*** LETTER OF THE WEEK ***

IT WAS a great pleasure when on Sunday I turned on to the ITV evening news and saw pictures of the parade and service at the Dover Patrol Memorial at St Margaret's.

I was at the unveiling ceremony 81 years ago, when I was 13 and a pupil at Dover Boys' Grammar School.

The committee in charge of the ceremony asked whether our school would represent the Dover schools and we were allowed to take six boys and one teacher. I was one of the six boys to be taken by Mr (Tubby) Williams, a teacher who was well liked by all.

We had no transport to get us there but they decided on the railway.

The fare for boys was 4½p return - but one boy who had long trousers had to pay 9p return. We wore shorts.

We had to go to Martin Mill Station and walk across fields and we arrived dead beat as the unveiling had just been made.

We lost our place in the crowd and all we then could do was to turn round and go home exhausted. How could I forget!

E James, Sandwich