as fook!
Myself and Mr dugout have just returned form portsmouth, where young Mr Parry had his passing out parade for the navy. a very very proud day for me, the change in my boy from going in to completing his training was amazing.

just had to post something

Any service, any cap badge, its always a proud day for everyone. Well done Mr Parry Jr.

indeed, and i was kinda hoping/expecting a reply from your goodself (usual navy/army jibes expected)
Thankyou Mr I

No probs Mr P, you're justly proud.

Just had another thought although I've never experienced it from this end; I guess from a parents point of view its the final proof that that toddler you used to bounce on your knee has defintely gone and grown up.

definately, it was only a couple of years ago that myself and Mrs, where very concerned about what would become of him !! didnt seem to be going anywhere etc..........a truly fantastic day ! Now another thing that ive realised, if he is sent of to war, i will not bleat and moan and demand the government send him home, I understand better now how these young lads and lasses feel when they sign up. ( although i would hope they are given the right tools for the job so to speak)
anyway i could go on and on...........................ohh and dugout cried (but im sure he will emphatically deny it)

It doesn't seem long ago that I was talking to him a couple of weeks before he started his training. Top lad you've got there Mr Parry!

No pics?

Well done Mr P!

Well done Parry junior.

Well done Mr P Jr.

As you say Mr P a very proud day for you, to see your son confirm his journey from boy to man.

One of the great regrets of my life was that my parents weren't able to make it to my passing out parade. It didn't seem that important to me at the time, but I found out years later that my Dad in particular would have loved to have been there.

It was a brilliant and emotional day.
and did I fook cry

The lads done good.

I don't think people realise that getting through basic training is a real achievement and most of it isn't the physical stuff. For phys theres a system where your fitness is gradually built up over time and most young lads and lasses of a reasonable level can cope with that.

The tough part is the emotional and psycological aspects. We are generally talking about young lads who are away from home for the first time and who have always had their mummy to do everything for them. Suddenly the request to get out of bed is not quite as kindly and theres no cup of tea waiting. The hardest thing for most recruits is not the assault course, its the homesickness and I'm sure that this is the same no matter whether you joined in the 50's or the 2000's.

At the age of 17/18/19 these things are a huge shock to the system and it takes bottle to see it through. It matters not which uniform you wear, the process is generally the same. Funny enough I spent four month training recruits as a PTI and recently I was asked to give advice to someone who was about to embark on the process.

My advise was pretty simple and some of it predictable: point 1/2/3/4/5/6 Always do your best

In addition; don't listen to the gobshites, and if you have a problem then talk to your training staff not the bloke in the room who knows it all. Understand that for the first 4-6 weeks it is impossible to get anything right. If your room is spotless and every locker is perfect it will still be deemed to be in shit state. If you can dazzle Stevie Wonder with the shine on your boots they will still be disgusting and be thrown out of the window. Irrespective of how good or bad your drill is you will be a 'facking thang' and no matter how you or your mates perform in any task it will never be good enough. Once you're through this initial weeding out phase things get much more enjoyable.

I wish someone had explained these rules to me because it would have made life a lot easier.

All that aside, I still can't figure out how you make a bed block when these days they are issued quilts.

Well done Mr Parry Jr!