A schoolfriend of mine joined the Merchant Navy and did very well for himself.
He came home a week or so before Christmas, probably two years later. We went out on Christmas Eve and he pulled - nice girl, but she seemed to be nothing special in either looks or personality.

He obviously disagreed because as soon as it was legally possible (I'm sure it was the first week in January) I found myself in a small, cold and very depressing room in Altrincham registry office for their wedding.

As you might imagine, this wasn't lacking in controversy. His mother refused to go at all, his brother flew over from Australia especially for the occasion, so there was just him and four of Oggie's schoolfriends (including me), plus bride and groom. I don't remember any of her friends or family at all, although she must have had someone there.

We waited for her to arrive and it was like a bad sitcom. Even after she turned up the room still resounded with pleas from all there, from the kindly and well-intentioned 'It's not too late to change your mind' to the rather more forthright 'You must be fucking mad - turn round and walk out now.'

He spent half the ceremony telling those assembled to shut the fuck up - in those very same words. Twice the woman registrar stopped and asked them if they were sure they wanted to go ahead - he insisted they did and were consequently married. I remember thinking that the registrar looked less perturbed by all this than she ought to have done and then realised that this probably wasn't an unfamiliar sight to her.

He got them a really nice flat in Didsbury, furnished it throughout and went back to sea three weeks later. You can probably guess what happened. Or didnt.

I didn't see or hear from Oggie for eighteen months, then one day he phoned out of the blue and we met for a drink. He was (literally - he was on his way to the airport) about to emigrate to Oz and was just saying goodbye. I think I might have been the only person he called, I'm not sure. I asked what had happened - God knows why, it was fairly obvious. He just shook his head and looked sad. Poor Oggie. He just wanted to be loved and whatever he was getting on board ship plainly wasn't doing it for him.

I only ever spoke to him one more time, about a year later, when he came home for his mother's funeral. He loved Oz, he seemed very happy and I was really pleased for him.

That was thirty-five years ago and I've never spoken to him since. But every time I go to a wedding, or very often when the word is even mentioned I'm once again stood in a cold and funereal registry office, listening to heated exchanges on the merits of whirlwind romances and quickie weddings, and I wonder how Oggie's getting on these days. Don't suppose I'll ever know, now.
(zebideedoodah likes florence but prefers venice, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 1:09, 11 replies)

I had an uncle who was a merchant seaman
when he died we found out that he had a second family in Korea he'd kept secret
( cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 4:30, closed)

Actually, you'll probably find that he kept you secret from them.
They're a bit funny like that over there.
(zebideedoodah likes florence but prefers venice, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 14:44, closed)

Why not get in touch?
I mean, how many people nicknamed Oggie can there be...?
( Another_tragic_case wished he hadn't eaten all the cake, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 7:45, closed)

literally millions

( spanishfly is so fucking sexy people impersonate him, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 8:27, closed)

Indeed. It would be great to see him again, though.

(zebideedoodah likes florence but prefers venice, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 8:47, closed)

If only there was some sort of network a "web" if you will
that you could put salient details into and it could look or "search" to find a match
(Bonzodog29 is an unemployed sponge of the worst kind, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 10:31, closed)

*throws monies at screen*

( spanishfly is so fucking sexy people impersonate him, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 10:48, closed)

Oggie Oggie Oggie
oi oi oi.
( .Yeti. El amor en los tiempos del cólera, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 11:30, closed)

NO COINS

(Bonzodog29 is an unemployed sponge of the worst kind, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 12:12, closed)

Not one bit.

(SlantedScience, Fri 7 Nov 2014, 4:40, closed)

God, I never thought of that. If only...

(zebideedoodah likes florence but prefers venice, Thu 6 Nov 2014, 12:47, closed)