Steve JACK
(Carol)
84 - 85 and 88 - 92
Stephenson Jack, or Jacko as he is universally known, joined Pusser UK in 1976 and in a pensionable career he dabbed his way across the oceans on Penelope, Diomede, Achilles, Glamorgan, Naiad, Southampton, Newcastle and Glasgow...and just to make sure he wasn't short of sea time, Drafty sent him to the Mighty Manch, not once but twice! (84-85 and 88-92). Jacko's best ship? That's easy - Manchester!...not once but twice!
Among his favourite matelot memoirs, Brisbane in 1979 whilst on Achilles gets a big chuck up - it was hot and tropical and suited Jacko's slightly darker complexion - and Penang in '91 whilst serving on warship wonderful! A proven master of the oval ball, he fondly remembers playing against Eric Rush of NZ All Blacks 7's fame in Bahrain, and would have sought his autograph - if only he could have caught him! Jacko also has many memories of certain senior rates stumbling over his gangway whilst he was QM...but we won't go into that just now!
Outside since 1999, Jacko lives in the Portsmouth area with his wife Carol and works as a (Main) Broadcast Engineer preparing for the digital TV switchover. He always attends 2MA re-unions mob handed! Good man!
Steve "Jess" JAMES
(Julie)
Joined 24th February 2011 (237)
Graham "Jungle" JARVIS
Joined 16th May 2014 (298)
Desmond "Taff the Rocket" JONES
Roger JONES
(Yvonne)
Thomas Ian JONES
Joined 1st May 2021 (355)
Peter KELLETT
(Anne)
Gary KEMPSFORD
Joined 3rd October 2010 (226)
92-94 & 2000 (through drafted)
Gary Kempsford joined Pusser UK Limited in 1984, and in a pensionable career just concluded - like D95 he decommissioned in February 2011, he dabbed and plotted his way around the globe on Euryalus, Invincibubble, Nottingham, Birmingham, Gloucester and Ark Royal - with two drafts to the Mighty Manch thrown in for good measure! (1992-1994 and 2000). His best Manchester ship's visit gives a vote to Barbados, on account of the Rum cake from the local Mount Gay factory, and the friendliness of the locals! However, his best ever ship's visit is another vote for Australia, although the visit - all four months of it - was slightly longer than anticipated on account of his ship, HMS Nottingham undertaking an impromptu archeology dig on Wolf Rock near Lord Howe Island (2002). Evidently the locals were very, very friendly! However, Gary also experienced the down side of such an event on account that returning to the UK from deployment by air as most of the ship's company eventually did, it's really difficult doing Procedure Alpha on a 747 at Heathrow, whilst the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines much prefer their marching area to be free of manoeuvring aircraft! Now busy searching for employment to keep him in the comfort to which he is accustomed, Gary lives with his wife Lesley in the Portsmouth area, he heard about 2MA from Red Snape.
John "Keys" KEYWORTH
Joined 18th February 2014 (294)
Ian KIFF
(Sarah)
Jim "Big Chips" KIRKLAND
Joined 13th June 2008
95 - 96
Born in Glasgow and raised in Newcastle as part of a preconceived plan to ensure he had a good speaking voice to become a communicator for Pusser UK Ltd. Jim practiced the phonetic alphabet - Wey I man - onboard Battleaxe and Nottingham before gaining his sought after draft to D95. Indeed, so keen was Jim to join Her Majesty's Finest, he arrived courtesy of a swop draft just 7 days afer completing a seven month Adriatic adventure on Nottingham... and promptly set off for the Gulf!! (Evidently Nottingham was refit bound and our canny comms rate didn't fancy a whole year stuck to the carpet in the Royal Naval School of Dancing!). During his time onboard D95 he rates Singapore as the best run ashore, and educational too - he learned there are businesswomen and businesswomen. Some are high flying executives and managers...and some are something else! Liking Singers so much, Jim decided to leave a small personal memento behind...and chose his ID card, a somewhat expensive gift!! Jim's later career saw him on Montrose and Sheffield before he hung his signal pad up in 2000. Proud of the two GCBs he gained during his seafaring days - a triumph of crime over detection - Jim now works as a telecoms engineer re-programming voice activated digital phones to respond to the Geordie accent!! He found out about the Association from Facebook.
Shane KYME
Joined 28th June 2010 (223)
84 - 86
Shane Kyme joined Pusser UK Ltd as a Pinky Faggot in 1983, and in a five year "career" he is strongly rumoured to have spent half of it asleep! During the time he was awake, he fondly remembers his one ship - which just happened to be the Mighty Manch, and among his memoirs of foreign lands - standfast the land of Nod! - he particularly recalls Bordeaux where he nearly got arrested by the local Gendarmarie for insulting and inappropriate behaviour - he insisted on drinking beer whilst those in the know were sampling and scuppering the local Chateau fallydowny wines! Mombasa also gets a mensh 'cos it is there that our hero fell in love with a charming and adorable German girl. Indeed, their romance lasted longer than the habitual first turn of the screw, and postie was kept busy handling their mountains of mail...that is until she wrote to say she was engaged to get married and Shane wasn't the lucky one! Dasrottenstinkingkrautenfraulein! Worse was to follow - our sleeping beauty then got shafted by Drafty and was unloaded from D95 two weeks before the start of that infamous cruise - Global 86! Outside since 88, Shane is another who has chosen to fight crime from behind a cosy desk and he is a Police Officer on T-side (and being a good copper it is only natural he should have a wife called Penny!). When not nicking all the nasty people in the North East, Shane is a percussionist in an "Irish" Celtic Rock and Reel Band with future stardom assured if Amy Plonkshack is anything to go by - and she has Police connections too - allegedly! Shane heard about the 2nd HMS Manchester Association from Andy Rafferty.
Kev "Flash" LAMACQ
Joined 23rd March 2009 (194)
87 - 90
Kev Lamacq joined Pusser UK direct from school, and after a brief stopover at Sultan, he continued his education as a stoker at the ocean going "University of Life" - the Mighty Manch - 1987 - 90. Quickly christened "Flash" - not through any speed of action or dress standards but more in keeping with the mucky mackintosh brigade, our young hero was a welterweight boxer of note who was soon to win the Fleet Novice Championship in style. Indeed, it was rumoured that our pugalistic purveyor of propulsion could drop an opponent with the same ease as he frequently dropped nuts, bolts and spanners into the bilges!! Furthermore, when he informed his section chief that he was keen to box, he was surprised at the speed in which he found himself moving them in the Stores Party! In a nine year career with Pusser UK Limited, Flash also stood by Westminster in Build before leaving to become an entertainment production rigger - the posh name for a roadie! Now working as a property developer in the North-East, Flash heard about the 2nd HMS Manchester Association via Facebook, and Mini Cooper.
Steve "Shady" LANE
(Elizabeth)
Steven "Shady" Lane was born at an early age, and by late 1984 he had committed himself to a career with Pusser UK Limited with a starting position as a Junior Seaman (Operator) 2nd Class. Shady clearly impressed during basic training, cos by September the following year he had been selected to be a member of the Gunner's Party on the sleekest of all Pompey based Type 42s! Yep - first sea draft and he wins the Mighty Manch! (How lucky is that I hear you all chorus!)
What's more, he is onboard for 38 months during which time he is forced to endure, among other things, Global 86, which had a profound impact on our hero (could it have been all that passing up and shigging?) Greatly influenced by the superb quality of the Senior Rates onboard during the later months of his time on D95, (understandable!) Shady embarked on a crash course to get to the top via drafts to Hermione, Southampton, Westmonster, Richmond and Kent before metamorphosing as a fully-fledged Warrant Officer One, of the Warfare variety. Shady's best ship was another vote for Warship Wonderful, though he declined to name his most memorable ship's visit (Well, when you've done Global you don't want to be too boring do you!) Although, Flying Fox - hope the spellings correct - get's a mensh as it is evidently just 128 marching paces to Ashton Gate!
Just about to go outside (literally, April 15) Shady's hobbies - apart from the ones we ALL know about - include carp fishing and running a taxi service for three under nine children who live close by. Shady has been a staunch supporter of 2MA from the outset, and has made many a contribution to 2MA's funds, preferably with other people's dosh!
