Tide of Chance

Chapter 1

When I look back and recall the events of that holiday it all seems such a long time ago.

Although I was thirteen years old, it was our first family holiday. I guess the reason we never had had a holiday before was that dad could not afford it. I doubt if he earned much as a foreman in the milk bottling plant of the local dairy, and mum didn’t work, as she was looking after my seven-year-old brother Peter and two-year-old sister Annie. Of course, at thirteen and sort of grown up, I didn’t need much looking after.

We were going to a place called Brackley, and staying on a farm.

"Is it near the sea?" I asked my parents.

"The advertisement in the paper, says the sea is only ten minutes away,"

said dad.

As strange as it may seem I had never seen the sea in thirteen years, but I had read many books about sea adventures, and was always fascinated by it. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I always answered the same. "I want to be a sailor".

The family was mystified that I should want to go to sea, as the only connection seemed to be my mother’s great grandfather who had been a sailor, but there was never any information or souvenirs to give a clue as to where he went or what he did. In fact my mother never knew whether he was in the Royal or the Merchant Navy. Judging by the social situation of my family I doubt if my great, great, grandfather rose to any high rank, and may well have been an, unsuccessful, pirate.