NOT many people celebrate Christmas in March ... but for Paul Gray it seemed the obvious thing to do.
NOT many people celebrate Christmas in March ... but for Paul Gray it seemed the obvious thing to do.
The Royal Navy communications and information specialist sailed home yesterday after seven long months at sea.
As the 35-year-old greeted his partner and his three children, he said the first thing on the menu was a late Christmas.
"We're going to have a wee mini-Christmas," he said. "We're all going out for a nice meal, taking the kids out. I'm looking forward to that."
There were some gifts for the kids, too.
"They've got a few surprises down in the ship."
A few feet away, his happy partner Nicola Madden stood with Ryan, 7, Ross, 5, and toddler Alex.
"It's fantastic to be home, amazing - it's been seven months away," Paul said on board the minehunter HMS Blyth.
"We were told we were coming home three times, but for operational reasons it didn't happen.
"We were sitting thinking, when's this day going to arrive?', and then we were told March 10. Now that it has come it is just amazing. You can't beat a feeling like this, you just can't. "
As he spoke, family and friends lined the quayside at HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane. Some waved miniature Union flags, children were hoisted on shoulders to see their dads descend the gangway on to dry land. One banner read, Welcome Home'."
HMS Blyth and its sister ship, HMS Ramsey, which are 170ft long, weigh 600 tonnes and each carry a crew of 37, returned to the Clyde from an extended tour of the Gulf.
The hi-tech ships were involved in key strategic work to clear minefields left over from previous Gulf Wars.
They also helped train the fledgling Iraqi Navy, and did surveys of the seabed along important routes into ports in the region.
The assignment was the latest for Mr Gray, who is originally from Cumbernauld and now lives in Dumbarton, and has been with the service for 9years.
"I love it," he says of his time in the Navy, "but obviously when you have a family, it gets a bit harder.
"But we have everything we need here. They are a great bunch of lads, the cameraderie is amazing, the professionalism is brilliant.
"We also get to go to see countries and help them out.
"We have been in Iraq and came home through Malta - I was there seven years ago and it was good to go back again, see the old places, see what has changed."
Asked what he has most missed during his time away, Paul smiled and said: "To be honest, apart from things like family, it's the weather - it's been so warm out there.
"I miss home cooking as well, things like mashed potatoes.
"I also miss watching Celtic and visiting my local pubs. ."
Also glad to be home was Lieutenant Steve White, 33, who lives in Glasgow's West End.
He is a clearance diving officer - "underwater bomb disposal, effectively" - on board HMS Ramsey.
"It's good to go to other parts of the world and see them, it's good to get out to the Gulf and see Dubai, it's interesting to see Iraq, but I love coming back home.
"I am looking forward to being able to go up the mountains for a good walk and a dram of whisky, and get some home-cooked food."
On board HMS Ramsey, Able Rate Catriona Monaghan, 26, was one of only three women working alongside 34 men.
She said. "They're a great bunch of lads."
She said she was looking forward to seeing family and friends, to doing some shopping, to getting her civvies on again and having a good night out.
Other crew members were anticipating visits to fish and chip shops or Chinese takeaways.
It was odds-on that more than just Paul Gray were celebrating Christmas yesterday, 11 weeks after the rest of Scotland.
