To the AID Apprentices Web Site

especially to The NineteenFifties intakes

 

From Pete Berkley

e-mail: Peterb61@hotmail.com

tel: 01442 862629

 

A crowd of apprentices came to our wedding.

 

Most didn’t remember it due to alcoholic haze, but I’ve photos to prove it.

 

Forty years on, I tried to find them to come to our party!

 

I tried the internet for the first time, and was terribly excited to find easily Mike Espezel after 4 decades!  (but he couldn’t get to our party from Canada !!).

 

It must have been his unusual name, because not so much luck with most of the others     but so happy that Ken Logue & John Ashby & Ron Davis represented those who attended.

 

Inspired by:

                        - Mikes Espezel’s enthusiasm for corresponding

                        - Ian Kirkpatrick’s letter writing, early data and ‘fifties’ party organisation

- Dave Mark’s letters, data and photographs kindly loaned to me

- the brilliant Web Site by Ian McGillivray and his e-mail

- the fun it was to meet Ron, John and Ken again recently

 

           I resolved:

-                      to try and find or meet some more of you with whom we had such good times,

-                      to help in any way with the noble work done on data keeping by the two Ian’s and Dave.

-                      to ask Ian Kirkpatrick if I could join his occasional “Fifties” group  reunions (i.e.  1950’s decade, not age,  since we’re mostly in our sixties !!)

-                      to try and attend the ‘youngsters’ reunion at Harefield in June each year , if allowed!

-                      to find another ‘Nineteen Fifties’ apprentice (entry 1953-9) to come in June  to hold my hand.

 

 

Having been out of UK for a large part of our life, we’ve now been retired here for a couple of years, and for the first time, I suppose, have time to reflect on, and to really appreciate, the friends made long ago and  to enjoy healthy reminiscing with them about the great fun we had then (and the rough times).

 

For my part, wine women and song were pretty good in apprentice times, and without some of  my more conscientious friends continually  loaning me their course notes, I would never have passed any exams at all !! So without doubt, getting any worthwhile subsequent jobs were mostly due to my mates’ help !

 

Do e-mail me with any memories;  hope to meet you again through an ‘Ian K’ re-union or an ‘Ian Mac’ reunion, or call me and visit at Berkhamsted, especially if you’re one of the many  that frequently, drunkenly and kindly started my old m’bike for me outside the Sports and Social club      when I could not walk   … helped me on it, and pushed me off into the dark night!

 

I owe you one       Pete.