I think the stupidst thing I have ever done when home on leave has to be this.
I paid of a ship called the FP Clipper which was a geared bulk carrier. I took her from the builders yard Mitsui in March, FP Clipper 1985/86 and paid of in May 86, so 14 months. It has to be up there with the best trip I did. Loved that ship and a fantastic run. Japan to west Coast Vancouver Island, loaded product timber all down the BC Coast then through Panama bound for 3 port discharge UK & EU.
Loaded bulkcargos varried trip to trip and always bailed pulp and Product timber back.
I used to get a 3 day flying leave as we always did Liverpool.
I had my Mrs with me for a few months deep sea and she usually did the UK & EU coasting trip as well.
Anyway I had to fly her home once from Vancouver as she fell pregnant we had been trying for a couple of years to start a family (he is 31 now just turned)
I used to get some soft looks of people, I remember winding a friends wife up. She asked Karen were I was when she knew she was pregnant, she said I was away at sea. Oh !!! I piped up I had been on the same ship for 14 months when Karen told me her wonderful news!!!!.I couldsee this girls mind working overtime!!! she was looking a bit embarassed so to ease her discomfort I said, I know what you are thinking!!! Well she says ahhhhh! are you okay aout it Karen getting pregnant while you were away!!! Why would I not be okay about it!!! She is getting very red in the face now. So I just says to her in an strong Belfast accent , sure I sent it by post, I thought Karen was going to throttle me lol.
Anyway back to my daftest thing I have ever done while on leave.
I used to do a bit of shooting way back then, I had a couple of shot guns and a 22 rifle forgoing over the fields rabbits &hairs etc! always for the pot I may add.
Having been away for 14 months it was greatbeing home again.We lived in a nice semi in a road called Gleggside in West Kirby, nice area. We had a cherry tree in the garden by the bed room window. Well in May you get the dawn chorus and I says to Karen just listen to that beautiful bird song. As you know in May it starts to get light I suppose about 4am up north it does!!. The birds were singing and squabbling while feeding on the cherries, lovely. Well it was okay day 1, and seeing as bird song had been missing from my life for over a year It was nice to hear. Day 2 lying in bed and enjoying it, day 3 thinking I wish they would tone it down a bit as I am trying to sleep, Day 4 getting a wee bit fed up now. Day 5, thats it had enough now flung open the window and had a rant. Day 6 opens the window and both barrels into the tree , there was no housing in front of us. Road is covered in foilage , twigs and cherries, not a bird insight. About 30 minutes later there is a sheepish knockon the door. It was the police two cars. I opens the door and they are looking very nervous and ask if I had discharged a fire arm into the tree. Well as soon as I opened my mouth I thought these to officers were going shi- themselves, I have never lost my Belfast accent. Anyway I invited them in and we had a chat and a cup of tea. I explained tothemI was a seaman and this and that. I was lucky I did not get arrested what was agreed was that if I volunteered to give them the shotgun and surrender my fire arms certificate they would let me off with a caution. I thought okay with a baby on the way the guns were going tobe gone anyway.