Harry’s knowledge of the air cargo industry went from strength to strength and in April 1967 his technical handbook on the subject was published. In 1971 he was one of the co-founders of LACES, the first computerised customs clearance system in the world.
Harry finally retired (and we will use that word loosely) in 1984 at the age of 60. However, he couldn’t give up that easily and then worked part-time for Pro Security, a security firm at Heathrow, escorting valuable cargo from the freight terminal to the planes and vice versa. In 1986, Harry was instrumental, along with his close friend and colleague, Les Spicer, in the formation of Agency Sector Management (ASM). This organisation specialised in the computer systems required to revolutionise the air freight industry. Harry also served on many committees connected with the air freight industry and the family have received many wonderful emails and messages from former and current colleagues within the industry expressing their gratitude for the work he did in this regard.
When not working, Harry had a number o
f other interests. He loved making things and was quite often out in his garage manufacturing all sorts of weird and wonderful things with Ian for the local amateur dramatic company – including illuminated dressing-room mirrors and a staircase, the treads of which lit up when walked on. Some of Harry’s ideas were a little bit Heath Robinson, but they all seemed to work! He was never happier than when he was doing something.
Back in the early 1970s, following the move to West Drayton, Harry decided he would like to buy a boat and so, Slurp, a 20-foot fibre glass cruiser with an unreliable outboard engine was purchased and was moored on the Grand Union Canal at Harefield. Many happy hours were spent on Slurp, either cruising the Grand Union or, during the winter months, under the boat, getting covered in antifoul paint.
Two further boats followed – this time moored on the Thames. The first, to be known as Teekay (Tapner/Knowles) again had an outboard engine, resulting in quite a lot of bad language when the spark plugs oiled up
at inappropriate moments just coming out of a lock and then April Mist, a slightly larger boat with two cabins and an inboard engine. Again, many happy hours were spent cruising up and down the Thames and, on at least a couple of occasions Harry took an involuntary dip, much to the consternation of Marjorie, who was never very fond of the water. On one occasion during a trip up to Oxford with Philip and Ian, Harry awoke one morning surprised to find himself surrounded by books, balls and the contents of the fruit bowl which had been thrown at him by Philip and Ian in an attempt to stop him snoring following a very enjoyable “night on the sauce”.
