Christmas Day Birthday boy Terry, and his wife Tina, flew into Alicante airport on the 29th to liven up the New Year in Puerto Mazarrón 
Our friendship goes back many years, they shared a house with me during our Royal Navy days. I was keen on renovation work on my first house, paint stripping the wooden staircase and bannisters with a Black & Decker heat gun, metal blade and with Billy Joel singing “I am an innocent Man” (they say repeatedly, loudly and from 08:00 on a Sunday morning). Reminded of how the activity scarred their fond Fareham memories for life is recalled each reunion, this visit it was over a marina coffee
We watched each other’s children grow, their two sons were the cutest. Joe was football crazy and is now a professional playing for Bristol Rovers (has Welsh international caps too), and Ed has followed his parents into the Royal Navy, serving on aircraft carries and the impressive Type 45’s
Cartagena sea port and its museums were a must visit for Tina, she loves to stroll around the Artillery and hear Terry explain the mechanics of all the guns, calibre, shell construction, rate of fire, first motion of a breech. When she says “Guns again” and points uses the technical term for the barrel size “bore” you feel her joy in strolling around these sites.
The Artillery Museum was followed by the Naval Museum, and Tina seemed devilishly happy to imagine there was ammunition in some of the exhibits? Shoot her escorts and hit the marble floored shops was her way of joking
A special treat after lunch in Cartagena, was the hours drive on hairpin bends up a mountain to the site of a maritime defensive gun platform.
Before leaving though, we had to have a picture of Tina at the famous ‘thinking man’ statue. It’s not necessary to rub the chaps ‘meat and two veg’ for luck Tina!
Tina’s step count was nearing her daily target of 12,000 quite easily. And more guns and walking to come. The port statue of a sailor was a memory jerker from her time in Wren’s uniform, how at 19yrs old she met her husband to be at Portsmouth (Joanna’s night club actually). 
Terry had treated me to a motorcycle ride on his Honda Goldwing when living in my place in the mid-eighties. I soiled my pants as a clinging passenger hurtling through Portsmouth traffic on those two wheels. Hopefully Terry’s concerned face as I careered up roads I knew well, repaid the exhilarating experience (I play the long game me hearty 😂)
Mountain-top massive guns, great views and derelict garrison buildings, pure joy for us all
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rry was discussed and decided on as the night time repast, which meant the walking was coming to an end as a fun activity I think 🤔
The Indian meal with our now foursome (Prisci considered the daytime activity for 10 seconds and had gave a positive, smiling, joyful "No" to guns and walking).
Post-meal games and drinks at the apartment were won by the girls. Prisci and Tina's Dominoes domination and Tenka triumph for them wasn't down to anyone's particular failure on the boys team – the picture is not evidence 🤷🏻♂️
Cracking times and New Year’s Eve still to come!
Geriatric Gap Years 