FEATURE It’s My Life
Each and every care home resident has a story to tell. To mark Seafarers Awareness week which took place in July, residents at a maritime care home share their stories of the high seas.
time at sea took me all over the world and I was lucky enough to visit some exciting places, many of which were not yet visited by people outside of the Navy.
“My wife was firstly a resident here at Belvedere House in the dementia wing. The care she received during her stay was excellent and I decided to become a tenant so I could be near her and spend more time with her. Many firm bonds have been established since I arrived here, and it has been a pleasure to renew friendships with likeminded people of a similar background.”
This year, Seafarers Awareness Week highlighted the immense challenges faced by merchant seafarers and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society paid tribute to the unsung heroes of the crisis – the key workers that have kept the UK afloat during tumultuous times.
Championing the Society’s seafaring residents, CEO, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, said: “This Seafarers Awareness Week I am proud to celebrate all of our former seafarers here at the Society and of the contributions they have all made to the maritime industry during their time in service, including many during WWII.
Lieutenant Commander Geoffrey Haskins, one of the home’s D-Day veterans, said: “I joined the Royal Navy in 1943 as a Midshipman and, in 1944, I was called up for the D-Day landings as my first assignment at just 17 years old.
“D-Day was such a top-secret mission, that I nearly got into trouble with my Captain when I recognised one of the locations as we were sailing up to the beach – ‘That’s Arromanches,’ I called out, which raised some eyebrows on the bridge. ‘How did you know that?’ and I had to explain to my superiors that I recognised the beach as I had visited with my family previously on our holiday.
“I spent 25 years in naval uniform and I’m very proud of my rich maritime history. One of the great things about The Royal Alfred is we all come from such a variation of seafaring backgrounds – we are a real community and it’s special we all have the sea in common.”
John Conacher, also a tenant at the Royal Alfred, was a Deck Officer in the Royal Navy and Master Mariner. He said: “My seafaring career goes back to when I was a teenager. I attended King Edward VII Nautical College, prior to joining the Merchant Navy at the age of 17. I was a deck officer in the international shipping service for 20 years, then changed roles to become a land-based marine for the next two decades. My
- 42 -
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, said: “While we are looking back on the contribution made by our residents it is also important to recognise the work of the UK’s current seafarers who, as key workers, have kept our country afloat during the pandemic, and kept our vital trade and supplies operating as usual during these peculiar and challenging times. Seafarers around the world often sacrifice so much to ensure we can continue our lives safely and with as little disruption as possible and we thank our country’s unsung heroes for their dedication.”
www.royalalfredseafarers.co.uk
video
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46
