The week before joining the Royal Marines:
Monday the 27th of August 2001… just one week to go before I join the Royal Marines Band Service in Portsmouth to start my career as a Royal Marines musician. Unfortunately I was ill with a chest infection and failed to get in any PT before the week was out. I couldn't get out of bed and that gave me a lot of time to wonder what I would be doing in seven days time. A chest infection was not the best thing to have had I known, that in only eight days time on the Tuesday morning I would be getting an introduction to the gym and be in the middle of my first PT session.
During the remainder of the week I slowly packed all the kit that I was going
to need, I never realised that I needed so much gear, and all in such a small
case!
As the week passed and I began to feel better I gradually got more nervous.
I had briefly seen the School of Music whilst on audition and been told about
the training. It is one thing to hear about the training… and another thing
to be leaving home to go and do it!
Eventually Sunday night arrived and although I was apprehensive about leaving
the people behind that I cared for I was also prepared for what I was about
to do the next morning, leave home and set off on my own to join the Royal Marines.
When the morning finally arrived, after a long and sleepless night, I collected
all my bags and belongings together and set off for, hopefully, one of the most
exciting times of my life. I'll just have to see how it all goes!
Musn Shaw