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Article: Ricky and Tom, Sandra and Chris

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    Ricky and Tom, Sandra and Chris

    0 Comments by Brian Probetts (Site Admin) Published on 6th October 2017 10:45 AM



    In the summer of 1965, 2 young seamen (boy ratings ) both 16 years old sailed across the Atlantic to Canada on a ship out of Glasgow , Scotland called the "Colina" of the Donaldson Line. Entering Canada through the straights of Belle Isle and sailing up the St Lawrence to visit Quebec City,Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton and then on to the Welland canal to dock in Port Colborne.

    It was here in Port Colborne ,That Ricky and Tom met Sandra and Chris....it was at the time of the "British Invasion" of America for music!

    Right there on a little bridge on Main St began a friendship which is soon to reach it's apex, culminating in the re-connection of the 4 of us....after 52 years...
    We were all immediately connected to one another. I (Tom ) was attracted to Chris and Ricky to Sandra.The relationship lasted for 3 voyages to Canada for us ending in October of '65 with Rickys' attempt at "jumping ship" in the canal as the lock was emptying itself of water and therefore lowering the ship to a level which made jumping off of simple!
    I prevented Ricky from jumping holding onto him and explaining to him that because of Immigration laws in Canada, when he was caught he would never be allowed to emigrate through the proper channels, after they deported him,...This I knew because my parents were in the process of Emigrating from Glasgow and indeed unknown to me would arrive in Canada in the November of that same year.
    When we returned to Glasgow I never saw Ricky again but pursued my Merchant Navy career while all the while writing to Chris in Port Colborne and believing that this was the girl I would marry....

    As the great " John Lennon " once said...." Life " is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans....

    I did emigrate to Canada in 1966 and connected with both Sandra and Chris. Sometimes life doesn't quite work the way one may envision it and ours...did not! Both Chris ,Sandra and I went on to marry different people and followed our own individual directions. The girls became school teachers and I became a freelance Illustrator working from my studio in downtown Toronto. Throughout the years from time to time we all entered into each others lives when we seemed to need to. All the while I searched for Ricky even while visiting Glasgow a couple of times but to no avail....Then came computers...
    I found while cleaning out my studio in our Grimsby home an old address for Ricky in York England ! I wrote him a letter and about 2 months after that we re-connected and finally this Sept., after almost 52 years we shall all four once again stand on that wee bridge where we first met in June '65 and reminisce....
    It feels to me...as though " THE BEATLES."... are re-uniting !
    .
    Last edited by Mike Hall; 6th October 2017 at 02:07 PM.
    Brian Probetts (site admin)
    R760142

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