'Landguard Fort' Royal Marines Museum
All Royal Marines are what we call family. Where and when ever a Marine needs help, we do our best to try and help. During 2014 Rod Spinks and Steve Searle came up with the idea of setting up a Royal Marine museum within the Landguard Fort complex at the southern end of Felixstowe (Suffolk) overlooking the Rivers Stour and Orwell as they flow into the North sea. It also happens to be the last place a foreign invading force landed on the British main land. To every bodies relief they were defeated with the help of Captain Nathaniel Darell, and pushed back into the North sea from wince they came. It was also the very first battle that the Royal Marines fought on land, having been formed only three years earlier during 1664.
2014 was the first year that the British Heritage who now owns the fort, gave Rod and Steve permission to go ahead with their idea of a Royal Marine Museum. Their aim was to hope for donation to help all wounded Royal Marines, where ever they are.
This E-book is about the Museum, the history of Landguard Fort, and of the Royal Marines then selves. Their very long active service history that has been ongoing for just over 350 years. Of their and their traditions and every day talk. This is a continuation of Rod and Steve’s work hoping to raise more donation during 2015.

I went through my schooling during the 1950's and dropped under the radar as they say, ending up sitting at the back of the class. Where I played around to the discomfort of my fellow class mates, who wanted to learn. The end result was that I left school lacking in the English language department. At times I even had to get my friends to write my love letters for me. Somehow I managed to get through life covering up my problems to all. Until I arrived in Australia in 1989 and found I had lot of spare time on my hands. I had always wanted to write my Autobiography. I felt the time was right, and so I started making notes. Hence the start of trying to teach myself how to read and write. That project lasted ten years, and is still ongoing to this day. I have to admit that my English language skills still needs improving. However, even at seventy years of age I'm still willing to learn. Writing has become part of my life and I try to achieve something each day.

I grew up in the United Kingdom in the small country side town of Stowmarket in Suffolk. It was a time when the world was trying to get over the horrors of the Second World War. A time when we had few material belongings and our fun was invented by us. It amazes me how much time we seemed to have during are growing up while walking everywhere. Our mothers only shopped once a week and we had to carry it all home a distance of half a mile. Because most of our fathers and mothers worked during the week, the shops would be open on a Saturday morning especially for them. Not like today, where the car parks at the shopping centers are full every day and we cart all our groceries home in a car. And we can still can't find the time to complete everything we want each day. Most of my early stories were all based around Stowmarket. If I could have my time over again, I would love to be able to go back to the 1950's.

Yes I always try and incorporate incidents and situations that I have been involved in during my life. Even if the story is fiction, I like to add a little truth to it. What that is, I'll let the reader try and work it out.

I prefer to write very early in the mornings, sometimes soon after I wake up. In this way my thoughts and dreams of the previous night are still fresh in my head. I very rarely write after midday. Although my brain is still trying to plan how my latest story will progress.

It has to be an original idea. I do not like to copy, although I have to admit that sometimes I can take other people's ideas a little further to suit what I'm looking for. They are all developed in my office even the photography. I tend to play around with a few ideas and usually end up giving my wife the final choice.

'Correcting History', Who Invented The Modern Hang Glider. A project that lasted nearly seven years and involved some sort of research or website building almost every day. I was lucky enough to be part of a small elite group of historians from around the world who took on the challenge. It was very time consuming, but enjoyable work, that eventually lead to several other spin off subjects. It was also a time when I made many new friends on line, friendships that are still in place to this day. For 50 years there had been many untruths told of the subject, be it written or legend. Therefore as a group we decided it was about time that history was corrected, and the real inventor of the Modern Hang Glider given the full credit he so rightfully deserved. Not many people are able to add 'Correcting History' to their CV.

Having served in the Royal Marines during their 300th birthday (1964), it became one of my bucket listed items to return to the Commando Training Centre at Lympstone, for their 350th anniversary gathering during September 2014.
Upon arrival at Lympstone with my wife Emily, I tried to show her around explaining most of what I had been exposed to during my training. However, I was surprised to find that the camp had completely changed from when I was there during 1962. I was even more surprised to find that there was only one original building left standing from my days. It's a wooden building just before the original Guard Room, by the main gate.
For some reason I came up with the idea that there must be many Royal Marines like me who wanted to remember Lympstone as we last saw it, along with later Royal Marines who might want to know more details of how the camp used to be.
On line you can find almost anything you wish to know about the Royal Marines, but I had never seen it all in one E-book. Being able to format E-books, I made it my next project. A project that I thoroughly enjoy researching. Whereas I had been told most of the Royal Marines history during my training, a lot of the finer details had long since been lost or hidden in the back of my memory.
This book is a brief history of the Royal Marines, along with their customs and their way of life. We have a saying 'Once A Marine Always A Marine'.
All my E-books are free, and so I had no hesitation to add that donations for this book should be directed to <www.helpourwounded.co.uk> and would be much appreciated.

I like Biography's of famous people and Military history. I run a website called Mercenary Wars and have made many new friends online during my research. I have always had a tender spot for anything about Rhodesia, having missed out on an opportunity to visit there many years ago. Now I believe it's too late as the country is in ruins.

At the moment it's an I-pad while my wife prefers to use her I-phone.

Yes my Autobiography and it took me ten years, ten years well spent.
Now in my seventies and a failing memory I can now read what I got up to during my life time.
I still consider it my favourite project so far.

Cluttered, with two computers and their towers, a laptop, a printer, an IPod for background music, a camera and a dictionary, the most import and book I own. However, I also have the luxury of being able to look out of a window above one of the computer screens, occasionally watching people walking up and down the street. I have to admit that more than once I have gained an idea by just looking out that window.

That's an easy one. 'Ask Forgiveness Not Permission' by Howard Leedham. A book I was asked to preview before its release. Being an Ex Royal Marine myself I connected with Howard and also the story.

With fingers crossed I'm still awaiting that success?
However, I know it will come, it's just a matter of when.

Taking ideas from my imagination and putting them down in print. I'm at an age where if I don't write them down they will be lost forever. What's called having a senior moment, and I have plenty of those. When I wrote my Autobiography the memory was excellent, and it was a good job that I wrote it when I did. Now I find myself reading what I got up to as I can't remember.

To find that I'm still alive.

I build and run several websites for different people and companies. I get my buzz out of life by being able to help others. Sites like <www.terryaspinall.com>, <www.british-hang-gliding-history.com>, <www.davidcookaviator.com>, <www.Johndickenson.net>, <www.rmaq.com.au>, for the Royal Marines in Brisbane. <www.mercenary-wars.net>, <www.australian-hang-gliding-history.com> to name a few. With John Dickenson, along with a couple of friends we were able to change history. When we proved that he was the inventor of the Modern Hang Glider in 1963 at Grafton in NSW Australia, and not Francis Rogallo. Not a bad achievement to be able to add to ones Resume.

During 1998 I met somebody on line and kept the history of our meetings. My friend gave me permission to use it, and if you read the book you will find out what it lead to. Although I have changed all the names, however all the locations are real. The book is call "The Kansas Rascal"

A friend John Clarke had his book on hang gliding published in the UK, and put me in touch with his publisher, who advised me to try smashwords. I have never looked back.

A lot if I can find some??

As a small child my parents once gave me 'Tom Sawyer' as a Christmas present. Unable to read it I took it to school and my teacher read it to the whole class. Yes always remember that one.

I don't have any favorite authors, as I take each book on its own merit. Although I like Frederick Forsyth for suspense. Especially his 'Day of the Jackal' and 'Dogs of War'.