Daydreaming

I don't know why my mind wandered off to the days of my youth, I think it was my best Pal talking about the youths of today not capable of doing a full days work.
  I remember having to do my National Service. 2 years in the Army. I was fortunate, although I didn't realise it at the time, by being posted to Hong Kong. Out there we were spoilt to death but didn't appreciate it.
 During the summer months, from April until the end of October we only worked in the mornings. Parade was 8.00am. and then work started unli noon. The afternoon was ours to do as we pleased. In the summer we wore what was called. O.Gs. Olive Green light weight clothing. Shorts were the order of the day
 I must tell you that although I said Hong Kong, we were in the New Territories. Victoria was the capital of Hong Kong but Kowloon was the capital of the New Territories. These territories were several times larger than Hong Kong Island itself. I was based in a R.E camp some 17 miles from Kowloon. The roads followed  mainly the Coast  and where we were based was only about 50 yards for the sea. So generally in the summer afternoons we would go to the beach and lounge around.
 Another bonus was that we had facilities also. These included a "boot boy". What he used to do was clean out boots daily and also change and make our beds, this for a princely sum of $1. These were Hong Kong dollars and there were 16 to each pound sterling. The boot boys stayed on camp but went home for the week end. Our billet had a young lad called Chung Sek Kong. He was a nice lad and had about 24 of us to look after.  Also on the Camp on a daily basis was an old woman. Well she looked old to us but I guess she would be about 50. Her name was Sew Sew. Well that is what we called her, she would come into the camp daily and if anyone wished to have any darning done then you would give it to her and the next day it would be done and very little was charged. I guess we became rather lazy out there. So easy for us to do. I suppose the younger element have never had to work hard but I guess if they were made to, then they would do quite a decent job of it. More soon.