As we got deeper and deeper into the theory of electronics and started to apply our new found knowledge in the practical tests set, the concept of where my life was heading finally dawned on me. The civilian world seemed to me to be getting smaller, while I was learning to maintain ever larger kit.

The diodes, triodes, tetrodes and pentodes we worked on were all fascinating things, glowing warmly in their cabinets. There was something reassuring in the way they hummed and the fact that you could remove them, swap them for other bottles, hold them in your hand and test them to check and make sure they were performing properly was even more reassuring. Still the rest of world was moving towards transistors, so why did the Navy insist on championing this somewhat redundant technology? I had no idea.

I was still pondering the size issue as I munched my way through my 'Stand Easy' sausage sarnie (the snack bar made wonderful sausage sarnies, bacon butties and fried egg sandwiches). Was smaller necessarily better? Not in my experience! On the other hand, bigger wasn't necessarily best either. A thorny problem. Life was too short, get another sandwich and a mug of tea quick!

During that afternoon we were issued with drafting request forms. These slips needed to be filled out and held all kinds of information about the individual himself and the preferences he may have with regard to where he went when his training was complete. Most of my messmates opted for frigates or cruisers, the greyhounds of the seas, and overseas service. I was obviously still hung up with the size thing, because I listed HMS Ark Royal, biggest ship in the service, among my choices. Bearing in mind that we had another six months or so at Collingwood, the choices we made were soon forgotten.

I headed into Fareham that evening with two of my new mates, Eddie Gray and Tex Peach. Tex was almost a local coming from Cosham, which is just up the road, and was going to introduce us to a couple of excellent local pubs. In true Navy tradition, we swilled beer, chatted up anything in skirts, played table football, darts and bar billiards and got completely pissed!

Staggering back through town, we stopped for chips and clutching our scran in open wrappers made a happy, harmless, if somewhat noisy crew. A bunch of skinheads in their traditional boots, braces and Ben Sherman shirts were coming from the other direction. One of these nice people reached out as we passed, smashing Eddie's supper out of his hand. A comment about Navy Bum Boys was made and Tex launched himself into the nearest skin, fists flailing. At well over six feet, Tex wasn't a small man by any means. An avid football player, he was fit too, so that made two of us. Eddie and I piled in after him: we couldn't let Tex have all the fun after all. It was no contest though, we were three while they were eight or nine and this was their turf. Add to that the fact we were drunk and it's not hard to see why we got a kicking.

A flashing blue light brought the fracas to and end as skin and Navy split in every possible direction. I doubt the police were really interested, because I don't remember them making much effort to round us up. We were battered and somewhat bruised, but with no real damage done Eddie and I made our way back to base. We had no idea where Tex was.

There was still no sign of Tex when I woke the following morning. I asked around, but no-one else had seen him either. Tex didn't turn up at all; we found out later in the day that he'd been taken to hospital.

Seems when he ran off, Tex found himself amid the skinheads. I don't know how many, but the bunch turned on him and kicked him unconscious. Broken ribs, a broken arm, cuts and bruises made up the rest of Tex's injuries.

A stay at Haslar, the RN hospital at Portsmouth fixed Tex up, but the time he needed for a complete recovery meant he dropped from our class. A second experience for me of how violent life could be in uniform.

What makes someone want to kick a fellow human half to death? I have no more idea about that than I did about the Navy's choice to continue working with valves.