Stephen was born on 21 December 1935. He was four when the family, then living at the military garrison in Shoebury, Essex, were transferred by the army to Singapore. Mum, Dad, Attie (the devoted aunt who looked after all three children for over thirty years, since they were so widely spaced), and little Stephen set sail from Southampton, via Gibraltar, Malta, the Suez Canal and Ceylon. A fancy dress competition was held on board, and the winner, dressed as Pop Eye, was Stephen Thomas.
War was imminent, orders from the army were chaotic and contradictory, and it is a miracle the little boy was not left behind in a packing case, but they finally settled in Colombo, Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. He had learned to swim and dive almost as soon as he could walk and adored the sea and the exciting excursions around the island.
In December 1941 Stephen's 20-year-old sister Amber was married to Peter Ogden. What no-one knew was that a secret invisible wedding guest had turned up. His little sister Caroline was beginning to grow inside Mum, and made an appearance in Calcutta, where the family was transferred to early the next year. Here Stephen was taken to school every day on the carrier of Aunt Attie's bicycle.
Finally, in January 1945 the family was told to go home to UK and it was a delightful sailing with perfect weather and no incidents, in spite of there still being floating mines in the Mediterranean. Stephen, now 9 years old, made friends with the troops and joined in their daily physical training exercises.
Living in the Lake District for a few months, Stephen learned to row, and spent most of his time helping the boatmen and earning tips from the trippers. Then the fair and circus came to Ambleside and he made friends with the gypsies, chatting in their caravans and running errands for them. One night he came home with his face covered in greasepaint, having performed in the ring with the clowns. We might describe him as a spontaneous opportunist!
Then he began school at Wisborough Lodge in Sussex, and the family settled into Granny's house 'Cromdale' in Folkestone, to be their home for the next two decades. His next school was Dover College, where he excelled in everything sporting.
These paintings of young Stephen were made by my Mother, showing him both angelic and mischievous. A favourite trick was to drop a hairbrush into Dad's boot while he wasn't looking -- bristles up, of course.
Steve at various stages in his life: in Ambleside, as a school boy, college student, farming in Borneo and in later life with his wife Jenny.
