Allan 91. Retired Solicitor. Widower. Four children. Twelve Grandchildren.

How are you?

I am ninety one and a half and I feel it. I've got my marbles and I can walk with a stick but I’ve had enough. There’s not much to look forward to. I can only go down hill. I can't go up hill anymore. I've got aches and pains and I can't do anything about it. I’m just growing old. Have you enjoyed your life so far? Yes, I have. I'm a very lucky person. I've got four children, 12 lovely grandchildren and had a wonderful wife.

How do you think other people see you?

Pompous probably. I’m a bit pleased with myself. Everything I’ve done turned out well. So why shouldn't I be pleased with myself?

What's your most memorable experience?

The thing I remember most and wouldn’t want to do again, was the year I was posted to Christmas Island in the Pacific. It was a non-family posting. I didn't want to go. There were no telephones in those days, we had to write letters. It took a long time to get a reply. I wrote every day. I missed my wife. I was out there for 12 months. The army took over the island. Most of the locals were evacuated. We were testing Atomic devices. I saw five atomic tests. I was an engineer. My job was to plan and build structures like drainage, electricity, things like that.

The sun was very very hot. The average temperature was 90 degrees. You could get second or third degree burns. The island had no soil apart from decomposing leaves from the coconut trees. The sand was bright white and reflected the heat.

There were about 3 - 4 thousand men on the island. Scientists would come out to build the bombs and test them. During a test you had to go to a particular area, crouch down, head down and close your eyes. The count down began. Although your eyes were closed a silverish light penetrated you. If anything went wrong there was a lorry on standby to take you off to the shore where a boat was waiting to whisk you away. Thankfully that never happened. Did anybody get poorly from the after effects? Some people claim they did and tried to get compensation. I have had a lot of skin cancers, whether that's anything to do with it I don’t know. I went to the doctor and asked if was anything to do with radioactivity. He said it was sun damage. 365 days of the year you got damaged by the sun. The sun cream back in those days was coconut oil!

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