The year was 1975. The Tanners then of the Isthmian League had gone on a mazy run in the FA Cup and had beaten Bishops Stortford, Colchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion to set up a fourth round tie at home to 1st division Leicester City. In a move that today would be “banned”, the game was switched to Filbert Street on request of Leatherhead to maximise the revenue earning potential and over 32,000 fans and the Match of the Day cameras crammed in the ground to see the non league side take a two goal lead. Star of the show (and of the club) was a chap called Chris Kelly who liked to talk up not only the team’s abilities but those of his own and earned him the nickname, The Leatherhead Lip. Unfortunately fitness saw the 1st division side score three goals to take the tie but the Tanners held a place in many neutrals heart (A great article on their cup run can be found here).

Today they still ply their trade in the top level of the Isthmian league after promotion via the play offs last season under legendary manager Mick Sullivan. Sullivan didn’t take fools gladly but was a great non league character and we will be ever grateful for the signed shirt he donated to Lewes’s Rook Inn last season. This season the club started poorly, and ultimately Sullivan paid the price as he departed Fetcham Grove after just two points from their first nine games.

After Lewes’s last gasp defeat to East Thurrock United on Wednesday a win was more important than ever.  On Friday one phone call sent the club into crisis though.  On loan keeper Fabian Spiess had been injured in training with his club Notts County.  With no other keeper at the club the phone calls started.  It was looking like I was going to be dusting off the old Uhlsports and doing a John Burridge and sleeping with a ball, just to get ready until I got a call from Club Secretary Kev.  A deal had been done to bring back Rikki Banks from Eastbourne Borough for the month.  Banks was a hero in our survival season two years ago, and would be welcomed back again, starting with the trip to Leatherhead.

Also joining the squad was Harry Harding, previously with Reading and Bromley.  As with all new signings I try and get a bit of information.  On the gospel that is Wikipedia Harry was either a 65 year old American Political Scientist who wrote “Sino-American Relations, 1945-1955: A Joint Reassessment of a Critical Decade” or that he was the Canadian Minister of Government Services for Newfoundland and Labrador. Hmm, I think it was more likely to be @HarryHarding91 on Twitter come to think of it.

This as a short trip for TBIR – 30 minutes around the M25 and down into Mole Valley.  I cannot see that word without recalling of Ever Decreasing Circles, the BBC Sitcom from the 80′s starring Richard Briers where he played an obsessive, compulsive chap living in middle England hell.  He worked for a fictious company called Mole Valley Valves.  As I parked at the ground a couple walked past with matching coats on – very Howard and Hilda.

Leatherhead’s Fetcham Grove ground is one of the finest in the south of England in terms of location.  Nestled next to the River Mole and surrounded by trees it is perfectly complimented by the autumnal colours, falling leaves and the ramshackle old stands of the Tanners.  If only all non league grounds had so much character.

With this being a short hop and a skip for most Lewes fans, the turn out was high, including the veritable Rob K Read, the brains and brawn behind the world famous Lewes Membership scheme, forming a formidable Twitterati to report on the game.

Leatherhead 0 Lewes 1 – Fetcham Grove – Saturday 26th November 2011
With half a dozen fans poised with their fingers on the iPhone buttons to send news of the unfolding events to the world all we needed was something to report on.  Well we waited, and waited and waited.  On forty minutes the highpoint of the half occurred.  Young George, son of ClubSec Kev made a dash for freedom from his buggy and felt he could do better than any of the twenty outfield players, making it as far as the corner flag before being thwarted.

Neither team created much despite almost perfect playing conditions.  Lewes welcomed back Matt Somner in the middle of the park and he was joined by new signing Harding, with his “unusual” hair.  It would be interesting to see who will now monopolise the hairdryer before the game between him and Nanetti.

With only Booth up front and five in midfield it was clear on Steve King’s intentions – stop Leatherhead passing through the middle.  And it worked, although the Rooks created few chances themselves in the opening period that could trouble the Tanners keeper.

After a refreshment stop in the bar, and a  welcome pint of Harveys (the fans not the players), the second half started with more of the same. However, it took a number of changes from the bench to change the game.  Malcolm came on for Nanetti and with that Lewes became more positive. The corner count started mounting and with Albert Jarrett and Malcolm cutting in from the wings, the Leatherhead defence took to strong-arm tactics to stop them.

With ten minutes to go Booth was scythed down on the edge of the area and Malcolm’s free kick could not have been more perfectly flighted into the top corner of the net.  Relief washed over the fans, players and management alike.  Whilst the team have sat in the play off spots for weeks, form has been disappointing and at this stage we would all take a win at whatever cost.

The final minutes saw some nerves defending from Lewes, which always looks worse from the far end, but in the end they held out.  It is all about the result, not the performance at this stage of the season (is that right, or is that pre-season?) and the win solidifies the Rooks place in the top five.

Next stop – East Grinstead United in the Sussex Senior Cup.  You can stick your Nou Camp, San Siro and Allianz Arena.  It’s the GAC Stadium for us on Tuesday and we couldn’t be more excited.

Sno.7's L72 hanging with my father at a Woodinville event in 2006. Photo by author.

Well, Brother.  Glad you could join me for a cup. ..I know, it’s a little strong..the probie made it.  He’ll learn.

So I’ve been cogitatin’ on things for a few months now.  The summer came and went and if you remember, I was all fired up about not getting any good fishing in.  But little did I realize the summer had far more in store for me than fishing, recruit classes or a family vacation.  It was a crazy few months and now that all is behind me I look back at it and marvel about a few things.  I thought I might share them with you while we chew on the Joe the probie cooked up: 

Death is a constant.  It comes to us all eventually.  We who call firefighting our profession certainly have seen enough to know that there is little one can say when a life passes.  It happens.  Firefighters, among others, see it day in and day out, in varying stages, and after a time, we have seen death take all kinds of people.  Rich ones, poor ones, miserable ones, peaceful ones and seemingly very innocent ones.  Violent death and quiet death, unjust and deserved.  God the Father calls each one at the appointed hour.  Death is always among us. 

"Death is never far from the Brotherhood." The funeral for LODD FF Andy Mullen, AFD. October 2010. Photo by author.

Another constant, is Brotherhood.  Braithreachas.  Death and the Brotherhood are intertwined.  I understand this better now.  It isn’t that firefighters enjoy being in mourning, we do not thrive on the sight of caskets and purple bunting.  We do not live for the moment when the Wake begins and the cask is broken open to drink our cares away.  Rather, it’s the other way around.  We dread it.  But it is always among us, and we do not shy away.  Wisely or unwisely, many of us look it full in the face. 

My father passed away on a quiet summer evening of this year.  It wasn’t unexpected, and we had gathered around him to ease his going.  For my part, I didn’t want him to suffer and I urged him to let go.  We had enjoyed much and shared much together.  More than anything I wanted to know he was at peace.  When he was gone, I pressed ahead, reeling from the burdens on my heart, and tried to be the rock my family seemed to need.  In some ways, death was the easy part.  Knowing how to deal with others at his Memorial was harder.

And then the Brotherhood showed up.  I was beyond grateful and felt my father honored by their presence.  They are my friends, and a few of them had met my father.  They asked to wear Class A’s and my mother was pleased at this, I encouraged them to do so.  My father was not a fireman.  But he admired firemen. 

"The mark of a Puget Sound Leatherhead", the badge of Chad Berg at my father's funeral. Photo by author.

When they showed up at the church, they stood out.  I think eight or nine attended and I spent a little time clarifying for some of my father’s friends that, “No, my Dad wasn’t a fireman, these are my friends”.  The service passed, and the brethren joined the crowd at the reception and as my family and I buzzed about shaking hands and listening to those whose hearts had loved our Dad, I kept an eye out for my brothers in the uniform.   They were surrounded by the curious, those who weren’t sure why uniformed firemen had shown up for Dad’s funeral.  Someone naively asked me how so many firemen were able to afford to come down from Alaska to attend and when I explained that they were firemen from several different departments in the Puget Sound, the person looked dumbfounded. 

But then I realized, I didn’t really understand either.  I didn’t understand until I heard my good friend Berg say, “We’re here for Ben.  We didn’t want him to stand alone”..and that struck home.  Of all the gifts I have in this life, this one continues to floor me.  It humbles me.  Not so much because I don’t understand, but because to witness it, to be the subject of it, is to understand that it is beyond us, for we are mere men.  It is a blessing to be held up by brothers such as these. 

Another brother lost his wife and child in an accident some time back.  We responded to the scene.  We struggled to save his family, we sat with him while he wept, we watched over his family.   We still watch over him as he struggles through each day since.  Years later, he still needs the brotherhood.   Death is constant, and so are we.

A brother I shared the job with, his wife passed in her sleep, while she held one of her children.  Sound asleep, she slipped away to the Father.  He went off shift, went home, maybe he let out the dog.  Then slipping into the room, he looked at her and knew immediately she was gone.  So much ended for him there.  His marriage, the family as he knew it, his life as a fireman.   When it came time to take her away, he asked us to do it.  He didn’t want her to be touched by anyone else.  So the Chief, another brother and I placed her in the black bag and gently carried her away.  I have never felt so honored.  To hold my brother’s wife at that moment.  Firemen guarded her last moments with his family, watched over his family and cared for his family.

The same chief that helped carry his wife away, died from cancer only a short while later.  Over 100 firefighters marched for him at subzero temps.  His wife lives nearby the firehouse and we still go see her, she still comes to see us.  We are family.  His granddaughter still reaches out for hugs from old firemen.

While I was burying my father, other brothers showed up at my home and split my firewood.  They knew it was sometime before I would be able to get to it.  The children were sick, my wife was grieving without me there and unable to join me.  My wife is strong, but knowing they would come and care for my family in my absence meant so much to her. 

An older, retired fireman, sits on a porch in Maine.  We’re talkin’ long-distance and I tell him how the brothers showed up to stand by me at my father’s funeral, wearing their best.  His voice chokes over the phone and quietly he says, “That gives me hope,… that these things will not pass away.  It’s good to know that there are still men like that!”

We few, you and me.  We are the brotherhood.  It is wherever we are, whether times are good,..or bad.  And it is a constant.   But for it to be so, we must continue to do the right things.  And only you brother and sister, can do that.  It begins with each and every one of you. 

Now, ..lets teach that probie a thing or two about makin’ a cup o’ Joe!

The new homes are located on the edge of Leatherhead, close to Ashtead, an area that is one of Surrey’s most popular for homebuyers thanks to superb local amenities and comprehensive transport links. The architecture of the new development is very much in keeping with the local vernacular, so that while they are reminiscent of the traditional local style and fit in with existing homes, they come with the most up-to-date interior specification and all the other benefits of a brand new home.

Prices start at £400,000 for the range of family homes that are set to launch at Barratt Homes' Regency Place in Leatherhead this weekend

Each home features high-quality finishes and plenty of spacious accommodation to suit a family with open-plan living areas, luxury bathrooms and en suites and kitchens that come with beautiful fitted units and energy-efficient appliances. On top of the standard ten-year NHBC warranty, Barratt Homes provides its own additional five-year guarantee on many fixtures and fittings, for complete peace of mind in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.

“Regency Place is a really exciting collection of homes,” says Lynnette St-Quintin, Sales Director for Barratt Southern Counties. “Its superb location combined with the outstanding quality of the homes means that we have already had a great level of enquiries. I would urge interested purchasers to visit us this weekend or risk missing out on the first homes available.”

Commuters and those who travel a lot for business or pleasure are spoilt for choice for transport links, with the M25 just minutes away and the stations at both Ashtead and Leatherhead within a few minutes’ drive. Rail services to and from London take under 50 minutes. Leatherhead is also equidistant from the airports at Heathrow and Gatwick, both around half an hour away.

In addition to the local facilities on offer, nearby towns like Cobham, Epsom and Esher provide even more choice. The area is full of good state and independent schools. Country walks and cycle rides are just on the doorstep and with attractions such as Legoland and Chessington World of Adventure within easy reach, all in all it’s a great place to raise children.

by Keith Osborne

I have to get my uniform on and prepare for the day, I leave you with the main point of the speech I will be giving:

On 9/11, we were witnesses to the greatest act of public service and self-sacrifice known to modern man.  They made a difference, although it was hard to believe at the time.  We know now, they saved thousands of people.  They gave hope and renewed
strength to the panic stricken people in those burning buildings and provided strength through encouragement and calm presence to keep going to safety.  They died trying to reach those who could not get out.

NEVER FORGET

It was such a powerful thing to watch!  It took your breath away.  Time seemed to stand still.  We were AWESTRUCK!  It made you weak in the knees, it caused your heart to break like a shattered glass, it was glorious, it was horrifying, it was riveting, you could not take your eyes away even though it was so painful
to see it!  It was so unbelievable that modern men would willingly commit themselves to such a death for people they did not know.  They defined for us, the “Last Full Measure”, the “Ultimate Sacrifice”.  They shattered the modern belief that laying your life down for another was an act from fiction novels.  For who among us did not admire their bravery, their quiet, simple courage and their dedication to the job,…. laid out before all the world to witness.  I have felt from the beginning that in their death they mocked the very evil and hate that had caused their sacrifice.  For though there is much about the American culture to despise, there is also much to admire.  And not least of which is that Ancient
Culture of Firemen that dwells amidst modern America, alive and well and which showed itself on September 11th.  And through
its pain and suffering, it caused an awakening among the rest of us across the nation.

It charged us, as witnesses to the act, to be better firemen, better public servants, better mentors, better
officers, better fathers and mothers, better husbands and wives, better citizens!  It inspired in us all the things that America used to believe about its firemen, its “Men of Iron”.  And we can do no less in this generation than
to carry on with this honorable privilege, this ACT of service. We cannot let them down.  They died believing in what they were doing.  How ashamed I would be were I to not spend my LIFE, LIVING to the same ideals.  Remembering Nine Eleven, Remembering All Fallen Brothers, helps us to feel these things anew, remember our duty to serve and recommit ourselves to our oath, “NEVER FORGET”.

Met Police are not the best supported team in the league, you may be surprised to know.  Last season they averaged 123 and in their opening game this season it was less than 100.  The majority of most attendances are away fans.  But does that impact the players?  Not one bit.  They play football at this level because they love the game.

The ground at Imber Court is widely regarded as one of the best in the Non Leagues. With a full time groundsmen and policemen walking around all day they do not suffer the same issues many other clubs have.  With the right infrastructure off the pitch, the club are finally putting together a decent side on the pitch.

Last season they were promoted from the Ryman South.  On three other occasions in the past five seasons they had lost in the final of the end of season play offs, and must have thought their day would never come.  But last season they went into the final day of the season knowing that it would take a miracle at Chatham Town, where league leaders Bognor Regis Town were the visitors.  Chatham had to get a result and hope other games would go in their favour to save them from relegation.  But on that day in April Miracles did happen.  Chatham held The Rocks to a draw and Met Police’s 1-0 win at Merstham enabled them to leap over them and win the league on the narrowest of margins (by a goal difference “difference” of 1).  Bognor’s misery was completed a week later when they lost to 5th place Dulwich Hamlet, who finished 31 points behind them.  In the play off final 4th place Leatherhead beat Dulwich 4-3 on extra time to join the Met Police in the Ryman Premier.

And so just under four months later the two promoted teams were meeting again.  Last season they met twice, with the Met Police winning both games.  So far this season the Met Police side had won one and lost one (to Lewes) whilst Leatherhead had lost all three of their games so far.

It did feel a bit weird wandering through the ground when I arrived.  You just got “that feeling” that you were being watched.  It is a fantastic venue and away fans will feel very spoilt this season.  There appeared to be a bumper crowd in, which is not surprising as Leatherhead had travelled all of 8 miles to this game, and essentially it was the only football in the south of England.  Rumours spread that the Chairman of the club himself, Desmond Flanders were in attendance too.  A high endorsement if there ever was one.

Metropolitan Police 2 Leatherhead 1 – Imber Court – Wednesday 31st August 2011
The Tanners miserable start to the season continued after they threw away three points in this game, having put themselves in a perfect position to grab a victory with just fifteen minutes to go.  It was certainly a feisty affair with the referee pulling out his yellow card on half a dozen occasions.  It could and should be said that one or two of the challenges were worth a red.

The game started at a very fast tempo and Met Police should have scored early on when Tyron Smith blasted wide when it was easier to score.  But just a few minutes later Met Police did take the lead when Stafforde Palmer beat two defenders on the edge of the area before planting the ball in the corner of the net under a heavy challenge.

The rest of the first half seemed to be played out in the Met Police half with the Tanners putting pressure on the home team’s goal.  Butler in the Police goal came under significant pressure, not least from a very late challenge by the Leatherhead centre forward some five seconds after he gathered the ball in a Nat Lofthouse style challenge.  Some referees would have seen that as a red card offence so he can think himself lucky that it was only a yellow.

The second half saw the visitors come out of the blocks attacking, obviously sent out with a flee in their ears from legendary manager Mick Sullivan.  They finally got their reward just after the hour mark when Craig Davies smashed the ball home from close range in front of the travelling fans.  At this point you wouldn’t put any money on anything bar an away win, but a lapse in concentration ended up costing Leatherhead dear.

Tony Finn, the Met Police wide man was allowed far too much space to run at the defenders and before they could commit themselves he was skipping past them.  The Leatherhead keeper came out to try and narrow the angle but Finn shot first time, finding the corner of the net with accuracy.

Full time brought a collective groan from the Leatherhead fans.  This wasn’t the start they had envisaged whilst Met Police can be happy to record their second win in three games.  Onwards and upwards.

More pictures from the evening’s festivities can be found here.

Released 15 August 2011 | Produced by: Garo (Giedrius Tamulaitis) | Mixdown/mastering by: Emery (Denisas Teluchinas) | Cover art: Andrius Labašauskas | Vocals: April O’Neil, Casey Jones, Leonardo, Shredder, Leatherhead | Mixed and mastered at Green Carpet Mastering | mastering.lt – 2011 Bembis Bembio Motina 007 | bembisbembiomotina.lt

Many thanks for the lovely demo and big up to VAIPER!

Food for the mind...

It was one of those places I had passed by many times before without noticing. Why it had suddenly blipped up on the old personal radar now is anyone’s guess – perhaps I just had a bit more time to take things in. This all happened during a walk through Leatherhead town. For such a small place there a quite a few good walks to go on, and at that precise moment in time I was making my way down Church Street, and had got to a point before the Church itself, but beyond the parade of shops around Leatherhead Theatre.

Leatherhead Library was located amongst a number of establishments housed in an admittedly very elegant building called ‘The Mansion’, taking up the right wing of the manor house. The library entrance was very close to the opening of the office complex, and a brief check of the schedule of times meant that, on this afternoon, as it wasn’t a Monday, the place was open for business.

I have always liked libraries – from my initial childhood literary fix of Dr Suess, through my school time reading and study, they formed a very regular feature of my life. When I started working full time any library based activities were pretty much squeezed out of my routine. I still like visiting them though, so I popped in.

The Leatherhead Library was longer and narrower than my local branch at New Malden, with the central concourse providing the gateway to many smaller sections which housed stuff like the Internet PC’s and various different categories of books. Since my days of library going there had been a major IT influx, and this branch even had a bit of kit that allowed borrowers to scan in the details of the books they were taking out themselves! That’s one way of avoiding the more po-faced librarians! I had better say now that there was nothing at all wrong with the staff at Leatherhead. It was encouraging to see so many people using it as well – it was pretty packed that afternoon, which augers well for a period threatened with Library cuts and closures.

Another new development that caught my attention was the presence of DVD’s. These seemed to be pre-owned, so I guessed they were probably donated by a local DVD rental store. Some of the titles were very recent. What I wasn’t sure of was whether they were for sale (like a nearby section of books) or for rental.

I saw copies of films  that I had paid full price for in a well known entertainment shop in Kingston with a price tag of a mere £3.00. I also found a film that I hadn’t seen before and didn’t own, which also had the bargain price tag of £3.00.  It was a teen horror flick by the looks of it, and the plot didn’t sound half bad according to the sleeve notes. The nearby librarians were busy, and I didn’t have time to wait around to find out about the status of the DVD’s.

My job for today is to go back to the library and find out. If things go well I could be the proud owner of a cut price film!

* New service offered – lawn mower servicing available including ride on mowers

]]> http://andrewwilsondotorg.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/testimonials/ Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:37:31 +0000 andrewrwilson http://andrewwilsondotorg.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/testimonials/ “Andrew has been fantastic around the house and in the garden. He’s finished all the jobs we never have the time to do! Always punctual, very tidy and exceptional quality of work from changing a light bulb to constructing a shed from scratch. Highly recommended!”

Lisa Wehbe

07554857829

andrewrwilson@live.co.uk

Leatherhead, Surrey

Reasonable rates

Please call for a quote

You may recall my past ramblings about a cafe in Leatherhead that I used to frequent very regularly – it was my preferred lunch time spot for a latte, and the great tasting coffee coupled with the very pretty Eastern European waitresses gave the whole place a nirvana like feel. The woman who owned it was also very nice. She was a former IT worker who opened the cafe after discovering that she liked working with humans rather than machines. She ran the cafe for about three years before selling up to take advantage of other food retail opportunities.

I had to say I was saddened when she eventually closed up shop. The visits to the cafe had become an established part of my daily routine, and I had got to like its atmosphere and the people, even if I didn’t really know them that well. A new owner came on the scene who was also the patron of a local Italian restaurant, and he changed everything, right down to the brand of coffee sold.

I never went back to the place – it was too different to how I remembered it before. I ran into one of the waitresses in Leatherhead high Street, and she confirmed that all the old staff had moved on, including herself. For me, the writing was on the wall – I definitely didn’t want to go back.

Full of Eastern European promise?

That was the state of affairs up to yesterday afternoon. I was wondering around a very hot and sunny Leatherhead town centre, when I passed near the site of the cafe on my way to the newsagent. By the looks of things it has changed hands again – there is a shiny new awning above the door, and the legend it displays also looks new. I checked out the menu – it still sells pretty much the same cafe/deli kind of fare, and I didn’t recognise any of the staff behind the counter.

As I didn’t have time to pop in yesterday, that’s my mission for today. I don’t expect it to be as before, but if things are agreeable I’ll have another lunchtime latte option. I will keep you informed.

Well, I can’t complain. When the moment comes, you swim with the current. I think Thomas Jefferson said that. I saw it on . Sno. 7′s mentoring page and I have to admit, although not a big “Tom Jeff” kinda guy, I do admire that particular sentiment. I like the second part best. “In matters of principle, stand like a rock.” I can dig that.

Morning Inspection and Drill, "Ears! OPEN! Eyeballs! CLICK!"

The Academy is in its third week and so far we have done exceedingly well. This academy is fast paced and those not prepared have difficulty staying in the current. We hit them hard the first day, flushed them out to stand the line like a herd of cattle. From that moment on the pressure has been on and they have more than risen to the occasion. I have to admit, my tenth class has grown on me a bit. They’re good young men. Not all in shape, not all even first string, but their desire to not only achieve, but also to understand and overcome the challenges before them has as a group surpassed many I have known in recent years.

In this class, we have one who survives a father who has fallen in the war, one has lost his father to illness, one who returns to the structure side of the house from wildland and is by far the old man of the class. One who is so young he can’t find whiskers for shaving, one who has been flying aircraft with his father since he was five and another who is taking his third basic course because having moved to Alaska, he feels he cannot afford to leave anything undone and why not start at the beginning and get it right, his career will be the better for it. Who can’t win with such fine young men? We have them from California, Oregon, Washington and our own L.A. (Lower Alaska). We even have a feller with a Southern drawl and he hails from North Carolina. We call him Elvis though.
But I digress. Things are going along well.

The senior officer must set the example, establish respect and authority, but have a realness and humanity. We are not soldiers, ..we are public servants.

My job as Drill Master has been rewarding. Marching is going well and discipline is excellent. Morale is high and visible demonstrations of team building within the individual squads are showing more and more every day.  Strangers have begun to bond.  In the third week, I now have to hunt for reasons to administer the beloved set of mountain climbers or push ups. Today a hook was left tines up, safety hazard, they all paid. Yesterday a squad leader was late, they paid.  But the point is, I have to hunt for infractions. Day one, infractions were so numerous we had done 90 push-ups by lunchtime. Now I’m hard pressed to get in twenty unless I’m dishonest about it. These guys are squared away.  But once again, the point is..why? What is it that makes them submit to this? I thought this was the generation that is wedded to Facebook and their I-phones. I haven’t heard a phone buzz or jingle since I outlawed them on day one. Only the program assistant’s phone interrupts everything as he takes yet another order for supplies on the Vent Prop.
So what is it that is working here? Could it be that I am such a phenomenal instructor? Am I so fearsome that they dare not defy me? Don’t bet on it. It’s just not that simple. It isn’t that we set the bar high, although that’s part of it. Could it be the opportunity to work in the frozen tundra streets of Alaska? I don’t thinks so.

Using even some of the youngest but most enthusiastic and hardest working firemen in our department gives the candidate someone they can relate to and ask questions of and expect some measure of empathy and camaraderie.

We are succeeding so well because of many things that are sewn together into the fabric of what we are doing. The department and the college are of one mind. I and my cadre represent the department. The program head represents the school. We are working to support each other. Clear expectations are laid out and each Candidate agrees to them or leaves at the beginning to go be a plumber.  A high bar has been set. Failure is a possible option, not everyone is cut out to be a firefighter. My cadre and I are committed. We speak with clear, loud and authoritative voices, Candidates are expected to move out with due urgency.  Rank is respected, but not worshipped.  Seniority is respected but not an entitlement to abuse, first names are not used.  We ourselves represent and display what we wish to see. Every day, for two weeks straight we have represented the structure of the engine company in the firehouse and operated in a similar fashion. Senior men are respected, work is delegated and channeled towards the particular strengths of each drill instructor. The candidates see this.

Drill Instructors, representing the department are integral to the Academy. They set the standard even more so than the senior officer. These are the ones we want them to emulate.

Mistakes made by the candidates are rapidly addressed and failure by the individual is dealt with quickly without humiliation. We have passed a small part of our authority onto the Guide and Squadleaders. They in turn are encouraged to set the bar high within their small company.  With no recourse to discipline or eject a non-performing member, leadership must be achieved through developing successful traits.  You either sink or swim. 

There is no abuse.  All actions are taken for the good of the Academy Company, the Squad and the individual.  We expect them to succeed and encourage them daily to do so.  If one of them should fail, it will not be because we didn’t provide them with every measure of help.  Even while issuing a fresh ration of mountain climbers or push ups “until I get tired” we are actually encouraging them to reach further to succeed.  We do not humiliate them or treat them like second-rate citizens.

And every day, we stop, I call “Tailboard” and all the structure disappears for a few minutes.  They gather around me, a guest instructor or the Chief and we take our rank off.  We discuss values and qualities that make us “firemen” versus just “firefighters” and why our profession is so different.  We talk about tradition, history and remembering fallen brothers.  And on the wall the Candidates themselves had been required to define Honor, Integrity, Duty, Judgement and Fortitude.  Some of these words they have never even heard in use before.

I don’t know.  Maybe it is all a waste of time as they nay-sayers insist.  Maybe so.  I really don’t know.  Its late, we’re going into action again in the morning with hose lays.  I can’t spend any more time writing.  Coffee will taste good in the a.m.  I’ll tell you this though, we are making waves and people are stopping to gawk.  The proof will be when they have blended into our departments and shown their metal and how they learned to love the job.

Para-military drill fosters the team work and coordination for greater and more important things. Ladders UP!

You know  the DC that helped me start this back in the day, you remember.. in my previous post, “Why Am I Here?”, he stopped by the other day to talk with a few of the candidates.  He heard me barking and a smile came to his face.  What memories.  He still believes we were on the right track back in that first class before the bomb dropped.  He stuck by his principles.  I have stuck to mine.  And here we are again, having stayed afloat in the current for a decade, given new life by a new chief and new program head, and twenty-two highly dedicated young men.  I think we are doing the right thing and as a Leatherhead, no less can be expected.  See you on the drill ground, Brothers.  I’ll have a fresh cup o’ joe ready for you…

Love what you do! The Senior Drill Master must be enthusiastic and create an environment for learning, but also for pursuing excellence. But most important, must demonstrate honor, integrity and fortitude himself, or no one will buy into it.

Football can be a beautifully cruel game. Bognor Regis Town know that better than many clubs. A 1-1 away draw against Chatham on the last day of the Itshmian Division One South league season resulted in Metropolitan Police overhauling them to clinch the title by virtue of a goal difference better by one. Bognor Regis, after scoring 103 goals and conceding 43 lost out due to The Met racking up the same number of points over the 42 games played, scoring one goal less but conceding two goals less. Town dropped to the play-offs and a semi-final defeat against Dulwich Hamlet, who finished the season in fifth place and a massive 31 points off the winners.

Leatherhead fared better throughout their season. They finished in fourth place with 88 points, level with Whitehawk who they overcame in their semi-final to set up a promotion match at their Fetcham Grove home; a ground that was first used in 1924 by Leatherhead United who would go on to merge with Leatherhead Rose (a club that once had ‘Lucky’ Arthur Taylor playing for them; the nickname derived from being one of seven brothers sent to the Great War, five of whom were killed while the sixth lost a leg. Lucky returned home unscathed to continue his Rose career) in 1946 to form the modern day club.

Despite two losing turns in major Cup finals, losing in the F.A. Amateur Cup in 1969 and the F.A. Trophy in 1978, it’s the F.A. Cup that propelled Leatherhead, and their centre forward, into the national consciousness. The 1974/74 competition saw The Tanners defeated in the fourth round against aLeicesterCityside that had found themselves 2-0 down before firing in 3 goals as their better fitness levels told. After the third round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion, the non-league centre forward Chris Kelly, scorer of the winner that day, was dragged out of a bar to appear alongside Jimmy Hill in the Match of the Day studio. Asked whether he thought his team could defeat Peter Taylor’sBrighton, Kelly slouched further into his chair and responded: “Yes, we’ll win – they’re useless” to earn the name ‘The Leatherhead Lip’.

History wasn’t to repeat itself in 2006 when Leatherhead, the lowest ranked team to reach the first round proper of the Cup, went down 2-1 against Torquay United; however, the crowd of 1,022 for this play-off final seemed to be a nod back to those heady F.A. Cup runs.

Arriving at King’s Cross a little after 1pm I hurried for the train connection to Leatherhead; time was tight to make kick-off, but with the lack of games within travelling distance of London, my base for the F.A. Vase Final (a game played the following day where Whitley Bay would retain the trophy for the third consecutive year), this was the obvious Saturday game of choice. As the train arrived in theSurreytown a text message on my phone alerted me to friends just getting to the ground. Beers had to be drunk and so I bounded down the stairs three at a time, across the road, through the park, down the street, over the grass and straight to they end of a huge queue to get through the two turnstiles that were open.

Locals tutted as they shuffled slowly forward; I sweated as another text arrived to alert me to The Real F.A. Cup boys starting to sup a pint. I eventually burst into the ground, side-stepping the burger vans, slaloming through the people blocking my route into The Grove, “the modern facility located at Leatherhead Football Club available for both daytime and evening bookings” and purveyor of fine ales.

With the teams emerging from the tunnel we made our way out of the bar and stood in the middle of the pitch – a group of kids were having a kickabout to the side of the small stand behind one goal; space was sparse as people shunned the shade to stand in the glorious sunshine. A small stand ran the length of the touchline with an exit at the back visible that led back to the bar, while another exit was later discovered to lead to what looked like a classroom that housed some toilets.

After a 26 year absence Leatherhead eventually made it back to the Isthmian Premier following at thrilling come-from-behind victory over Dulwich Hamlet. With the visiting fans celebrating throughout much of the second the half, and 3-1 up with eight minutes remaining, Leatherhead roared through the final minutes to draw level and then took the game in extra time to spark wild celebrations amongst their fans.

As the fans celebrated on the pitch, sportingly patting The Hamlet players on their backs as they applauded their distraught fans in the stand, we wandered off for the train back toLondon. The skies burst with tears for the club that had almost defeated the odds for the second time in a week to overcome stronger opposition. After beer and goals had flowed we were on our back to the bright lights for a drunken night.

]]> http://leatherhead109.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/why-am-i-here-someone-please-remind-me/ Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:46:24 +0000 leatherhead109 http://leatherhead109.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/why-am-i-here-someone-please-remind-me/ I am a machine…no really..  I tow the line, I represent the department and the service well.  I am the professional.  I keep going, even when they are stacking the cards against me.  At least that’s how I feel sometimes….I’d like to go fishing..But I am a devoted Leatherhead, which means that I will do what is right for the department, for the brotherhood.  I’m not alone in this.  There are many like me.

Fishing is good this time of year!

Its summer.  Summer in the Northland is a beautiful time of year.  Its short-lived and is gone before you know it.  The waters are clear, the sky mushrooms with huge clouds and the Midnight Sun is up forever.  The fish will take almost any fly on the river, life is good.  It’s also the only time we can efficiently train recruits…and again, so much for fishing.  What was that?…Oh, yes,…you spilled your coffee…excuse me..

I did say “Recruits”..yes the bane of my summer existence.  I used to fish, I used to go camping a lot, but for the past nine years, I train recruits.  How did this begin?  Can’t we just put a badge on them and train them on the side?  OJT?  Isn’t that how its done in most places?  Why do I give up my summer, year after year to these people?  What is wrong with me?  Why do I put myself though this?

"In the beginning", my first class of recruits. Photo by Author.

Many years ago, I was tasked with bumping up the level of training given to our recruit classes.   At the time, the deputy chief of the department felt that a little “military bearing” might add something to the quality and help to draw recruits in our direction.  We were doubling the staffing in the department and the deputy chief knew that meant we needed to change.  The DC and I had a talk.  I wanted to be the go to guy.  I thought I could make a difference.  The result was a very intense academy, the weeks sailed by as I threw myself into the effort.  I found that I had the knack.  I had never been a Drill Instructor in the Marines, I was just another Jarhead.  But I discovered a real monster hanging out within, just waiting to come out the first time I stepped in front of a line of recruits.  It was as if an abused child had arrived home to roost.  The first day, the look on the DC’s face was priceless, he looked like he was gonna have a coronary.  I asked him, “You want me to back off?”  He said, “No, I am out of my element, …but I have never seen so much accomplished in so short a time.  Keep it up, I’ll go protect your job!” 

He was good as his word and I kept at it and we had a great recruit class, remembered for the quality it produced.  Officers and firefighters alike agreed, these recruits are well-trained and dedicated.  I heard comments like “I wish I’d gone through an academy like that..” and similar sentiments.  We’d hit the mark.  Also during that academy a chief officer sat and watched with a frown on his face, I asked him what was wrong, he said, “I feel cheated!…I feel like I should have gotten to go through this kind of training.”  We had achieved our goal.  Now to seal it, make it the norm…

But times change, chiefs change, the budget changes, leadership changes.  Everyone liked the quality, but folks weren’t really excited about the tradition and military bearing stuff.  Before long, all that was pushed aside.  Then it would come back in a lesser form a year down the road.  The next year all but gone, then back again.  The lack of para-military efficiency makes it very hard to train 25 – 30 recruits without a lot of problems.  Trying to blend all those personalities into functional firefighters takes coordination.  All too frequently, administrators and chief officers make the mistake of thinking that Firefighter Certification training and recruit training is the same thing.  It’s not.  Introducing recruits to your department’s culture can be done gradually or all at once, but either way indoctrination is a critical part of bringing in new people  and my experience is that when adding large numbers of recruits the hodge podge “Howdy” style fails as wide of the target.  You are bringing in a large force for change, for the good of your organization, its important to control that force.  Without it, …  CHAOS.  These people will be a part of the fire service and your department for a long time, good or bad.  Why wouldn’t you want to get it right?

This isn't the only place where tradition and service play a role. The two combined can help prevent loss of life as well. Photo borrowed from the web, with all due respect.

 Over the next several years, my fellow officers and I struggled through academy after academy, taught on shift, on weekends, disrupting our operational training and everything else.  Every year was different, trying to work out the bugs.  We could still pull off a pretty good academy, but the drain on the department was enormous and the results and quality a mixed bag.

By the time last year rolled around we were on our 9th version of recruit training since I started doing this.   The old DC has long since retired and the support for a highly efficient, para-military recruit training academy was an all but forgotten memory.  “Just get er done!” had become the mantra.   Plow through.  Check ‘em off.  We train hard, push ‘em hard, get it done…screw the military crap, just get it done.  As I stood in front of last year’s class I thought, “I don’t want to do this anymore..I don’t want to teach anymore” and I began to get very, very tired.  And I wasn’t alone.  For one reason or another, most of the guys assisting and instructing felt the same way.  “I’m done…”  I realized that my desire to keep the para-military standard was not in keeping with what the department wanted.  It was not important to anyone but me apparently, at least I was the only one fighting for it.  I had hoped for nine years that we could get back to really training firemen about the fire service, instead of certification.  But I was apparently missing the mark that had been set.  It’s not welcome here.  So I was finally ready to surrender to reality. 

Why is it important to teach our recruits in para-military fashion anyway?  I am often reminded that other firefighters do fine without it.  What’s the big deal?  Is it just another excuse for power abuse?  It can be.  But in absolute truth, I find that those who are abusive in a para-military system are usually not those who come from highly trained military experience.  It’s usually those who don’t know anything about authority and therefore they use it incorrectly.

"Taking Up the Roofer" a healthy confidence builder for the new recruit. Discipline makes for a safer drill ground. Photo by Author.

Have you ever spent time with Marines?  Let me tell you, they can be difficult.  I R 1.  But spend any time at all with them and you begin to notice something about them that sets them apart.  It’s not that they are better at soldiering, it’s not that they shoot better or are more hard-core.  It’s that they know who they are, where they are going and what they are to do, and they believe in themselves.  They believe they are America’s First to Fight.  So you better step aside..

How do you train a force of some 190,000 men and women to have that kind of attitude?  By instilling in them a sense of who they are, who went before them and forcing them to endure their training to the final goal.. , by letting them see you weed out the weak, and by letting them see you devote yourself to them.  And here’s a gem, ..the people we want, hard-working, driven, self-motivated, capable, mentally healthy people, thrive in such training!  They want us to challenge them!  They want to feel tested, they want to see the weak and unsuited drop by the side, they want to know they are among the finest, the bravest.

The goal of para-military recruit training is not, contrary to myth, designed to create automatons.  Its purpose is to instill discipline and teach untrained novices to function within a system.  Good instructors also instill independent action and thought once the basic rules and policies are well established, they also instill a sense of duty, pride, es spirit de corps, and the beginnings of an understanding of brotherhood.  And none of it ever needs to become harassing or bullying.  Well disciplined instructors do not need to resort to this.  The message and mission are just the opposite.  Create good building blocks through positive re-enforcement, rewarding action and initiative in the right direction, and fostering leadership and teamwork.  If this generation struggles with the ideals of the fire service, then a para-military academy environment is a perfect training ground to teach them what we believe in.

Mentoring is a part of recruit training. Bringing in experienced firefighters to encourage and motivate helps to cross over generational struggles. Photo by Author

But why is that so important to the fire service?  That should be self-evident.  Because, now more than ever, as generational differences and economic hardship are brought to bear, teaching new firefighters who they are, who went before them and how to endure can hold things together in the hardest of times.  We need to be lean and efficient.  You can’t be that way with undisciplined employees.  We need to quit losing our people in costly mistakes and you can’t do that without disciplined officers, you can’t have disciplined officers without training them to be disciplined in the first place, self-motivated, knowledge seeking, goal setting firemen first.  You can’t lead people effectively unless you establish a strong, well-built foundation.  Yes, you can have a fine work force without all that, but that is what it is.  A work force.  And in good times, with lots of $$ and good contracts everyone is happy.  But that is not long-lasting.  People are fickle.  And morale goes in the tank as soon as the good times go away.  The fire service mission isn’t based on whether or not the times are good.  Its based on service in the difficult times.

The Venerable Bunker Drill. Photo by Author

We don’t need the highest paid firefighters (we need firemen paid enough to take care of their families so they can focus on their job), we don’t need the most tricked out engines (although its nice), we don’t need the pimped out fire station (we need to take excellent care of what we are given by the public so we can justify the need for better).  We need good recruits to help us through the tough times.  We need people who will think on their own, abiding by the procedures and policies provided, that will seek to minimize public loss without needlessly costing us lives or equipment.  We need firemen that are worthy of the title.  We need people who will devote themselves to the public good.  That’s what the para-military training style CAN do, if done right and re-enforced on the line. ……. Did you catch that last part?  IF RE-ENFORCED ON THE LINE.  It is all for naught if you don’t walk your own talk.

Enter the new fire chief.  You know that guy, I’ve written about him before.  He’s a Leatherhead, a fireman’s fireman and he wants the job done right.  So we’re trying a different model.  The college will take over the academy, freeing us up to function, we can take the burden off the department, it won’t drain our training budget and our manpower, we just need someone to provide that military polish……

My fishing pole is on the workbench in my garage.  Maybe on weekends.  Recruit school starts in a few weeks.  We’ll hit’em hard the first day out, old school uniforms, growling and marching and “yes sir, no sir!”  The beat of the heel on pavement.  “To slow, …get back!!!”  Respect to the flag, respect to the chief.  They’ll mold or they’ll be gone.  And I am right where I need to be.   Just right now, I’m dreading it.  I’m a creature of the shift life.  I don’t want to get up at the crack of dawn for all those weeks.  I don’t want to give up my company, or to be honest, miss out on any good calls.  But I know when I step in front of the line of recruits that first day, that ole monster will come back and I ‘ll resemble something out of their nightmares and it will all be an act designed to help them come to grips with the life we lead, the sacrifices we make and the duty we embrace for the best job on earth!

"Long days of training" Photo by Author, Prop built by H. McConnell.

Is it the best way to do it?  I don’t know.  I don’t have that answer.  But I believe in it.  I believe that if done right and with good leadership when they move to the line, it makes a high-quality fireman and public servant, and forgive me for asking, ….but isn’t that what we are all about?  Isn’t that what we are paid to be?

Back in that first academy, I borrowed a phrase from an unknown author and I have taught it to every recruit I have had anything to do with ever since.  I teach it to them, then I have them repeat it back, over and over, until it is etched into them.  I want it to stick.  I want it to be burned into them so that when they are faced with hardship, or lack of courage to face down the many issues and challenges we are up against in this modern age, they will not falter, but will remember.

“I am not here for me, I am here for we, and we….are here for them!”

The drill ground awaits.  Fishing will have to wait.  There is work to be done within the brotherhood.  You will know where to find me and you will know whom I have trained.  It will show.