good thought. 

Another lovely day out at Filey. It is a little seaside town that combines the ideas of a Victorian holiday with small fishing enterprises and lifeboat station. In a way a lot like Clevedon used to be when we were young. It is a really lovely place with children playing on the sands, pony rides, bandstands, neat B&Bs, pretty but ornate gardens, unique craft shops, and staff that calling you "darling" or "love"; we had prawn sandwiches with thick wholemeal bread, good pots of tea, later we had tea and a scone with fresh strawberry jam and cream.......... This is us enjoying life - love you all.  

I am, of course, referring to the blue hulled coble - a pretty little craft indeed. 

Another view of a Yorkshire Coble, note the unique transom [stern structure] of this very effective fishing vessel, a design going back centuries. It is launched from the steep stone beachs bow to the waves and lands stern to and then hauled out. It was found to protect the peropellor when the boats became poered and so the design is still used. It is an excellent sea keeping craft. 

Not sure of the date of this picture but it was taken before Mum and Dad married. When Jack in later years qualified from HM Dockyard, Portsmouth, he spent some years in Bermuda, Alexandria, and Ceylon. I have great memories of Jack spoiling my Mum with lovely thoughtful gifts from far away places...... 

My brother loved to mimic older people and always made you smile. 

These are my brothers, Jack and Keith, and today I think of them and hope that they rest in peace. I think of them today for it would have been Keith's birthday and he would have been 65 and due for retirement. Jack was our half brother but that did not make one whit of a difference - he was one really nice guy and loved my Mum dearly. Keith and I were close as children but somehow lost contact and closeness as years progressed. He did not have the best of life with his first marriage but Tina and I feel that later he was very happy with June. They had a good life together. June was devastated when he died of cancer just over a year ago. Emma, Clive, and Sarah miss him. They certainly gave him reasons to be proud in his love for them. I'll post another picture of Keith, everyone should be remembered as a child once upon a time. Keith could make you laugh that's for sure and as a child brought many a smile. So be glad that he made people smile and was ultimately happy with...

Often when I take Bryn for his morning walk on the bank of the Humber I meet George who is a yeoman farmer of Lincolnshire. He talks of the land, farming, the seasons of the year, and other things of nature. I talk of ships, the sea, and far away places. George was born in 1920 and went to work when he was 14 as a wagoner caring for 5 horses and all their gear. he was paid 12 shillings and 6 pence per week - it was a man's job! he worked for this landowner all his life and that man left him a farm and some land out of his estate when he died. George's son now works for that estate farming and the like - a great story. George didn't go to war for two reasons - he had a weak heart and he was in agriculture. As he said the heart never did bother him and working from 6 am to 6pm daily is good for you! he retired when he was 75 years old but still works his garden etc. Interestingly he is as bright as a button, really switched on, and very fit for a man 85 years old. He eats e...

As you see it was a great day . 

Bubby and I went to Whitby in North Yorkshire today. The title of this blog sums it up. It is an old port and kind of magical in a way - it steeped in history with Vikings, Saints etc. and it is where Captain James Cook set sail as an apprentice in 1745 on a Quaker merchant ship. Capt.Cook [1728-1779] was in my mind [and many other seafarers' minds] the greatest seafarer, most certainly the greatest navigator ever. By the way he charted the coast of Newfoundland. Whitby is where the Dracula stories were started by Bram Stoker. We had a great day - wonderful fish & chip lunch on the Quay, dressed crab to take home for supper, and a visit to Robin Hood Bay. Mum and I had a real great day 

In an earlier blog regarding my father I said that he was involved in blowing up the German island of Heligoland. [See picture]. It is located in the German Bight some 50 miles offshore with the closest port being Cuxhaven. In the Second World War it was a major submarine base - virtually indestructible concrete pens. The British decided to destroy post war and my Father organised shipping in 6,800 tons of high-explosives and on 18th April 1947 they made the biggest man made bang in history [excluding the A-bomb]. The island jumped 2 inchs! My Dad was against the project saying that it would be a perfect shelter for fishing vessel. It was really an act of revenge that didn't think of the future. That's life... 

I do not have a picture of my Grandfather, William Hogan, but I do know that he was in Cairo in 1886. This is a recommendation from a J.Horne, Master Artificer, so he was serving in the British Army at that time. My Grandad was from Cappoquin in County Waterford, Ireland, and the family trade was as blacksmiths and farriers. [A blacksmith makes articles from iron and a farrier shoes horses.] He built the gates at Mount Mellory a famous monastery in County Waterford. 

I guess this encapsulates Kuwait [as it was before Saddam invaded the place] because you have the sand [lots of it!], the pipeline [lots of oil] and camels for real. Believe or not when it rained [very infrequently] the whole desert would become carpeted with flowers. Memories are great - life is for experience - grab it! 

Velia in the Kuwait market looking pensive. 

This is a memory from 1978 when we were in Kuwait. The first picture is Velia and her Mum in the Sheep Souk [souk being the Arabic for market] and a good memory - being in a completely alien culture and yet feeling safe and having fun. 

This little fellow is just 12 weeks old - will you look at the size of his feet. I have never seen such a well behaved little puppy. Michelle and Mum were all for taking him home - he is rather gorgeous....