My first band was all at sea (literally ) and was called "The Guinness Grenadiers " . I played a "Windsor" banjo ; the rest of the line-up consisted of Ned Starkey (mandolin) from Liverpool , Paddy Lewis (vocals) from Belfast , Bill Graham (guitar) from Dublin ,Hughie Thompson (guitar)from Liverpool , and Chief Petty Officer (Engine Room Artificer) Pete Wimpenny ( banjo,whistles) from Suffolk .
    In our two years together, we played at all the folk venues in Singapore , the Jardine & Matheson building in Hong Kong ,and the Supreme Court Gardens in Perth, Western Australia .And God knows how many concerts and "Sods'Operas" at sea in order to raise money for the Master -at-Arms ( Paddy Calnan )'s favourite charity, Nazareth House childrens' home in Plymouth.