Page 83 - Demo

79dle the aircraft and carrying out instrument approaches and landings, the rear crew were learning how to operate all their equipment. On one of the early sorties, we had a hydraulic failure and the rear crew were amazed that we knew exactly what to do after our simulator training and in fact I think our QFI just let us get on with it not bothering to get in one of the front seats himself. He would often just sit on the jump seat behind us.The course progressed and Gabby came down to a ball at St Mawgan at some point. I had also visited her house by now where her mother had re-enamelled the bath to impress! Gabby had stayed with me in Guildford before the course began while Mum and Dad were on holiday. Jane and Richard, (later her first husband) were there at the same time but we both rather ignored the goings on! Towards the end of the course, we were operating off the North of Scotland when we had a hydraulic failure and diverted into Kinloss. Of course, the families of the married men were living there and so everyone was very happy at that. Mike Black was a new member of the crew and suggested a party at his house. Canadian exchange officers were always very sociable. For some reason he had not been given a quarter close to the station but lived in an isolated house in the middle of a forest somewhere. We all drove out there and most people worked out who was not going to drink to drive back. I expect there was a fair bit of car sharing. Gabby could not drive and so Mike suggested that she and I stayed the night with them. His wife was a little worried about this and arranged that our bedrooms were well separated. Anyway, at some point in the party when we were sitting outside, I proposed, was accepted and as they say the rest is history. The course finished soon after that and we all returned to Kinloss to resume squadron duties. We were married at RAF Kinloss on 27 March 1971 and moved into a hiring in Auldearn. The reception was in the Officers Mess and they bought a special silver cake stand as they did not have one at that point. In those days after the wedding lunch and