Sea Your History - Family Life 1

Family Life 1 - Home for weekends

Dean, Karen, Abigail and Dominic Rodgers

Dean joined the Navy in 1976. He met Karen in the 1980s and they were married in 1988. Abigail was born in 1990 and Dominic in 1993. The family have chosen not to live in service accommodation, preferring to keep their family life separate to the Navy whereever possible. However, when Dean received a draft to Australia in 1994 they enjoyed the opportunity to accompany him for duration of his 2½ year posting.

Listen to the family discuss some of the difficulties when Dean is only home at weekends.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Extract Text (Duration 1.11)

K Rodgers: When he's been drafted to Scotland or Plymouth that's been quite difficult, and even when he's home at weekends on the Sunday he's home... he's home late Friday night, and then on Sunday all you're doing is preparing for him to go away again, so it's not really like he's home. And you have to cram everything into Saturday. And then he himself is almost a different person on Sunday as well, because he knows he's got to travel back on the Sunday, and I always worry with him doing the driving as well, ‘cause it is a long way to drive every week.

Interviewer: So what about for you Abigail, for seeing dad at weekends?

A Rodgers: Oh, we just got used to it really. You know he'll be home at the weekends but you know he'll be going away again. But I always remember family outings on the Saturdays, going for walks and things and... but you just know he'd go again during the week.

Interviwer: Dominic?

D Rodgers: You would enjoy the most of it when he was there and you would just get out of it what you can and then when he's gone just... it's just different, just weird.