I am an old boy with a new toy (called a computer) Ha! Ha! If my memory serves me right I have had drink at The Malt Shovel on several occasions. It was not this, nor last week. You see I`m an old soldier, my friends say I`m older than that . It was in 1957 when I was posted to the HQ.Bomb Disposal Unit at Broadbridge Heath and but eighteen years old when I arrived there. I was very apprehensive regarding my posting but my mind was put to rest when I made my first visit amongst the locals in their hostelry. I was born in Stoke-on Trent and the accent said it all when I came to the bar for the first time in Broadbridge Heath but I need not have feared. The local were the most hospitable people that I had met and their friendship towards us all at HQ. BDS. for all the time that I was there was tremendous. We went out onto sites along the South Coast de-fusing the junk that the Luftwaffe had scattered in various locations and we were welcomed back to camp in convoy to a raptuous gathering of the locals I remember the folks I met there was Stan Underwood ( civilian three tonner driver , I zedlinsky was a Polish driver and an artist with the huge Diamond T and low loader exiting from camp onto the very tight Guildford Road. Sadly my stay was only a coule of years and the army required my services on Christmas Island but on my return after the nuclear test clean up I made my last visit to the pub at Broadbridge heath and my friends but fifty years is a long time to recall such memories . I visited hs site by chance whilst playing around with this modern gadgetry and has taken-- it seems like a month to write this memory of my younger years. Though only two and a half hours in fact so please excuse any spelling mistakes and thank the locals for such fond memories and good to unwind with.
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