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Off-Topic - but a Tropical Anniversary
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Post Thanks to all for your messages 
Jane and I send our thanks to everyone around the world who have sent us messages on our Anniversary.

Just for fun, herewith two piccies of our house on the Malaccan coast a few miles south of Terendak Garrison. The sea was just 50 yards to the left. ... palms and golden sand ... and a few sea snakes and jelly fish to liven things up. But from that beach we did catch ikan glamma for our supper. Happy, uncomplicated days. Jane is on guard in both piccies. And, for the suits still whingeing on about risk and rigour, you may wish to know that because of my job we had to be armed and to have armed protection on a few occasions and this was after the end of PJM service - Jane would be very happy to tell you (the suits) all about it!

40 years ago:







Things have moved on! View to thye beach from our front door. Then:




Now:



Malaysia has moved on - and good luck to them.

Barry


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
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Hmmm. I see that the Married Quarters are getting a bit posh now Barry. I think i'll re-enlist.

Yours Aye

Arthur

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Arthur R-S wrote:
Hmmm. I see that the Married Quarters are getting a bit posh now Barry. I think i'll re-enlist.


Hi Arthur,

The man who owned Palm Beach was a retired Rubber Planter originally from, would you believe, Cleethorpes. He owned a 'Rest House' that never had any guests. He lived alone with a Malay family to look after him. He was wounded twice during WW2 and once in the Emergency. The whole setup was in its own time-warp. I met Gilbert in 1965 and said that if ever I married in Malaysia I would like to live in Palm Beach in an old Malay house he owned. He said I could if I was still interested at the time - and I did. It was the most idyllic spot one could imagine.

Gilbert couldn't make it to our wedding but asked us if we would return from our holiday in Frasers Hill on the 17th January (we were married on the 14th!) so he could arrange a dinner party for us on my birthday. With no hesitation we said 'yes'. That evening was unforgettable. A Somerset Maugham set ... his dining room straight out of the 30's, lamps, wonderful Malay people looking after us. And real roast lamb with exquisite Bordeaux reds (Margaux, as I recall). A truly memorable wedding/birthday present.

After Gilbert Beatty died he was buried at sea. Jane and I stood on the Palm Beach beach and watched as some of his Malay 'family', in tears, rowed out in a small wooden fishing boat and spread his ashes in the Malacca Straits just a hundred yards or so from his beloved 'Rest/Guest House'.

It was the end of an era.

Barry


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
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What a treasured memory Barry....I hate to advise you that the waters of the Straits of Malacca were badly polluted.....and I am most confident of that fact since, having swum off of some of those beaches.... I was certainly a contributing factor to the pollution!


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Barry.
Here's wishing you both many congratulations on your fortieth weding anniversary.

Ref Your house on the coast a few miles south of Terendak . Just for interest. In 1952 I spent a 2/3weeks at a Police holding camp at Tanjong Kling a small costal village which is also few miles south of Terendak.
Roy

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Post Celebration 
17 Bulan Januari 2007

Selamat Hari Lahir Barry!......Semoga sihat selalu.

Awak punya kawan lah.
....'Orang Secot Besar'


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Post Palm Beach 
Hi Barry -

A search for Palm Beach on Google lead me to this forum. I was delighted to see photos of Palm Beach and Gilbert's Guest House.

I lived on Palm Beach as a teenager with my parents and in fact I am sure that I have a photo of my father getting into Gilbert's boat, Bonnie, to scatter his ashes over the Straits of Malacca. We went out to the little island just off shore a number of times in Bonnie. I remember having dinner there as well and also have photos of a dance on Palm Beach. We lived in one of the army bungalows. What memories - a Somerset Maugham set is an apt description. Now as an 'more mature' adult I realise how lucky I was to have spent those years there. I have been back before the new hotel was built - sadly all the houses had fallen into decay, including our house and my bedroom was occupied by a baby buffalo!Otherwise the beach and Malacca club were much the same. I haven't been back since the hotel was built and maybe I won't as it is best to remember it as it was.

BarryF wrote:
Arthur R-S wrote:
Hmmm. I see that the Married Quarters are getting a bit posh now Barry. I think i'll re-enlist.


Hi Arthur,

The man who owned Palm Beach was a retired Rubber Planter originally from, would you believe, Cleethorpes. He owned a 'Rest House' that never had any guests. He lived alone with a Malay family to look after him. He was wounded twice during WW2 and once in the Emergency. The whole setup was in its own time-warp. I met Gilbert in 1965 and said that if ever I married in Malaysia I would like to live in Palm Beach in an old Malay house he owned. He said I could if I was still interested at the time - and I did. It was the most idyllic spot one could imagine.

Gilbert couldn't make it to our wedding but asked us if we would return from our holiday in Frasers Hill on the 17th January (we were married on the 14th!) so he could arrange a dinner party for us on my birthday. With no hesitation we said 'yes'. That evening was unforgettable. A Somerset Maugham set ... his dining room straight out of the 30's, lamps, wonderful Malay people looking after us. And real roast lamb with exquisite Bordeaux reds (Margaux, as I recall). A truly memorable wedding/birthday present.

After Gilbert Beatty died he was buried at sea. Jane and I stood on the Palm Beach beach and watched as some of his Malay 'family', in tears, rowed out in a small wooden fishing boat and spread his ashes in the Malacca Straits just a hundred yards or so from his beloved 'Rest/Guest House'.

It was the end of an era.

Barry


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