"WELCOME to my world, won't you come on in, " was the invitation from Gentleman Jim Reeves, and, from the top of TRM Towers, the same goes to all of you.

One of our regular, and most welcome visitors, is Graham Clarke, who's latest missive said… "I was in Newgale with the grandchildren last week, and noticed that there was an exhibition in Dale of HMS Harrier, and thought it might be worth seeing.

“It brought back a couple of memories; Firstly, sometime in the late Forties or early Fifties, I was taken with my mother and father to the base. I remember waiting at the gate to be checked in.

“Father was playing cricket for Milford (when there was a cricket team in Milford) against a Harrier team. There must have been something else going on, as, at that age, I could not have sat and watched cricket all day.

“Secondly, in 1965. soon after I had started work on computers in Birmingham, I was chatting to one of our permanent IBM computer engineers, and he informed me he had worked at HMS Harrier on the radar. He told me the tale of how the planes used to keep as low as possible over the sea to be under the radar.

“When they reached the shore, they relied on the updraft of the cliffs to simulate the attack on the airfield.

“Unfortunately, one day, there was no updraft, and the plane crashed into the cliffs.

“I thought you might like the two stories, and may be able to put some flesh on them.

“Great picture of Front Street. It's surprising how little the left-hand side has changed."

Cheers Graham...no ‘fleshing-up’ needed, your contribution was perfectly presented, as usual, and here's a snap of your dad, Ken, in his whites, 4th from left, back row. I have no other names or details, so, if anyone recognises any of them, please get in touch.

I'm delighted to report that Kevin McCauley's ‘birthday card’ appeal, in last week's column, came to a prompt, and successful conclusion, and the card has now been duly delivered to the lady in question.

Now let's return to the wonderful wartime recollections of the Old Pill Boy.

"The council fields was one of the areas where we spent much of our time.

“It was a means of getting down to Scotch Bay, or to the railway line for blackberries, a scramble area with the dandies, and a sledging area in the winter…snow or no snow!

“Some of the more daring would have gorse bushes set alight, and drive through them on the dandy...at the expense of one person's Sunday suit.

“When the air raids started on Pem Dock it must have made us realise that it wasn't all fun. I do not remember dates or sequences of events, but we did have an oil bomb drop in a field on the Neyland road, near Mr Jones' farm above Blackbridge.

“I went to see it, it was just a 45-gallon drum, leaking oil, and, as it hadn't exploded, we were kept well away by the police. I felt it was a prank, but some weeks ago, the History Channel showed an almost identical bomb, but with fins, in the process of being bolted on. Perhaps they had fallen off ‘our’ bomb.

“We also had a bomb fall down the Meads, behind Cromwell Road, and two or three more in the sea below the swimming pool…but more of them later.

“I don't know how it happened, but for some reason…and I don't for the life of me understand how it came about…five of us became messenger boys in the Fire Brigade, in September 1941.

“My birthday, according to the application form, said May 1928, but according to everything else, it should have been May 1930. There were two of us who added a couple of years to our age, but, looking at an 11-year-old boy today, it makes me wonder whether the officer signing us up had been on the bottle!

“Our duties were to report to the fire station at all times when alert sounded, night or day, other than during school times.

“According to the records, we attended on Sept 21..28 and 30, and also on Oct 1...4...5...6...10...12...and so on.

“It seems that if there's a war on, sleep is not a requirement. Our purpose was to be available to deliver messages to different areas if there should be a failure in normal communications.

“When the siren went, we had a sequence so that the last boy to be called upon would be the same each time, because his mother insisted that he had a hot cup of cocoa before leaving the house."

I think we'll leave it there for the moment, and get back to it next time.

And here's a pic of the ‘Back railway line’...taken some while after Old Pill Boy's school days.

Now for our teaser, and I had more incorrect answers than usual…the right answer to Les Haynes' poser was...Wholesome.

Pride of place goes to Donato at Todaro's, Joyce Layton, Phil Jones, Anne and Jets Llewellyn. Thanks to all who had a bash.

No teaser this week, as there'll be no TRM next week.

Before I go, just a word about today's (Monday) funeral of Keith Nobby Hall.

I was one of the many work colleagues, friends and family in the packed crematorium, there to pay last respects to one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.

He had an ‘infectious’ love of life, a glorious sense of fun, and the stories that were related about him during the service, certainly did him justice.

RIP Nobby...you'll be missed, but never forgotten.

That's it, think I'd better go, I don't want to outstay my welcome. See you next time.