Gilbert Cassels "Cassey": farmed in Argentina during the 1950s and retired to Merfield House, Rode (Somerset) in the early '60s, where I sometimes visited his tenant (Col) John Cameron, an O.W. and ex-Sapper of my father's generation, but to me both fellow railway enthusiast and a very good friend.

"Jack" Steedman: Later became Lieutenant General (a very senior rank, one step below full General), and later still to be 'godfather' to me. Lived in Camberley in Berkshire in the 1960s, not far from Wellington, where I used to cycle over to visit him occasionally. I believe he was in charge of (or had responsibilities to) the War Graves Commission, and I recall him taking me to visit Wargrave (near Henley-on-Thames) once - a moving place to visit, especially as an adolescent. Eventually he retired to Dorset or Wiltshire.

Dick Richards - "Uncle Bob-Dick" - my mother's half-brother. Retired to his hometown of Birmingham where he was employed (I believe) in the family company which specialised in making steel-framed hospital beds.

Phil - Phyllis Evans (née Smith), my mother's sister.

Maurice Jeakes subsequently became another of my godfathers. He and his wife Kathleen retired to Ingle Spring, a beautiful house in the village of Stanford Dingley in Berkshire. Maurice died suddenly in 1956; his wife Kathleen never quite got over his loss, but lived on in the house for many more years. I used to cycle from school to visit her every now and again. They had no children.

Sammy Elkington, retired to Woolavington, Somerset, before (rather unexpectedly) "taking the cloth" and becoming a vicar.

Tarn Bassett: retired to North Pertherton, Somerset, I believe - remained friends with HEMN throughout their retirements.

Pongo Wheeler: retired to Brent Knoll, Somerset, where he lived with his wife Nancy in Woodbine Farm, across the road from HEMN. A chronic smoker, he died of emphysema in the 1970s - I remember him taking off his oxygen mask to smoke cigarettes shortly before he died. A bit of a train buff like myself.

Sir John and Lady (Agnes) Forbes: John was HEMN's best school friend at Wellington. He later to become DVN's godfather. Retired to Allargue House in Scotland where he became head of the Forbes clan in the region - leading the Lonach marchers every summer. At the time of their marriage, the Forbes were penniless; Agnes on the other hand came from a wealthy branch of the Farquharson family and with her came the Allargue estates - a happy combination of wealth and title!

Allargue House, Corgarff, Aberdeenshire, near the source of the River Don. Home of Sir John and Lady (Agnes) Forbes, mentioned earlier, now owned by their eldest daughter Zilla and her husband Miff Tuck.

Patricia Richards later became HEMN's third wife.

Gran Smith - Peg's mother.

Maj Gen Geoffrey Cheetham: His effervescent wife Connie Cheetham, became my god-mother - a wonderfully charming and uninhibited lady.

This must have been Charles Edwin Tweed Newman, son of Arthur Edwin Tweed Newman and grandson of Edwin Newman.

"Uncle Ray" - retired to somewhere in London. I remember in 1960 (I think) my sister and I staying at his home on our way back from Allargue by train from Aberdeen via Kings Cross (London), with a 'cello and two dead grouse which we were taking home from the Forbes. The grouse didn't survive the journey, but the 'cello accompanied me to school where it and I did battle together for the next four years.