BUNKS AND HERBIE HANCOCK

The first night on the platform, we were given a Cabin just for that Night and told we would be Allocated our Permanent Cabin’s the following Day.


So myself and the Steward Peter were shown to a Cabin along with some other Blokes, it turned out there were 6 Bunks/Beds in a very Small Cabin, and they were 3 either side of the cabin.

As the other Worker’s were already in there and sorted out, me and Peter had what was left, the top 2 Bunks, you have imagine this, the Top Bunks must have been about 8 or 9 Feet off the ground, they were that High, we even had a Ladder to get to them!


Any way we settled in, as this was November time (1983) it was dark outside by about 15.30 hrs, so we didn’t do to much Sight-Seeing that first Day, but around about 16.00 hrs, something happened I had never experienced before! 

The Alarm went off, what a Panic that was, we were still in the Cabin, so we had to get all out Safety Gear on, Overalls , Boots, Life jacket etc etc, so then it was just a matter of getting to the Muster Point Asap, I remember that First Alarm like it was Yesterday!


The whole process took about 30 minutes and as soon as everybody was accounted for, we were all off back to our Cabins.

I found out around this point, from other Experienced Workers, that Gas Platform Alarms go off on a Regular Basis and at all times, obviously because of the Fumes!


After we got back to the cabin, we got sorted out and then went to get something to eat for Tea.

I played Pool that night and met some of the other Worker’s, all of them seemed alright, we went back to the Cabin around 22.00 hrs  and got ready for bed!


It felt like Climbing Everest getting into that Bunk, as I said it was at least 8/9 feet off the Ground, but eventually I made to the Top!


I then had talk with Peter, about the Job and then a nice relaxing Read of a Book (for about 60 minutes)  before I decided to go to Sleep, it must have been around 23.30 hrs.


Little did I know what was instore for myself in about a Couple of Hours Time, around 2 am the following Morning !
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As for Music around this period, what about Herbie Hancock, he generally up until  then  Produced Jazz Music, but his Single Release “Rockit” was a Big Change for Him.


It was released in June of 1983, and was from the forthcoming Album “Future Shock” which was Released in August of ’83.


It was the first Record to use Scratching and other turntable Techniques, they were Performed by GrandMixer D.ST 


It was Produced by Bill Laswell and was a WorldWide Hit.


It was a Great Record, I remember buying the 7 in, 12 in and Album (on Tape)

THE NORTH SEA and GREAT MUSIC!

After picking up several Workers on the route to the Heliport at a Place Called Beccles, (which is about 15 Miles from where I was Living), we had Arrived!


It was still about 2 Hours to take-Off and still Dark, but we all had to go through a Safety Film and Talk, they tell you all about what to do if the Helicopter goes down in the North-Sea, that was Riveting, and I think it was about this time, I was wondering what I had got myself into! 


After about 2 Hours of sitting around and listening to someone tell you “How Not To Drown, if you Fall in the Sea” the Call came over
the Intercom, Please get your Lifejackets on and get ready for the Flight to “The Leman Field”


By this time I wouldn’t say I was Scared, but I was about Half a Stone Less in Weight then when I first Arrived at the Heliport!

I remember going through all these different Checks, until we were moved to another part of the Heliport, we could now see in the Winter Day-Light (November 1983) the Helicopter’s through the windows, they were Noisy as Hell!


Then we Finally got the word and we were walking over the Tarmac, towards the “Paraffin Budgie”


I Finally got on the Helicopter and to my seat, the First thing I always remember thinking “Christ, its Stinks in here” the Aviation Fuel was so Strong, you could Taste it!


So with the Terrible Smell and the Deafening Noise, it was something I would not recommend, but, I suppose now over 25 Years later, that aspect has no doubt improved! 

After what seemed Hours (probably only minutes) of just sitting there , looking out of the windows, we finally started to move, we moved right along the tarmac area and then back again, what the hell was going on! I thought.


Then we sat there again for ages, then suddenly, the Rotor Blades, seemed to go 10 times Quicker (and noisier), and we just went up in the Air!


It was Fantastic, I know I was not there for the Helicopter Ride (but, to go to work) but it was Marvelous, and all my Fears, just went, like that, the Sights down Below were Great!

I remember looking out of the windows, trying to spot a Landmark I knew, as we only about 15 Miles from my Town, and to my surprise in about 10 minutes we were actually over the Back-Way to our House, we backed on the a Large playing Field’s, and I spotted them and in turn I see our House!


It turned out that the Helicopter’s Flight Path, went from Beccles Heliport over to Great Yarmouth (near where we lived) and then out to the “Leman Gas Field” in the North Sea.


Next I could see was the  Seafront at Great Yarmouth and then just Sea for Miles and Miles!

As for Music in 1983, some Great 12″ Singles were Released including “All Night Long” by Lionel Richie, “Juicy Fruit” by Mtume, “Crazy” by the Manhattans, “Aint Nobody” by Rufus and Chaka Khan. My favorite out of those 4 , would be “Rufus”

I remember back then, I used to record my Vinyl onto Tape, to listen to through my Walkman, well I say Walkman, actually I never had one of those (could not afford one) I had a Cheaper Version, but I always had the “Rufus” Track back to Back with the Dennis Edwards  Track, “Don’t Look Any Further” (which came out the following Year) Great Music!


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WELCOME TO 1979!

1979 was the Year of change for us, Nathan finally came out of Hospital for good! but this did’nt happen until April, so we still had around 4 months of Hospital visits etc still to come!

This was a very testing time for us, we were both still only 20 years old and what with Nathan still not right and we were still living in a 1 room place! and not too much help off anybody!

One thing me and Susan can say is, we have never treated our Children , liked how we were ! even to this Day we treat our Kids, how we would have liked to have been treated ourselves!

I was still working at the same Hotel and going to College every week, but my 4 year Course was coming to an end, so I had to make my mind up what I wanted to do, work wise, do I stay as a Chef, working long and un-socialable hours or do I go into something different!

One funny event of early 1979 I remember was, My Father had a Volkswagon Van like the one in the picture above, and as we had sold my Car, the previous Year, any chance to Drive the Van was a welcome change!

So one Day we went to the local Town Centre and parked on the main Town Car Park, right in front of a Butchers Shop ( a few years later, I worked in this Shop) now I dont remember if we did this before we went round the Shops or after the Shops!

Anyway I remember I drove into a parking space next to another Car, and had to reverse back and forth to straighten the Van up, well on about the third movement I jammed the van into the Car next to us, the Volkswagon had these big door hinges on the side of it and we could’nt move forward or backward, and as I said we were in full view of the Butcher’s Shop and the people inside the shop!

Anyway to cut a long story short , the only way out of this spot, was to drive forward very quickly, but there were quite high concrete edgings to this Car Park, about 6inch high at least!

So we drive back as far as we could, scraping along side this parked car, then I stuck my toe has hard as I could!

We came out of the car park, like Starsky & Hutch, bumped up & down the car park edgings at about 30 mile an hour and off the car park, we were laughing so much, we forgot about the people watching in the Shop!

Luckily for us, the Old Mans Van was’nt damaged that much and he thought he had done the damage anyway, and nobody ever reported the incident the the Police either!

So we got away with it!

NATHAN OUT OF DANGER!

After a week or two, Nathan was released from the Hospital’s Baby Unit and Transferred to the Baby Unit at the General Hospital, which was handy for us , as it was only 2 minutes from where we were living!

So over the next couple of Months, Nathan was in and out of Hospital constantly, going in for a few days then back out again, which for me and Susan was a strain, what with living in 1 room and sharing all other rooms and facilities with about 9 other families, plus still working split-shifts at work, times were hard, not too mention having hardly any money, as I was still on low wages being a Trainee Chef!

I cant remember either family helping out too much either!

As for family visits to our place, they only happened about twice the whole time we lived there!

This must of been worse for Susan, as at least I had work to get away from the strain of our situation!

We were just about out of November in 1978 and things had not really changed concerning Nathan and our situation and with Christmas was just around the corner, (our First as a Family since we got Married) would things improve!

NATHAN BACK IN HOSPITAL!

Our one room Accomodation!

Within a couple of weeks of Moving into our One Room Accomodation, Nathan was ill again, he was taken to the Local General Hospital on the Baby Unit.

He was not keeping his Bottle down and being Sick all the time and he was badly Dehydrated!

Within a couple of days, Nathan was sent back to the Hospital where he had his Stomach Operation a couple of weeks previously!

Now at this time, we never had a Telephone, because of the type of place we lived in, I cant even remember there being any type of Communial phone in the house either! So we gave my Hotel Telephone number and my Mother’s phone number in case of Emergencies, this has it turned out was a mistake, given them my mother’s number!

My Mother most of the time found out things before us this way, so when the Hospital tried to contact Me and Susan, they phoned both my Mother house and my work to tell us about Nathan, saying “Nathan was sent back to the original Hospital, for further Tests etc” she was at the Hospital before us, all gowned up and holding Nathan, so when we got there, she had already been told all about Nathan’s condition and knew everything that was going on etc!

Now this was not right, but very Typical of my Mother! to this day She is still like that or should I say the last time we saw her she was, but that several years ago now!

In fact I now have Grandchildren, with the oldest being 11 years old and my Mother has never ever seen Her! So that will explain to you what she is like!

Anyway because of my Mother’s actions it caused a row between Me & Susan and my Mother and Father, I put this down to us being young and Naive, because if it happened now, my Mother would have firmly been put in her place by Me and Susan!

Back to Nathan, he was all wired up again with tubes for feeding and Montoring tests etc
So we for next couple of weeks were backward and forwards to the Hospital, all the time, plus I was still at Work and College!

NATHAN STILL NOT RIGHT & HOMELESS AGAIN!

 

After the operation things still wasn’t right with Nathan, so obviously Susan stayed at the Hospital all the time and I was back at work, but at the Hospital all other times.

The card above was what the Hospital gave us after we had Nathan Baptised, because as I said in previous post, there was a chance, Nathan wouldn’t make it!

At this time we were still living with Susan’s Grand parents at the other end of Town, so as my Mother lived 2 minutes from the Hospital, I stayed there for a few nights, I told Susan’s Nanny this and she understood!

Anyway as Susan was running out of clothes to wear, she asked me to pop to her Nanny’s and get her some more clothes!

This I did, and to my surprise when I got to the House, Susan’s Step Grandad started having a go at me, saying I was using his Wife and where the Hell I had been in the last few days!

I cant remember all that was said, but one thing stood out was when he called a Sh*thouse! and said we Had to move out!

So with all that was happening to Nathan and us at this time, we were once again Homeless!

At the time we were devasted, but looking back in hindsight, we were glad to get out of there, as I said before we knew for a fact  they were going through our belongings and stuff when we were out!

So a blessing in disquise, and we never spoke to him again, he has since died.

As for Susan’s Nanny, we never spoke to her again either, but about 15 years later I was working at an Old Folk’s Home as a Chef, and when I finished my Duties I used to help with the Old People, and guess who used to come to the Day Centre about 3 days a week!

Yes it was Susan’s Nanny! she thought I was a “lovely man” but by this time she had Dimentia, and could’nt remember who I was!

How Ironic, I had to look after somebody who had made us Homeless when we had a Sick Son!

Funny how things change!

This is the Card of Reverend Ian Hoyle

 who Baptised Nathan.