Ron Bannister was born in 1938 in London during a period of rationing. He had a difficult childhood and lived with his mother and stepfather after his parents separated. As a teenager, he joined the Royal Navy training ship Arethusa in 1951 which helped set him on his career path. He served for many years in the Royal Navy, including on submarines from 1959-1968, traveling extensively and having some dangerous experiences but considering his military service overall a positive experience despite hardships. He married his wife Jean in 1960 and they had three sons together.

1. “ The Bannister Family” Ron Bannister First things First, let’s have a quick slurp before we get this show on the road

2. “ The Bannister Family” Another ‘Slurp’ Me = Ron Bannister – Born in hammersmith - London In early March of 1938 - at DuCane road hospital As you can see I was well dressed for the period. We still had rationing, I’m sure my Mum sold our clothing coupons to buy us food. Therefore everything was patched up because we had no other clothes. Shoes were a problem, I once went to school in ‘football boots’ because that’s all that I had at the time. Mum parted from my Dad, a London Fireman and we went to live with her new love Frank Taylor. A man she had met at work in the Chiswick aircraft factory.

3. I never got on with my stepfather. I reminded him too much of my Dad. He was a car cleaner in London, minimum wage. We lived in a 1 bedroom flat in Shepherds Bush. Very soon along came my two sisters Penny and Shirley. During the holidays it was my task at the age of 9 or 10 to look after them. I would push the pram with the girls in, up to Kensington Gardens and the South Kensington Museums. I have nothing against the Girls, I only wish we were closer, maybe I should make the effort to get closer before we pass on. One day, my mum said “You always said you wanted to join the Navy,(not that I can remember it) you are going to be sent to a training ship” Possibly, the best thing that happened to me. In 1951 at the tender age of 13 I joined the ‘training ship’, Arethusa, in Kent. A shock to the system to say the least. 240 young boys crammed into a 240 foot 1920s sailing ship. Here we were given schooling lessons and seamanship training by untrained ex Merchant Navy Officers. I finally joined the Royal Navy at HMS St. Vincent, Gosport, as Boy Seaman in 1953.

4. “ The Bannister Family” “ Slurp” I joined Submarines in 1959 Serving onboard the ‘Excalibur’ which was powered by High Test Peroxide – The Diesel powered ‘Grampus’ and ‘Auriga’ – and finally the nuclear powered Swiftsure I finished up as an Instructor at the Submarine Training School in Dolphin I did 6 years in the surface fleet, aboard HMS Corrunna a Battle Class Destroyer in the Mediterranean and HMS Lock Killisport in the Persian Gulf

5. “ The Bannister Family” Guess What?? Me on the bows of Grampus I travelled to the Artic on the Grampus. We surfaced in the ice and played Football, during which time I managed to put my foot in a hole in the ice and nearly lost the leg through frostbite(‘mad dogs and Englishmen’)

6. “ The Bannister Family” “ Sip” “Sip” On the Submarine Auriga I served in Singapore with the Family , and, as you can see ‘life was hard’ to say the least. We lived in Malaysia in Jahore Bahru I was transferred to HMS Forth a Submarine Depot Ship. We finally returned home as a Family in 1968.

7. I think it is worth mentioning that while aboard Grampus I managed to get a bucket dropped on my nose, requiring a couple of stitches applied in less than hygienic conditions and while on the Auriga I did manage to get washed overboard in a force 8 Gale. Not to mention the leaving my wife 3 days after the birth of our second Son, for 8 weeks with no chance of communication, the bread with green mould on it, the rotten vegetables and the lack of washing facilities. Apart from that, life was ‘A bed of Roses’

8. I proposed to Jean, the love of my life, only 3 days after we were introduced on a ‘blind date’ and we were married in 1960, 51 weeks after our first date, our marriage is still ongoing. I must have done something right. We also managed to have 3 GREAT Sons:- Paul in 1963 John in 1971 Tony in 1961

9. “ The Bannister Family” Forthcoming Attractions Jean the Wife Tony Paul John Greg Jack Cal Pia the ‘newborn’ The Sons ? The Grand Children