Ron Gordon – Fondness for Gosport

Simon: What does Gosport mean to you?

Well the fact is that I met my wife in the Escape Training Tank, she was a Typist in there, so I’ll never forget that. Her family all live in this area, and I just love it.

Whenever I was up in Scotland, at Faslane, I always wanted to move South and I always wanted to move to HMS Dolphin, and I don’t know what was drawing me here, you know, it was just that I wanted to be South. And once I arrived here and started living here, I just love the area.

I like going back to see … I’ve not got much family left in Scotland now ‘cos there’s only one other sibling left now, and she’s in Bristol, but there’s other relatives up in Fort William in Scotland, so I like going back there to visit. It’s nice for a holiday, but I wouldn’t swop living here for living up there.

I just love this area and there’s nothing better, during lockdown, was getting on my bike and cycling all the way down the bus route, all the way into Gosport.

Got into the Ferry Port and sitting there watching the world go by. It’s just lovely.

A lot of people run Gosport down, but I just love it. And it’s got a lot of connection. You know I was with the Navy, the Submarine Escape Training Tank was a big part of my life, especially meeting Helen there, so that’s why I love it.