uk civil war

[Rodney Mills]

As a teenager and while I was in school in Southend-on Sea, Essex. I ran with a gang of kids. We got going of an evening basically causing mischief. playing "Knock down Ginger" ( knocking on doors and running away and hiding), teasing girls, scrumping fruit, stuff like that. Suddenly the gang started stealing bikes and selling them as used bikes to a bike shop, I dropped out of the gang, I told them they were going to get busted. I took a lot of heat from them which led to a couple of fights, because I told them "it was a mug's game." A couple of weeks later and probable about four bikes later, they and the bike shop got busted. The bike shop ended up closing down and the boys involved had to go to court and all got probation.

Now I know that if you are under 18 your record gets scrubbed if you have no other charges brought against you. However, when I applied to enter the USA as an immigrant, I had to send a letter and a form to the Southend police office as to list all charges brought against. I was clean, no worries, just a formality. I often wondered if I had gone along with the gang with the bike stealing, I could have never got an immigration visa to the USA and my whole life would have changed. My life could have followed the trail of the od poem "The Want of a Nail. Anon.

For want of a nail a shoe was lost
For want of a shoe the horse was lost
For want of a horse the rider was lost
For want of the rider the battle was lost
For want of a battle the Kingdom was lost
And all for the want of a nail.

In my case, it could have been "For want of a bike.... " Today I could have spent my working life cooking in some restaurant or pub.

Cheers, Rodney

[Bill Morrison]

As a teenager and while I was in school in Southend-on Sea, Essex. I ran with a gang of kids. We got going of an evening basically causing mischief. playing "Knock down Ginger" ( knocking on doors and running away and hiding), teasing girls, scrumping fruit, stuff like that. Suddenly the gang started stealing bikes and selling them as used bikes to a bike shop, I dropped out of the gang, I told them they were going to get busted. I took a lot of heat from them which led to a couple of fights, because I told them "it was a mug's game." A couple of weeks later and probable about four bikes later, they and the bike shop got busted. The bike shop ended up closing down and the boys involved had to go to court and all got probation.

Now I know that if you are under 18 your record gets scrubbed if you have no other charges brought against you. However, when I applied to enter the USA as an immigrant, I had to send a letter and a form to the Southend police office as to list all charges brought against. I was clean, no worries, just a formality. I often wondered if I had gone along with the gang with the bike stealing, I could have never got an immigration visa to the USA and my whole life would have changed. My life could have followed the trail of the od poem "The Want of a Nail. Anon.

For want of a nail a shoe was lost
For want of a shoe the horse was lost
For want of a horse the rider was lost
For want of the rider the battle was lost
For want of a battle the Kingdom was lost
And all for the want of a nail.

In my case, it could have been "For want of a bike.... " Today I could have spent my working life cooking in some restaurant or pub.

Cheers, Rodney

Well Rodney there's a coincidence. I have a book titled AHOY THERE! by a lad of the name Jack Smith. A London lad who was involved stealing and selling bicycles, he was caught and landed in real trouble. When asked his name he reply John Smith and received a smack round the ears the detective though he as trying it on. At his trial things not looking good. The judge said I noted you have expressed an interest in going to sea. He was sentenced to establishment near Newcastle. When his sentence was complete he joined the Merchant Navy and never looked back.
Bill.




Bill.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Bill.
There where a number of young lads who where given the choice of Borstal; down the mines; or the MN when caught by the police, I remember some of the people in Sharpness thought we were Borstal boys on the Vindi, there again I think there were a few who had taken the route to sea rather than the mines.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Men like my mate who did not want conscription so went to sea as a galley boy and ended up as chef.
But no doubt there were others who got away to escape something or other.

But of course back in the late 1700's early 1800's it was deportation and here in Oz we is full with them!

[j.sabourn]

#33 I already have a post somewhere Des, on my first trip to sea we had 4 boy ratings ex Borstal boys, were real roughnecks on joining ship, but after a 6 month voyage around the world walked down the gangway as good citizens and proud friends. JS