The last 30 hours

We rented a car from Gatwick and headed stright to Aldershot....The military town where Mick was stationed as Paratrooper. with the Parachute Regiment in the 60's and 70's and a reunion with some old members.....Before that though there were 2 important stop-offs to make..........

Aldershot Crematorium......
The place where Micks son was cremated and burried.......he has never been back since that time in Dec 1972...It was a sad time for him and his first wife Glynis...
Ryan BARRY Marrison was his name and he is thought of every day by Mick.

Mick's second son Ryan CHRSTIAN Marrison  was born 18 months later and he has commented that he seemed to feel his brother guiding/helping him in his life.

Louis Margaret Hospital.......
The place where Micks daughter Kerry Joelle Marrison was born....Now boarded up and to become...what? Shame such a buiding will be gone.

It is sad to see all the changes in Aldershot but some things will not die,,,,The brotherhood of the Parachute Regiment that trained here, drank here, chased skirts here, combated other Regiments here, lost comrades here and left to fight in foriegn lands for thier God loved country. ....and came back to frequent the favourite haunts. The main one now is The Trafalgar Pub.

We went to the pub and and met Spud Murphy, followed by Jackie Smith, then Don MacNaughton and Tommy Simpson.....Good chats, beers, laughs and photo taking went on....excellent time. Lolly was a very gracious host as well. Thanks for a memorable time in a special place...and thanks Don for those signed books you wrote!!.
Staggered to bed and slept like babes .

Next A.M. off to Salisbury Plain and Stonehenge......Great world heritage site. Very good audio interpretation and well displayed. It was good to see the stones not defaced any more...not like they were years ago. The wind was blowing pretty hard and we saw lots of people abandoning the tour over it. O well.

Now late in the day and a quick trip into Salisbury was due so that Mick could see the Cathedral and town architecture (Medieval).......

That was the last site to see....now off to Gatwick and finish this blog and prepare for the trip back to Victoria, Canada......Home. (and our dogs)