Comradeship

As some will know, I once worked on British Railways in the Loco dept. They were in general the happiest days of my life.
The comradeship was extraordinary, everyone seemed to get on so well with each other, This unfortunately cannot happen these days because there are no jobs available that would allow several school leavers to start work at the same place.
Mind you I was lucky, all the other lads went to the same school but I was welcomed all the same.
The friendship seemed to carry on although as one was promoted only through people leaving and retiring, the less we saw of each other, however we would always more than pass the time of day when we met.
In the mid 60s when Beeching wielded the axe several of us were made redundant. After the unions intervened about 12 jobs were found and so 12 firemen were reinstated. I was one of those reinstated. There were a few who were offered their jobs back but decided to leave anyway. About 6 went to work at a tyre place. I saw the writing on the wall so I found another job about 3 months later.
In 1978 I had been in business at the seaside for 9 years, I came over to Grantham and took my Mother, who was disabled shopping. We went to Wilco, at that time they had a small car park just for patrons. I parked there and out I got, immediately a guy called out to me, I turned round and it was a fellow ex fireman who I called George. He got out of the car, we hugged as though we were long lost brothers. We were never close but we always got on well together but this is how most ex firemen greeted each other. He then got back in his car. He told me that I must be doing O K as I had a fairly new car. I told him I was doing O.K. I asked him how he was doing. To my surprise he told me that he was doing well now, he had been in hospital and had a lung removed. He told me he had been lucky . There was a screening at his works so he went to have his lungs X-rayed. They found a shadow on his lung and was admitted to hospital within a week. The Doctor told him that they had just caught it at the right time. He told me that he was to go to the Specialist next week and expected to get the all clear so that he could soon go back to work.
He then started talking of the old days on the Railway. I told him they were the happiest days of my life, he admitted too that they were his best times. He told me also that on the odd occasion he tells his Son of the things that went on at the Loco, his Son would not believe him. I then reminded him that he never bought a box of matches. He laughed heartily as he knew what I was about to say, he used to put the brush in the fire to get it lit then light his cigarette. He then told me that my Mother had walked almost all the way to Wilco and suggested I go. We shook hands again both remarking how great it was to see each other. That was the last I saw of him.
Many many years later, I was in the obituaries, Georges' name. He had died aged about 75. About 29 or so years after I had seen him at Grantham. I was pleased that he had such a long life after his serious operation. More soon.