It was 60 years ago.

 Wednesday 22 November, will mark 60 years from - the murder of President John F Kennedy. When Diana Spencer died in Paris in August 1997, people recall where and what they were doing. In November 1963 - I was in the merchant navy and were just about to dock in San Francisco, when the captain spoke in a sombre tone the following " I have to announce with great sadness, that President Kennedy has been shot in Dallas, Texas today and is dead". The immediate reaction on board was shock and anguish. We had many American passengers on board, getting ready to disembark and they were stunned. After this initial reaction, many started crying with such desperation as if a member of their own family had been shot. As British sailors, we were less familiar with who Kennedy was. Nevertheless, we were soon made aware of just upset our guests were feeling. That evening a group of us went ashore as we usually do. We eventually made it into San Francisco, but the city was pretty well empty. Only the occasional taxi would go past. It was a ghost town. Ever since, there has been endless speculation about the motive and why the president was assasinated. That continues today 60 years on.