I found another card, from my dads friend John Smailes.  That's him on the left.  I don't recognise his cap badge,  the other obviously DLI.  My dad, George Carpenter, was in a home guard anti aircraft unit and is on the right in the photograph.

Hi there

I’m just trying to find a little more information about Streatlam camp.

My uncle, John Carpenter was, as I’ve been told, an instructor at Barnard Castle.  

I also have this Christmas card and I know Smailes was a friend of the family who lived in the same street as my mother and father - Hyde Park Street Gateshead. 

I take it that they may have been in the 61st training regiment (Hussars?)  

Funnily enough, knowing none of this, I joined the TA and trained at Catterick with the RAC becoming a driver, gunner, commander, on armoured cars - must be something in the blood,

Yours sincerely,

Eric Carpenter.