Jomo's World
Hi Peeps.
My name is John Morrish, although I am better known as JohnnyMo in the UK, and as JoMo out here in Thailand.
When I decided to learn to build websites back around 98/99, the first thing I needed was content. After pondering a while, I decided that the one subject I knew about was myself. Now this might appear to be a bit self-indulgent, but it left me free to discover how web pages were constructed & linked together.
Over six days I read the 300 pages of Dreamweaver help files, didn't fully understand much of it, but bit the bullet. I fired up the program. and by 4am, I had a Home page. I then needed other pages to link to, so built the Paragliding page, then the Hang Gliding page, then the Drag Kart pages. Sailing became my next hobby and that got added as well. I then attended a school reunion, offered to put the pics up on the site, and so that section grew over the next few years.
To be honest I have neglected it for a long time and it was looking rather stale, but now I am learning to build 'dynamic' database driven sites, what better way than to update johnnymo.co.uk. It needed a serious revamp so I am now on a steep learning curve with Joomla
Having hit 60, I now see it as an ideal opportunity to chronicle my life, my family's life and to acknowledge the influence that so many good friends have had on it. This new site has a login facility and when set up, anyone who has been part of my life, and who feels they have something to add to this site, is welcome to contribute.
I hope there is something of interest to those of you that choose to navigate around, though if its football you're looking for, afraid that passed me by as a child. I never did get it and doubt I ever will.
Sorry folks but as Fido Dido says, to me, Normal is Boring.
So here we go.
I was born in May 1951, in Oldchurch Hospital, Romford, Essex, and spent my first 5 years at Harold Hill, before moving to Wickford in 1956.
I attending Irvon Hill Infants, Market Road Juniors & Beauchamps Secondary Modern before leaving at 15. Did the usual rounds of local factory & London office jobs before joining the Merchant Navy at 16 as Laundry Boy. After eight months I came ashore only to rejoin in 1973.
I spent a further five more years at sea and after leaving, joined the Fire Service six months later, in 1978.
For the most part I led a normal humdrum kind of life. Got married, got divorced, in and out of relationships etc. until around 38, decided the single life suited me better and stayed that way for nearly 20 years.
Aged 39, I spent a weekend away in Newquay with the lads of White Watch, Colchester, where I learnt to surf. I was never going to be on Baywatch but it made me realize that things that appeared at first glance to be the domain of the rich & gifted were achievable if only I put my mind to it. There were so many things I had fancied trying that I felt that if I didn't make a start, then one day it might be too late.
Since then I have enjoyed paragliding, hangliding, microlighting, biking, drag racing, sailing, and had a dabble at skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and kayaking. I now spend most of my time in Thailand and must have slowed down a bit co's its now down to game of lawn bowls or a round of golf ... #;0)
For a taster of my life in the Land of Smiles, check out the website I built for the Wanky Tankies Bar in Pattaya.
So its a warm welcome to Jomo's World, check out the links, and hope you enjoy the site.Laundry Boy
In January 1968 I joined the Merchant Navy as a Laundry Boy and spent 8 months onboard the Royal Mail Line ships, SS Andes and MV Arlanza.
The first cruise on the Andes took us down West Africa, round the Cape and across the Pacific to Ceylon, Singapore, Malaysia & Mauritius before returning to South Africa. We then crossed the South Atlantic to Brazil before returning home via Madeira.
Deck Hand
I rejoined the Merchant navy as a Deck Hand in 1973, and after a week and a bit of Sea School in St Katherines Dock, signed on the P&O liner SS Oronsay in Southampton, sailing August 8th bound for Sydney.
Oronsay took us across to Florida, through the Caribbean and Panama Canal, up to Mexico, California and Canada, and then across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand & Australia.
Fire Fighter
In February 1978 I joined Essex County Fire & Rescue Service. I spent 18 years at Basildon on White Watch, and a further year on Green, before transferring to White Watch Canvey for quieter life. After 5 years on the Island I joined Orsett Training Centre as a Breathing Apparatus Instructor.
During the last of my 3 years at Orsett, I sustained a knee injury whist learning to ski in Andorra, and was pensioned off 'unfit for duty', after 26 years of service.
