Walking On My Grave Poem by Neil Stewart McLeod

I salute and mourn the passing of Margaret Thatcher: Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS, née Roberts, a British politician, the longest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of the 20th century, and the only woman ever to have held the post. (Wikipedia)
Born: October 13,1925, Grantham - Died: April 8,2013, London

In relationship to her, I have a story to tell. You may remember that I rammed the Royal Yacht Britannia when a Sea Cadet while on a course in 1962. This is a true story about a boating accident during a Sea Cadet Training Course in Portsmouth. It was August in 1962, all the cadets got their Whaling License; but mine was only Second Class, and the reason why was because of this accident.

That incident, endeared me to the Sheffield, she was a fine ship. I strongly feel that had I pursued my original intent to apply to Dartmouth for entry as a Sea Cadet, I would have become a Naval officer, and in twenty years by 1982 I sincerely believe I would have succeeded to be master of my own vessel. You can bet a shilling I would have tried for H.M.S. Sheffield.

Now the purist among my readers and those familiar with "Janes" will argue that the Sheffield went into reserve in January 1959 and became flagship of the Home Fleet until September 1964, when she was placed on the disposal list. But I did not know all that, and anyway, why spoil a good story for the sake of the truth (as my grandfather used to say) .