Pembroke Dock

Born at the old Workhouse

There was always the confused reaction to where Tom Stuart born when asked later in life. Many of his friends would snigger or laugh when Tom answered that he was born in Pembroke Dock, anybody’s imagination would run wild.

Tom’s his father flew Sunderland Flying Boats and putting tow and two together the vision of Tom parachuting his way into the dock (See Picture) “What a way to make an entrance into this World.”

Charlie of course played this down with more laughs that Tom was born in the old Workhouse. But this was prior to Pembroke Hospital and a workhouse in its day would be known for women who gave birth out of wedlock.

This was when Tom’s adventure on earth began, (not as a bastard) well not many can expect him to remember much about his life to the age of five, the only things he could remember was when he played with the brake on his pram and went twenty yards down the road until the butcher managed to stop him with his Mum, brother and sister running like mad after him.

With the air running through his fine blond hair, it was no wonder he liked sports cars later in life. He also had an eye for the pretty girls at the infant school which also had a bearing of the future naughty boy. He was to have a telling off after trying the whisky from Charlie’s drinks cabinet not that he enjoyed any of it.

They stayed around this area for a little longer until Charlie was transferred to:

 Plymouth

The beginning of a great adventure

Now five year old Tom waited for Charlie and Mother Pam with his Brother Graham and Sister Susan with their great aunt Doris by the quay side of Plymouth Sailing Club.

They had just returned from fishing in the rock pools for crabs, fish and shrimps until the tide came in. They had spotted the many sails on the horizon which prompted their returning to the harbor.

Poor Doris was worn out, with the children who argued with each other and got soaked splashing about chasing the fish in the pools and building sand castles.