Singapore   was   always   part   of   my life.   I   first   visited   the   island   aboard the   aircraft   carrier   HMS   Eagle   in 1964,   and   returned   10   years   later to    be    based    there    aboard    the frigate     HMS     Mermaid.     In     the Mermaid   I   was   lucky   to   have   been able   to   have   my   family   living   with me    in    the    naval    base,    whilst    I served   aboard   the   warship   50% at   sea   and   50%   at   home.   I   have many   happy   memories   of   the   year spent    living    in    Singapore,    and whilst       visiting       many       Asian countries     (Japan,     Hong     Kong, The    Philippines    and    Indonesia) aboard    HMS    Mermaid.    Mermaid was    also    tasked    to    cover    the evacuation     of     British     nationals from    Vietnam    at    the    end    of    the war      in      1975,      but      did      not eventually go into Saigon. After     many     years     returned     to Singapore,   first   as   a   tourist   with my   second   wife   Sue,   but   also   as a      businessman      working      for Cussons    Ltd    in    Manchester.    On this   latter   occasion   I   was   able   to revisit   the   old   Royal   Navy   shore base    HMS    Terror,    but    now    a      Singapore          Armed          Forces establishment.      Many      changed had   taken   place   in   the   area,   and my   old   home   at   Ratus   Road   had disappeared.