WEB MASTER FAMILY HISTORY

GREETINGS!!

Allow me to introduce myself, I was born and raised in the North East of the United Kingdom, in a small sea-side town called South Shields which is located on the mouth of the once famous River Tyne, ( a river made even more famous by the song "Big River" immortalised by a famous Geordie son, singer and actor big Jimmie Nail. For anyone not familiar with the area, if youi travel upriver from the mouth of the river you will come to Newcastle, home of the "Magnificent Magpies", Newcastle United. The river was not so many years ago, famous for shipbuilding, many famous ships have been built on the River Tyne, including "HMS Ark Royal" which was to play a big part in the Falklands conflict, also the "Esso Northumbria" which was the first 250,000 tons oil tanker to be built in the United Kingdom.

I shall not disclose my age, except to say that I was born during the second world war, at the height of a very big bombing raid on South Shields by German aircraft (they were after the shipyards).

During the swinging sixties I married a gorgeous little dolly bird at Holy Trinity church, (alas long gone now, the church that is, not my dearest wife)and i have been married to her for over thirty-three years. Twenty-five years ago she presented me with a beautiful daughter, (this caused a lot of constenation at the time and more since as we are now deep into wedding arrangements). This darling daughter of mine turned out to be not only beautiful but brainy as well, making us immensley proud when she recieved a BA (Honours) Degree in Human Resources Management and there was no holding us when she went on to achieve a MSc. in the same subject. Completing the family is a red chow chow dog affectionately know as Dozie Rosie.

I started my working life as an apprentice plumber with the old South Shields County Borough Council, during which time I studied hard at South Shields marine & Technical College (as it was known then). As soon as I had completed my apprenticeship I couldn't wait to get away to sea, I dream I had nurtured all of my short young life. To the horror of my whole family, I soon found myself sailing between the piers at the mouth of the River Tyne on the way to foreign lands and who knows what adventures. I had joined the "MV Hudson Point" at the Mercantile dry dock at Jarrow on the Tyne. During my time as a Junior Engineer on that ship we sailed right around the world. We went outward through the Panama Canal, can you even imagine the thrill for someone who had until that time never been out of the UK? We returned back through the Suez Canal, more thrills, even if rather dull compared to the Panama.

                                                       For the last twenty-five years I have lived and worked in the Middle East, in Saudi Arabia, where I am employed by the worlds largest oil producing company as a Senior Project Inspector. The work has been varied and interesting, the have been many anxious moments too, more so for the family back home. I was here throughout the first Gulf War to liberate Kuwait, going to work carrying a gas mask and never straying too far from a radio, being woken up in the middle of the night by an air raid sirenand then listening for the sound of the incoming Scud missiles courtesy of Iraq. The company was very understanding during these times; with special arrangements for starting times when sleep had been interrupted by air raid warnings. It was more worrying for the loved ones at home though. We knew the facts of what was going on, while our loved ones had to endure the endless news reports from "somewhere in downtown Al Khobar" which was invariably the Safeway Supermarket car-park on the Corniche. I suppose the news crews felt safer there, as the Scud missiles were not very accurate and used to overshoot, finishing their epic journey in the Arabian Gulf. 

This was the lady who was destined to become my wife and rescue me from a life of bachelorhood. This is NORMA (nee Shamsudin). Norma consented to become my wife on June 14, 1969 at Holy Trinity Church (actually she TOLD me I was to become her husband) and we have been happily married now for over thirty-four years, the fact that I work overseas could be a contributing factor.

Norma is a Family Placements Officer in the local authority Social Services Department, before that she was a residential Social Worker in a childrens home. This life was quite stressful at times, especially when the kids became unruly and disruptive. Norma always loved working with kids (she never blamed the kids for the problems they had), and as diminutive as she is, she was never afraid to get among them when they were being unruly. She hasn't enjoyed the best of health in these past few years and was persuaded that it was time to broaden her horizons and seek new pastures, somewhere, where perhaps the stress was greatly reduced. My wife over the years has never missed an opportunity to inform me that she is cleverer than me and she may just be right.

I think it may have something to do with the fact that she attended South Shields Grammar School for Girls, (the girls High School). as a young boy I remember the girls in their 'High School" uniforms. As a young apprentice, I used to lust after them. However I digress. After wasting part of her life (Norma's words not mine) which she informs me she enjoyed very much, burning the candle at both ends, working a day job and at night working as a croupier and waitress (to the dismay of her mother), in the local nightclubs (remember the Club Franchi in Jarrow?) It was on her way to one of her night jobs that she met me. I was moonlighting as a taxi driver and she called my taxi, it must have been fate, as her usual taxi firm was busy at the time. I WAS TOTALLY SMITTEN AND THAT MOMENT MARKED THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE! When I finally plucked up the courage to meet her at home, her mother, after the initial shock, (I was like a bean pole in those days), loved me as I was a steadying influence. I only had half a battle as her dad was away at sea, so I didn't have to worry about impressing him for a while. 

I suppose there is a lot of nostalgia involved but they were the best days of my life, I couldn't wait to see her. The swinging sixties was a fabulous time to be courting. Norma was incredibly fashionable, wearing some lovely and really trendy clothes, most of which she made herself. She soon set about remodelling myself and she had plenty of scope. My dress sense made dishwater look exciting! This did not deter Norma, who if nothing else has a grim determination to succeed where others fear to tread and she set about me with gusto. In no time at all she had me wearing flowered shirts with matching ties made from the same material. I was wearing purple shirts and mauve trousers and most radical of all, deep purple cordouroy flares, with purple shirts. at first I would only venture out after dark, in places where I wouldn't be seen. With a lot of encouragement however, I was able to venture out in broad daylight. I was wearing fitted shirts, skinny rib jumpers, tank tops, the lot, including platform shoes. I never went to the extremes of Gary Glitter mind, with the platform boots!  Norma was dearly loved by My Mam and my Dad (my dad was "ye owld bugger") As well as remodelling me she had a profound affect on my mother's dress sense making her some beautiful trouser suits. My asked where she had got these trouser suits my mother used to puff up her chest with great pride and inform everyone that her brilliant daughter-in-law made them for her. I can say without contradiction that those suits got some admiring looks.                  

This was my wife when we met.

This was the girl who consented to be my wife. Since that day she has been my inspiration and the wind beneath my wings. She has given me a belief in myself I never knew was there. She is the best thing that ever happened to me, (apart from Geraldine)