People   (Re-unions, trace old friends and relatives.)

I am sorting out lots of my old Zoo photos for my photo blog.I went to Belle Vue as a keeper when I left School in 1958 and my very first job was in The Elephant House.The work was backbreaking and after a few months I was no longer the proverbial 7 stone weakling.From there I moved to the Monkey House which also was responsible for all the chimps and the large outside Gibbon cage.I think I was the only keeper who moved around the various departments and worked in every one of them alongside some great characters who left me with lots of anecdotes.I think I was the only keeper who worked with Capt. Harry Smith a cantankerous ex German P.O.W. who was often visited by an old prisoner friend,Bert Trautman.In the Reptile House I worked with Albert Craythorne who occasionaly went down with malaria caught jungle fighting in the 2nd World War.nother colleague would attack any Japaneses person on sight and you had to keep an eye open.In 1964 I moved to Chester Zoo working with Apes,Hippos,Giraffes,Elephants and lots of different antelope.If I had one criticism of these zoos it would be that management never consulted their keepers especially when new enclosures were being built and as a result lots of mistakes were made.I met and married my wife at Chester Zoo and she had zoo experience working for Gerald Durell in Jersey.I spent most of my life with animals and only after turning 40 did I try a few other occupations.Sometimes on TV I see old colleagues still doing what they did more than 50 years ago and I think I did the right thing by having a change.Anyone interested in animals can watch my blog as I have quite a few to post over the coming weeks,I know Pat likes to see a few creepy crawlies.