Then & Now

Royal Artillery Recruiting Troop |

Guestbook

Then & Now

On this Page you can find out what your old Friends have been doing over the Years.

Keith Holderness

When Keith left the Army he settled in Hull, East Yorkshire. He worked for Hull City Council as

The Lord Mayors Senior Beadle. In 1989 he joined Southend Borough Council as the Mayors Macebearer.

Keith is married to Catherine and between them they have 3 Children and 5 Grandchildren.

Richard Vickers

Richard spent 5 years in the MCDT and was demobbed in March 1968 and went Bus driving. In 1978 Richard, Wife and two kids

packed up and went touring Europe and North Africa for couple of years until settling in Holland. He learned the Dried Flower

and in 1991 he came back to England to set up his own family business, employing

more than fifty people at it's height. He is now retired with his good wife Janet.

Brian Hailes

Brian left the Army in 1975. He worked in British Aerospace until 1995. He then had a

couple of years chilling out and taking some great holidays. Then in 1997 he went to work for Ideal Standard,

again in IT. He retired in 2006. Sadly in 2000 his wife died, leaving Brian with two daughters.

In 2001 Brian took up Biking again, and now has a Honda VFR 800

Derek Neighbour

Derek Neighbour left the Army in 1977 after 18 years service. He then worked for Beverley Council.

After that he worked for Blue Circle Cement as a driver. He then went driving for Humber Growers, and is now retired.

John Rhodes

John Rhodes left the Army in 1967 to become an Air Traffic Controller at Gatwick, Belfast and Manchester.

He married his wife Bea in Belfast, is now semi-retired, and teaches people to fly light aircraft for a hobby.

Keith (Tich) Church

Keith Church spent 25 years in the Army coming out in 1985. He then joined the MOD

as a Radar Operator at Manobeir, and in 1995 he retired with his good wife Jackie.

Mike Wilson

Mike Wilson left the Army in 1967 and moved back to Co Durham working in Plant Hire, then as a

Bus and Waggon Driver. He has now retired with his wife Doreen and their dogs.

Colin (Ginge) Hughes

Colin (Ginge) Hughes left the Army in January 1968, he also got married the same month. In 1974 he moved

to South Africa returning in 1978 and lived in Leigh, Lancs until 1982. He then returned to South Africa and has

lived there ever since. His wife died in 2002 leaving Colin with three grown up children. He remarried 12 months ago

and is now semi-retired.

Joe Truman

Whilst with the Troop, Joe Truman was a member of No2 Display Team. On leaving the Army in 1974 he went working

as an HGV Driver. After a while he went down the Coal Mines, but later decided to leave the pits and went back

to driving. He is still doing the same job but working nights. He is married to Jan.

Garry Sherwood

Gary Sherwood left the Army in 1967 and became a Mechanic. He got married in 1972,

loves to go on holiday's anywhere in the world with his dear wife and loves Scuba Diving.

Leslie Newnes

Leslie Newnes left the Army in 1983 after 22 years. He married in 1966 to his lovely wife Pauline.

After leaving the Army he went working for a Cable TV company for the next 23 years, and is now

semi-retired and delivers cars to any place in europe. Leslie and Pauline have one son.

Mick Benge

Mick served for 22 years in the Army, he first settled in Cardiff and was a Bus Driver there for

several years. He now lives in Manchester with his partner Geraldine and is employed as a

Head Caretaker at a High School. Both Mick and Geraldine enjoy visiting their home in Spain.

Mike Elliott

Tony (Taff) Jenkins

When Tony left the Army he first worked in Scotland for a short while. He then joined the

Post Office and had a long career with them. Sadly Tony's wife Barbara died and he then retired.

Tony then lived in Cyprus and travelled to New Zealand to visit his daughter and family.

He now own's a property in France and enjoy's life there.

Barry Sanderson

Barry spent 23 years in the Army coming out in 1979 and joining the Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London, he was made

Assistant Curator ofThe Crown Jewels. He left The Tower in 1996 and for the next 10 years went selling caravans which

he enjoys doing till the present time. He was married in 1959 to Rita and they had

two boys together. Barry loves going to his club and joining in the Line Dancing.

Ernie Fenlow

On leaving the Army Ernie went working for the London Fire Brigade Marine Division. After a few years he bought a

70ft MTB boat and then spent the next two years rigging it out to live in. When it was complete he set sail for Gibralter

spending quite a few years there before then setting sail for France, where he and Patricia lived for a

further few years. Upon returning to England they bought a house in Margate.

As Ernie says being married for 39 years each year has been another adventure with Patricia.

David Thorpe

David was in the RA Recruiting Troop in 1962/63 leaving the Army in March 1968, then taking a Government Training course

in Mechanical Engineering in Birmingham. He found work in Contract Tool rooms. After a few moves he ended up staying with

his last employer for 30 years up to his retirement in 2005. David has two children a daughter ans son and three grandchildren.

David (Titch) Doughty

David (Titch) Doughty joined the RA Band in 1966 as a very young lad and he was always watching the MCDT,

and the Team took him under their wing. He was always with the Team going to breakfast in Greasy Annies and spending a

great deal of time with them. Having held the MCDT in his heart for the last 42 years he has now made contact with some of the

team from that era. He left the RA Band in 1982 and then went as a Training Officer to Birmingham Enterprise Council. He was pleased

he could show the same friendship and understandingto the youth of Birmingham that was shown to him so many years ago by members

of the MCDT.