Their being six years between Ron and myself in age, we were never really close brothers. During the years toward the end of WW2 Ron lived with "Nanna Deal" at Gosfield, in fact he went to school there. Ron would always be ready to tell stories about being scolded for not getting home quick enough because he and friends had run up to the Air Strip to watch incoming American Bombers.

It always seemed that Ron was just about finishing a stage in life when I was about to start. Scouts, Cubs etc. We were never at the same stage in our schooling. 

 However we still had some tales to tell.

Ron managed to fall out of the Train at Brightlingsea just at it approached the platform, (or was he pushed]...

  There was an occasion when Ron came home from school with some funny powder. He said if we mix this with water we can make fireworks. So as normal we tramped across to The Bakery ,to listen to Dick Barton on the radio as Father would not have it on  at home. We mixed this funny powder with water and soaked paper in it. now we had to dry it,  Ron had a brain storm. "If we put the paper in the bake house oven which was still warm we could dry it" One problem there were still embers in the fire box. yes you guessed it. The oven door flew open, belching ash and smoke. Farther herd the commotion. Net result :-  You two will clean the Bake House ready for me in the morning, and no pocket money for a month.

After we moved to Ashley Gardens, Ron and I were seeing more of each other, but  were still quite apart, Ron fixing a Motorcycle he had purchased, whilst I mended a puncture in my pushbike.

Then there was "SABRINA" his Austin Seven.

Much against Dads wishes Ron drove this open car to Bromsgrove and back in a weekend, to visit a young lady he had met from Clacton On Sea Teachers College.

Ron married Sue and spent their early married life on the South Coast of Sussex, Val and I married a few years later, and we were able to visit Ron and Sue quite often and had enjoyable times together

Then of course Val and I really put distance between us.

Our phone calls to one another were not as frequent as they could have been in the early years, however as time went on, calls became a lot cheaper, and we enjoyed meaning full conversations. Ron's trips to Australia and later our visits to the UK. improved our understanding for each other, .....  I still follow Colchester United, and Lewis Hamilton, both were a base for good conversation. along with the weather.

It is fair to say that in later years our understanding for each other was never greater. 

Sleep well dear Brother.

Soon a Zephyr will take you to the blue yonder .....

 Gerald.....