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Paul Duffy

Paul wrote to the site recently:-

 I was delighted to come across a photo of my parents on your website on the http://www.bpadenkids.com/topping.htm page.  I've sent the link to my mother, Margaret Duffy (my father Joe died in 1995) as she may have some names.  I think I can add a couple.  In the photograph labelled 'Aden Social with Joe and Mary Duffy, Connie and Vince Topping' it should be Margaret Duffy.  Also the woman, second from the right, sitting between my father and Vince Topping is Heather Jones.  In the photo labeled 'Aden Social' I think the fellow at the back with the moustache is Bob Rafferty but I'll ask my mother to confirm this. I lived in Aden from my birth in 1958 to the very end of 1962 or possibly early 1963.  My younger siblings, Catherine (1960) and Nick (1962), were also born in Aden.  My father worked for BP and Shell-Mex until his early retirement in 1983.  I have scanned in some of my parents slides which, when I have names and dates, I will send to you if you would like to see them.  .  My aunt, Kate Gaughan, before her marriage to John Hughes, spent some time in Aden, teaching. I remember Peter and Andrew Topping well.  The families used to spend some time during summer holidays together in the 1960s either in Blackpool (the Toppings' place) or in North Cheam, Surrey (our home).  My parents also kept in touch with Dennis and Heather Jones and their son Nigel as well as Bob and Betty Juster and their children Barbara, David and Sarah.  I remember spending the 1966 World cup final reading David's comics rather than watching the match. I've attached one photo for the time being.  It's my sister Catherine's christening in 1960.  My mum is holding her and talking to Connie Topping who's holding Peter Topping (very suspicious look you're giving my sister, Peter).  Heather Jones is in the white and yellow dress.  I'm at the bottom left with a couple of fingers in my mouth.  More names when I get them.

Click on the thumbnails for the pictures

A second e-mail:

I have been thinking for a while about going back to Yemen for a visit but never quite seem to get around to it.  Which is no excuse, I know.  and, just when I think I should stir myself, Yemen appears in the news for all the wrong reasons.  As we left Aden when I was five, my memories are quite fragmentary but I do look out for information, pictures and so on about the place  I spent the early part of the eighties working in Libya in oil exploration and that's another place I would love to re-visit.  There's something about a desert that appeals to me. I was interested to see the map with the gliding annotations (sent by Brian Redfern) as I took up gliding over ten years ago.  The flying would have been fascinating - you do tend to get something happening when wind, heat and hills mix.I have attached the football team photo.  Sorry about the dark margin; it's been in a photo frame for a while.  The only names I can add are Joe Duffy (front row, 2nd from left), Harold Izzard (front row 3rd from left), Bob Juster (front row, 4th from left) and Bob Rafferty (front row, on the extreme right).