Third F600 Reunion - 'Reunion 2003'
by Alan Mathieson
"An aged man is but
a paltry thing
A tattered coat upon a stick,"
Said Yeats,
But had he never eyes
to look
(And never, even, did his mates)
To see our friendly sailor cook
At sea.
Standing on heaving deck
of boat
As far as he could be in lee,
Lacking a coat.
Out of the lashing wind
and rain
A misery to those afloat,
The sailor' bane.
To fo'c'sle sale he went
to see
If he could reasonably gain
A burberee.
There was one for sale
at half a crown
Though Charley could not get it free,
He cut it down.
"I'll not pay two
-and- six for that,"
said he, "Two shillings only, I'll be bound."
And cut the chat.
O'er 60 years the coat
remains.
He wears it still without a hat
And ocean stains.
As pisole, over all the
earth
And seas, so what (the fact remains)
Is Charlesworth?
'Charlie' Charlesworth - PO Cook, final commission - retold how he still wears the Burberry he purchased from the scranbag for 2/- (haggled down from 2/6d) in 1943 whilst aboard HMS Sirius .... Yes, 60 years ago and still wearing it!
"If you throw my Burberry out, I'll throw you out", says Charlie when his wife threatens to commit it to the dustbin.
I saw Charlie departing the hotel on the Sunday morning to catch his train home, and guess what he was wearing? .... Yep! that 60 year old Burberry!
by Jim Breen
Long may live that fine
old burberry.
Long after, gone, are you and me.
Who, then, will share its history,
Its charm, its personality.
Perhaps another chef at sea!
Or will it to the scrap
yard go
Lost memories of long wars in tow
Joining ships lost in neglect
Once held by the world in deep respect.
Nay! Preserve such pride
through time I say
Ask Charlie to WILL it to St. Brides Bay
Ensure it stays safe, secure in the grip
Of the men who served in his last ship.
I've thought this out
quite carefully
For willing his burberry to his ship's company
To ensure for Charlie a profit there'll be
What say you, we offer him two-and-three.
