ELEVEN
CHRISTMAS
1904
Tommy arrived back in Bolton on Christmas Eve that year. He spent
most of the time ‘ashore’ with Florence, who accompanied him to his own parents
house, during the short cold days he spent there. Theirs, it seemed, was not a
normal marriage, and certainly the fact that they did not live together attracted
a certain level of conversation and consternation within both of their
families. Whilst neither Florence or Thomas were particularly concerned
themselves with the talk in their families, but they did miss each other. After
two long weekends Florence spent in Devonport, and the consequent travelling to
and fro, they decided that it was far better for both of them if she could find
some accommodation in the town.
So, in the middle of March 1905 Florence
moved into lodgings in a house close to the sea front in Devonport. Whilst not
particularly homely or comfortable she felt much better by being so much closer
to her husband. After nine months initial training in the navy, Thomas was
posted from HMS Defiance to HMS Doris. Under the major reorganisation of the
Royal Navy started by the new First Sea Lord, ‘Jacky’ Fisher, the Doris had
recently become part of the Channel Fleet.
For four months in the mid part of the year
Thomas found his new sea legs onboard HMS Doris before being moved to a shore
establishment, Vivid II, for a week and then back to the Defiance. Florence had
difficulty keeping abreast with at times, and in understanding, the reasons for
the apparent constant movement of Thomas from a ship which wasn't a ship but a
naval barracks, to another ship which was a ship. But she was content that all
was well, and that her Tommy was not being moved around due to any misconduct
on his part, quite the opposite in many ways, so it appeared. His talent and
hard work ethic gained during his previous time working in Bolton repaid him
well, resulting in him being moved from ship to ship and shore establishment to
shore establishment on a regular basis, to enable him to become an expert in
his field, which became torpedoes and armaments.
The Defiance was followed by service on HMS Devonshire,
then back to Vivid II, then the Indus and Vivid II again. Finally, half way
through December 1905 came the posting which was to mean the greatest upheaval
for Florence. Tommy was posted to the flag ship of the Australia Station based
in Sydney, New South Wales, HMS Powerful, where he became a fourth rating
Electrician. For him, a major change in status, and the first opportunity to
show his worth in the rapidly growing fleet of the Royal Navy.
For Florence the final move from her home to
Devonport had been a difficult time. She had finally caught the train from
Bolton with her one large suitcase containing her worldly possessions, and sat
alone on the train until it came into the station at Devonport. Alone with her
thoughts she watched the scenery change minute by minute through the journey
from mill houses and mills, to farms and wild countryside through the length of
the country, until finally the sight of the sea raised her spirits with the
thought that with the sea came her dear Tommy. The train slowed with a grinding
noise as it arrived at the station and Florence rose from her seat to take her
case from the overhead luggage rack and pushed open the door into the corridor,
allowing the door to slide back closed with a bang, which made her jump. She
looked guiltily along the corridor, but no one took any notice or seem to have had
heard or saw her embarrassment. Then, hanging onto the brightly polished bar
beneath the window she craned her neck to watch the station platform appear
with its wooden canopy overhang the station platform. Tommy was waiting for her
on the platform in the darkness. His outline was illuminated by the round
overhead gas light under which he had positioned himself, to give her an early
chance to spot him in the small group of people waiting impatiently for passengers
from the train. With a jerk which made her stumble and almost fall to the floor
of the corridor, Florence clung to the bar for support as the train finally
jarred to a stop at the station platform. Thomas spotted her waiting in the
train and stepped forward to open the door to the carriage, then waited
patiently until she had made her shuffling way along the corridor to the end
door, struggling to walk with the weight of her suitcase and handbag. Beaming a
wide smile she stepped carefully off the train onto the platform and
immediately set her case down on the floor as Tommy stepped forward to take her
into his arms. Ignoring the people moving around them to leave the station they
kissed and hugged each other, only losing their grip on the other when most of
the other passengers had finally made their way around the couple, some of them
smiling fondly whilst others tutted their annoyance at being forced to
negotiate a path around them. Florence fished in her coat pocket for her ticket
to show the station master standing at the exit from the station. The tall
uniformed man smiled broadly at the young couple, he in his flat capped
artificers uniform, she dressed in her new overcoat and shoes, both obviously fondly
in love with each other. He took the ticket from her outstretched hand and
barely looked at it, let along inspect it. They passed through the barrier and
walked from the station to find a cab to take Florence to her new, temporary
home.
It
was dark when Florence arrived at the front door of the house he had chosen,
but she was immediately able to appreciate the sudden and major improvement in
the standard of her living accommodation.
Thomas picked up her bag and carried it into the room of the house
run by Mrs Lomas; her heart sank a little. To be married and then separated
from her dear Tommy so soon did nothing to raise her spirits, in fact quite the
opposite. As he elbowed open the door into the room she looked around the
hallway. It was longer and wider than the hall at home in Bolton and led
straight to a flight of stairs going to the rooms on the first floor; it was a
little like Mrs Watson's house. She edged her way past Mrs Lomas who had
welcomed them at the front door, and looked around the room which was to be her
home for as long as it took Tommy to find his feet in the Navy. How long that
would be she could not even guess, not having any knowledge of the machinations
of the Royal Navy. Perhaps they would not post him to Australia despite his
wishes, perhaps he would be posted to the north of Scotland which he had also
mentioned.
Tommy dropped her suitcase onto the bed; a bed which occupied
about a quarter of the room. A bay window at one end of the room faced out onto
the street with its small front garden, and to the houses opposite. The other
furniture in the room was restricted to an armchair and a small wardrobe. Florence
started to pull her few clothes from the case and
which stood against the back
wall of the room. Soon the case was empty. She closed it and looked around the
room for somewhere to store it. Tommy glanced down at the watch on his left
wrist and with a grimace said,
'I'd better be getting back to the ship' Florence nodded her head
silently and stood looking out of the window at the dark sky outside. He came
over to her and gently turned her round to face him, and then bending his head
down kissed her on the lips. 'I'll see you tomorrow night then love,' he
whispered. Florence nodded her head silently, the tears started to flow again. She
sniffed as she pulled away from him, and wiped the tears from her cheek with
the cuff of her sleeve.
Later that night Florence lay alone in bed, turning over again in
her head the events of past few months, and particularly the past days of her
life. The trips she had made to and from Bolton via London and all the other
towns she had seen had become almost commonplace.
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