What I Did Next
In the Reunion Application Form, we asked you to put a few notes in on what you did after leaving Dartmouth. We've reproduced them here, so you can see what some of us have been doing in the last 40 years!!
Mike Banyard
I was at BRNC and joined in September 1975 as a Midshipman. I was a member of 73 Flight as an Observer, as the course was known, I was in Jellicoe division, and shared a room with John Taylor, Jim Humphrys, Simon Henley, Paul Baggott (who left before the end of the course) and one other(?).
I joined the Intrepid at Corpus Christi in Texas and sailed back via Bermuda to Portsmouth and remember the long coach ride back to Dartmouth.
I also played rugby for BRNC, obtained my colours and also played for the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Navy.
I left the Navy in May of 1977.
I live in Hampshire , am still married after 38 years, with 4 grown up daughters and work in the Motor Finance industry.
Alan Cartwright
Enjoyed 22½ years service in the RN, including a variety of non-standard appointments. Bailed out when told I couldn't go back to sea (too old, not enough ships). Joined PLA as Head of Marine Engineering, January 1998 and enjoyed small ship concept, design, build and operation for 16 years, along with all sorts of other fun. Joined Warsash Maritime Academy as Commercial manager, January 2014, to return something back to the industry / sector.
Rod Edwards
After BRNC, Fleet Time in Brinton and Norfolk, Manadon and Collingwood, Rod joined Scylla as DWEO. Training officers at Collingwood was followed by time at Shrivenham and the Seawolf project. Promoted in Brilliant, Rod attended JSDC at Greenwich before spending 3 years in MOD Main Building. Taking voluntary redundancy in 1992, he then spent 20 years in Civvy Street, working across Europe, the States, India and Sri Lanka, initially as Vice President / SVP of large US corporates and, more recently, as CEO of UK‐based companies. 3 years ago he stepped down, to start his third career, running a long‐standing national charity. Along the way he acquired a wife (Lyndsay) and 2 children (Elizabeth and James) and now lives overlooking the harbour entrance in Old Portsmouth.
Stuart Eyles
On leaving the RN I joined CAP Scientific in London, where I was part of the team developing the Submarine Command System (SMCS). The company became part of British Aerospace in 1991 and then part of BAE Systems in 1999. I have since worked on the Astute programme in Barrow, T45 in Bristol and Hunt in Portsmouth. I am currently leading the T23 Class Output Management Team working closely with the MoD in Abbey Wood.
Richard Flower
I was a City Nom and continued to serve until 1999 leaving as a Lieutenant Commander PWO (C)(EW). The highlights were probably commanding HMS Tiger Bay (ex Islas Malvinas) in 1982, and exchange service in New Zealand 1986-88 and then Canada 1996-98. On retirement I was a school bursar for 10 years before moving to the Independent Association of Prep Schools in 2009 as Finance and Operations Director where I remain today. I completed a part time MEd in education leadership in 2014. I have been married to Elisabeth since 1982 and we have two grown up sons.
Martin Grafton
Served as a MESM in SSBNs and SSKs. Shore jobs included Submarine Sea Training and First Submarine Squadron. Spending majority of career based in Scotland I ran the Faslane Shiplift prior to being seconded to Babcock Naval Services as Operations Director in 2002. I left the RN in May 2006 and have worked for Babcock since then, based in Faslane and Devonport. Finally severed links with the submarine enterprise in summer 2014 when I was seconded to Magnox as Site Director of Hunterston A, a decommissioning nuclear power station on the Clyde coast. Married to Jane with three grown up children and three grandchildren. Youngest son is now a warfare officer serving in HMS Victorious (Port).
Steve Greenwood
What did I do next? – well 36 years of undetected crime! Highlights including being a maintenance test pilot, AEO Ark Royal, CSO(AE) to CINCFLEET and Deputy Commandant of Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering.
I left in 2011 and have settled in Cornwall to a bit of teaching, my boat, my mountain biking, woodworking and voluntary work for RBL. Married to Anne for 33 years, our children live abroad – Laura is head of art in the International School in Budapest, Chris is a Senior Surveyor with ABS (US equivalent of Lloyds Register) in Nagoya, Japan.
Jerry Hall
5 years at Sellafield with BNFL, then 10 years with Rolls-Royce.
James Humphrys
Three decades in RN. Seagoing ships: LONDON, OSIRIS, MONKTON, BRISTOL, ANTELOPE, GUERNSEY, JUNO, SOUTHAMPTON, QUORN (CO), Cdr MCM3, ARK ROYAL (Commander) and STANAVFORMED (Chief of Staff).
Offbeat stuff: Southampton University, RAF Cranwell (directing staff), MOD main building and Shrivenham (Joint Doctrine - ugh!). In 2006, jumped ship before my half century and joined the Environment Agency (floods, water, fisheries, waste, pollution) as Director Southern and Area Manager; still here.
Home is Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, and my 'call of the sea' is satisfied by Highland Beauty (gentleman's motor yacht) based in Chichester Harbour.
Anthony King
RNEC Manadon (BSc Elec Eng) then Air Engineering Application Course and CofC (702 NAS). Rotary Wing Flying Training. 820NAS M ASW SeaKing pilot, INVINCIBLE, ILLUSTRIOUS and 3 RFAs; 815 NAS M Lynx pilot and Flight Commander (FIFE, GLAMORGAN); RNAS Portland M Maintenance Test Pilot; AEO 801 NAS – ARK ROYAL; MoD PE M EH101 International Project Team Hd PMO; CinCFleet SO1 N8 Fleet Resource Plans; Culdrose M Cdr AE; DLO ES(Air) – Implementation Team; FONA – Air Engineering Policy & Plans; DLO – Lynx IPT Strat Plans; Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering – Director Support & DComdt; DTR IPT – Hd PMO & DepTL; 22Gp RAF – Director Joint Technical Training; 22Gp RAF – CO MoD St Athan & Director Defence Technical Training. Since 2011 I have been running a consultancy company providing change leadership, airworthiness, risk & safety management, engineering, logistics and training services mainly to Price Waterhouse Coopers (Booz & Co) in the Middle East. I am also a Governor of an FE College. Having completed the PwC contract I am looking for other opportunities that allow for more holidays and golf!
Gordon Lester
After a twenty year career in the RN (HMS Aurora, Ariadne, Churchill, Conqueror, Orpheus, Turbulent, Spartan (XO), Ocelot (CO) and Newcastle (XO)) I established a career in engineering sales before progressing to general management of three businesses. Some 10 years ago I moved across into the charity sector to apply this commercial experience. I am currently the Chief Executive of a social care trust based in the West Country. Remarried to Cathy in 2011 we live in a very beautiful corner of North West Devon. We have five girls between us; my eldest Becca lives and works in Sydney whilst her younger sister Allie has persuaded me to fund her flight to join her big sister and test the job market out there!
Nick Little
After BRNC and some initial Fleet time in HMS ROTHESAY, it was City University for the Systems and Management Degree along with Kevin Franks, Richard Flower, David Fry and Chris Shaw from our intake.
Following OW courses I navigated SOBERTON until April 1982 when we moved across to HMS NORTHELLA as part of the 11th MCM Sqn for the Falklands conflict, then on return, to BROADSWORD as OCRM and N2. FNO Course in 1983 followed by a year each in HMS GURKHA and then DIOMEDE (to the Falklands again!). After LGC and PWO Course I served as PWO(U) in HMS LIVERPOOL in 1986-88 and then stood by the first Type 23 HMS NORFOLK as the inaugural OPS/SOO Capt F9 until mid 1991. more ...
I then had an exchange appointment in Command of HMAS LAUNCESTON based in Darwin NT with patrols that stretched across the tropical North of Australia from Cairns in the East, to Broome and the Kimberly coast in the west, including Hong Kong Navy Days in late 1991 and visits to Indonesia and the Philippines; a small ship in a huge ocean! Having arrived in Australia alone with 51kg in my pussers trunk, I returned to UK in Summer 93 with a wife, a car and a 40ft Container and we bought a house in Warsash.
From late 93 until late 95 I was XO of HMS MARLBOROUGH/SXO CAPT F4 and a 9 month Falklands deployment this time!!! From 96 until July 2001 I worked in DNM as the Future Ship Complementer, which was a great job (and a good cure for sea sickness) with projects ranging from CNGF/T45, the LPDs, OCEAN, ASTUTE, Future Surface Combatant – now looking like becoming the T26, the Survey Ships and the Future Carrier.
During our 8 years at "home" for me, and away for Alice, our two sons Fergus and Oscar were born and by 2001 when Fergus was almost 5 and Oscar almost 2, and the exchange rate was $A3 to the Pound, the time looked right to take Alice home to Australia, specifically Albury where she grew up and the boys would start school. 
Albury is a lovely place to live; it's a good regional centre on the mighty River Murray, 3 hours drive to Melbourne, about 6 to Sydney and 4 to Canberra. There was but one main condition for me agreeing to leave the RN and move to Australia – "can I bring the car?". The car being my MG Midget that I had owned since 1979 and having bought a new body shell for it in 1998 it really was time to finish the project, which was achieved just in time to load it into the shipping container, so here it now resides in a rust free environment.
Once here I did some contract work for DSTO (Defence Science and Technology Organisation) for a couple of years working on a Manning Study for the Air Warfare Destroyers which are under construction for the RAN. From late 2004 until early 2007 I had a fascinating period working for our local Federal Member of Parliament both in the electorate, which covers a huge part of New South Wales, and in Parliament House in Canberra mostly working within the Agriculture portfolio during one of our worst periods of drought.
We brought the boys back to UK and Sweden for a holiday in 2006 at a stage when Fergus had just about enough recollection of living there, and when they would both gain a lasting impression. This was to be our last big holiday for a while because when we returned we saw an advertisement for Franchise Opportunities for a national lighting retailer, Beacon Lighting (www.beaconlighting.com.au). So for the last 8 years we have been running the local Beacon store and all the skills of being and CO, XO, Ops and DO are well employed along with chippy, jack dusty and many more. During that time the boys have worked for us and grown quite nicely with Fergus (now 18) having this year started a Law-Economics double degree at the Australian National University in Canberra. Oscar (15) wants to join the Army, but we're working on that! Both boys are very fit Dragon Boat racers which involved a trip to China last year for and Oscar and me as his "responsible adult".
As well our running the business together for 7 days a week 362 days of the year, Alice has been a City Councillor since 2003, which included 4 years as Mayor of the City of Albury so we've not been bored. From time to time we might manage a quick break for a spot of work on the small family farm, kayaking in the Murray river, a visit to the various wine regions nearby, or into the Victorian Alps. Looking back it is staggering to think it's 40 years, representing a greater gap than the "old" chaps who had served in WW2 only 30 years before we encountered them at BRNC and HMS INTREPID.
Adrian Lower
Left the Navy to study medicine and is now a Consultant Gynaecologist with Nuada Gynaecology. He passes on his regards to all who know him and says - do get in touch at adrian.lower@nuadamedical.com.
Tom Marsh
Ships: HMS Invincible, HMS Boxer and HMS Campbeltown and Shore jobs: Staff at RNEC, Foxhill DGME and FOSF. Left the services in 1999 to take up post of Technical Director of the British Gear Association and moved to Lichfield. Currently Sales Manager for Wright Manufacturing Services. Married to Caroline and we have two daughters.
Jim Palmer
When I left BRNC, I specialised as a Weapon Engineer with expertise in computer systems. I served as a DWEO in HM Ships Cleopatra & Sirius and as WEO in HMS Battleaxe. Shore jobs included time at HMS Collingwood, CincFleet, 2SL and DPA. Career highlights included creating an integrated Comms & Info Systems support organisation at Northwood and as senior engineer responsible for bringing T45 Destroyers into service.
Completed an MSc in the Design of Information Systems & used my Enhanced Learning Credits to fund a second MSc in Forensic Computing. Now involved in a number of community activities and a Director of Force 12 Ltd - providing computer consultancy, web services & forensic computing. Married to Rowena and have three children (Andrew 41, Peter 27 & Emmeline 26) and four grandchildren. Mad keen on driving & restoring my classic cars and a Director of the Austin Healey Club.
Nick Sealey
After Fleet time, I headed north to Newcastle University somehow gaining a degree. More training followed before I joined HMS Norfolk, coincident with publication of the Nott review. In March 1982,I found myself in Valparaiso 'selling' her to Chile. I then joined HMS Aurora, travelled the world, deployments to the gulf Far East, endured multiple embarrassing engineering defects and lost 2 HoDs at court martial. I returned to Newcastle, standing by HMS Ark Royal. Subsequent junior appointments were Captain DTS, including a trip to Chicago, staff course, MEO of HMS Cumberland, FOST and appointing. Promoted to Commander in 1994, most subsequent appointments involved Planning and Programming. I retired in 2011 as a Commodore. I joined the Financial Services Authority, now the Prudential Regulation Authority, as a regulator for banks and building societies (FOST for banks but no smoke bombs or anti-flash).
Mike Sewry
I left in 2007, just short of 32 years service after some diabolical treatment. I threw myself into voluntary work with the Children's Society, the Youth Offending Service, and the criminal justice system, split with some cycle tours of far away places. These days my links with Youth Offenders remain, together with some consultancy, property management, company secretarial work in London, teaching, and a role as an international student exchange co-ordinator. My love of travel continues; the best days are when I manage to see all 3 of my children.
Trevor Soar
Qualifying as a submariner in 1978, Sir Trevor served in nuclear powered and conventional submarines before successfully completing the Submarine Commanding Officers' Qualifying Course (The Perisher) in 1986. He was then appointed in command of the conventional submarine HMS OCELOT until 1990, during which time the submarine deployed to the South Atlantic, Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. Promoted to Commander in 1991 he returned to sea in command of the nuclear powered Fleet submarine HMS TALENT where he completed several operational Cold War patrols and was awarded the OBE in 1994. Promoted to Captain in December 1996, he assumed command of the ASW frigate HMS CHATHAM in 1997 and as Commodore took command of HMS INVINCIBLE in December 2002. Having served as Capability Director (Precision Attack) and the first Chief of Materiel (Fleet), he was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in the 2009 New Year's Honours List and promoted Admiral, serving as Commander-in-Chief Fleet before retiring in 2012.
Sir Trevor now lives in his home county of Derbyshire near Ashbourne. He is Chairman of the Leaders Club that encourages leadership development and debate for leaders across all sectors. He is also a Younger Brother of Trinity House, a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, President of the Sea Cadet Corps TS WIZARD in London and TS MODWENA in Burton and as a Freeman of the City of London he is a liveryman of the Honourable Company of Lightmongers and Admiral of the City Livery Yacht Club. He is also a Governor at Loughborough Endowed Schools. A keen supporter of Leicester Tigers and Navy Rugby, he was until leaving the Service also President of the RN Rugby Football Union. He maintains his interest in rugby as an Independent Board member for the regional Board of Rugby World Cup 2015.
Nick Speller
In 1977 had first and last appointment to a 'grey ship' – HMS JUPITER for Fleet Time – then joined submarines post courses. Served in 7 submarines and passed the last of the 'old style' Perisher Courses. During this time met and married Caroline and subsequently had two children. Was SOO(SM) on the Clyde following the Antares accident and later moved to Portsmouth to spend 18 years in Strategic & Financial Planning, Performance Management and Corporate Governance and found time to do an MBA. Retired in 2011 and spent time as Head of Finance & Administration for a charity before taking a 'gap year' travelling across southern Africa and around the Far East. In 2013 was persuaded to return to the RN in a role similar to that which I had on retirement. Now working to fund the travel bug, an expensive car and aspirations to build a house in East Devon!
Chris Steel
Fleet-time and a Manadon degree was followed by 24 years in submarines and WESM shore jobs. These included HMS Renown, Torbay and Turbulent, lecturing at Manadon, procurement in Portland and Bath, and HQ roles in London (including as ESM Appointer), Northwood and Portsmouth as Fleet WEO(SM) and time as CSO(E)(SM). Then as a Captain I ran the operations/marketing for RN/RM recruiting, attended the Royal College of Defence Studies and was the RN Strategic Manpower Planner in Portsmouth. As a Commodore and first regular officer to Command the Maritime Reserve (RNR/RMR), I served as ADC to HM the Queen and was appointed CBE in 2010. Retiring in 2011, I work as Consultant to the MOD in Abbey Wood, as Director of Plymouth Drake Foundation and Ambassador for the Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity in the SW. Married to Lorraine (an ICU Sister) for 34 years with grown up sons Anthony and Richard.
Tim Stoneman
Served in RN until 2007
Civil Servant (in HMS COLLINGWOOD 2007 – date)
Battlefield Tour Guide 2008 - date
Charles Style
Remained in the Navy until 2008 of which the highlights were six commands at sea, culminating in COMUKMARFOR. Then spent 4 years as the Commandant of the RCDS. Since then I've been mainly involved in charitable work, and some consulting. Interests include garden, sailing, fishing and paramotoring.
Mark Walton
Decided to change tack following university and transferred to Instructor with a stint at Collingwood and then back to RMCS for the MSc in Information Systems. This took me to Northwood and then SHAPE, Mons where I transferred to Civilian and stayed for 18 years during all the Gulf/Balkan crises. Returned to the UK in 2001 to take up directorship in IT start-up with developers in Moldova – now leader in Central Europe. Had a short break for some interesting consultancy in Sweden and then back to another start-up based in Moldova/Romania where currently serving as CEO. I married the girl that came to the ball almost 40 years ago and have three grown up kids and one granddaughter. Currently running between UK, Eastern Europe and south west France where just finished a farmhouse at the foot of the Pyrenees.