You got it, boys. It was the height of a run ashore in that ‘fair’ city in years gone by.
Probably the donkey has retired as well now. 
David
Hullo,
Here is a couple of my early Ships. The Dominion Monarch I was on I think in 1955, a Great old Ship Shaw Saville & Albion Steamship Company. London to New Zealand via Cape Town S.A. I was signed as a Commis Waiter, assisting a sweet little bloke with permed blond hair named James, he was the Captains Steward. He had to serve the food and I had to clear away the empty plates and take them to the Scullery. Then fetch in the food for him to serve. What a job eh ? We only carried First Class Bloods (passengers) on board this ship, but apart from carrying passengers she also had a great capacity for Cargo, this was my first trip to New Zealand. We berthed in Wellington, discharged our passengers, and then started to discharge our Cargo. This took a week and to reload a full consignment of frozen lambs took another three weeks. This was fantastic, New Zealand was the dogs bo~~~~ks, plenty of girls all willing, plenty of booze, the pubs shut at six o’clock in the evening, but there were always parties to go to. As we were so long in port everybody only worked on alternate days. We soon found out though that it was possible to become a part time Stevedore, so we used to work on the Dock on our days off, and get paid. Bloody hell this was really great, it paid for all our expences.
The second Ship is the ss Orion, I joined her in 1956 as a Catering Boy. We left Tilbury bound for Australia by way of the Suez Canal, great off we sailed down the Channel, through the bay of Biscay, past Gibralter and into the Mediteranean en route for Port Said. On the night before we were due to arrive in Port Said all hell broke loose, crashing and banging, They were, or we were bombing Port Said, The Suez Crisis. Tha Captain turned the Ship about and headed for Valleta, Malta. This was to discharge our passengers that were going to Columbo. We stayed overnight in Malta then next morning we were on our way again back to Gibralter, then to Australia by way of the Cape of Good Hope. Later that day me and another of the Catering boys were called up to the Chief Stewards Office, apparently two of the Stewards had jumped ship (absconded) during the night. We were promoted to Tourist Waiters, Wow! from £10. 7s. 6d a month to a princely sum of £26.0s.0d. We were Millionairs. Bloody Hell was that really 57 years ago ? Oh! well Happy Memories.
Gentlemen, Archie, fantastic memories!
One of the most endearing small ships that I see, is Merzerons Silver River, out of Ramsey Isle of Man, to Glasson Dock, then back to the Island, then out to Belfast, and return, then Glasson Dock etc.
I know it aint spectacular, but what a lifeline, and what a faithful servant, and what a handsome little ship, on not the easiest bit of sea in the world.
Oh and Merzeron, what a nice outfit to deal with, much pleasanter than those “McQurie bandits”, (a purely personal opinion), the IOM Steam Packet…But of course our Antipodean “friends” also own Condor shipping…and the M6 Toll!!! Talk about a country not protecting its infrastructure!!!(again my personal opinion)!!
I shall seek solace in the Bollinger, Cheerio for now,
Just waiting for our friend Stellios to take over Douglas Port facility, paint everything orange and halve the prices charged by the Steam Racket Company.
Retired Old ■■■■:
Just waiting for our friend Stellios to take over Douglas Port facility, paint everything orange and halve the prices charged by the Steam Racket Company.
Hi ROF, if you want to laugh, read the IOM Government “reassurances”, about the single user agreement, its farcical to anyone who posseses common sense! How to get ripped off, then justify it!! The Manx people have been misled, and ripped off for years, and even their elected members cannot see it…or can they, and do some have something they wish to remain undiscovered??
Interesting subject for a “thesis”. Perhaps there is a bright youngster at Liverpool`s John Moore University who could take up this interesting challenge…It really should be explored!!! And a very good thesis for a" Masters" !!!
Cheerio for now.
2 really handsome ships Archie, especially the Dominion Monarch. To we outsiders who knew no better Shaw, Sh** and Shovel had a reputation of being poor feeders - was that true?
5 weeks alongside, eh? That is a memory of a time gone by if ever there was one and will never come again. I only caught the end of it during my apprenticeship - a mere 50 years ago - but it was the time when the job was really worth doing - though to go back on a point that Saviem made it did no good in the making money department. The trick was, I found, to make a large allotment so that there was a minimum amount available for subs and, of course, no credit cards which much later became the most dangerous thing that a seaman could take ashore with him! 
And I’ll tell you what, £26 in1956 was some heavy money. I didn’t get to that till I made 3rd Mate.
Talk about a country not protecting its infrastructure!!!
Don’t get me started on that one Saviem! 
David
David Miller:
2 really handsome ships Archie, especially the Dominion Monarch. To we outsiders who knew no better Shaw, Sh** and Shovel had a reputation of being poor feeders - was that true?5 weeks alongside, eh? That is a memory of a time gone by if ever there was one and will never come again. I only caught the end of it during my apprenticeship - a mere 50 years ago - but it was the time when the job was really worth doing - though to go back on a point that Saviem made it did no good in the making money department. The trick was, I found, to make a large allotment so that there was a minimum amount available for subs and, of course, no credit cards which much later became the most dangerous thing that a seaman could take ashore with him!
And I’ll tell you what, £26 in1956 was some heavy money. I didn’t get to that till I made 3rd Mate.
Hullo David,
Actually Shaw Saville were’nt bad feeders at all, though obviously as a Waiter we ate same food as the passengers, although this meant a healthy tip to the Chefs from us. To be honest I never ever ate the Crew menu. But I was on another Shaw Saville ship later the m.v. Alaric as Captains Tiger and the food on there was terrific, she was just a Cargo Ship. That wage as I said was Millionaire money to me at the time. Mind you the Average Wage in the U K was higher than that at £10. 17s. 6d., a week for Men. Of course we also got overtime. In fact it became the overtime on Ships that became the main factor in taking a job. The first thing a new Steward or Cook sent down to join a Ship, would be to say what is the overtime. I remember that as a Chief Cook on Prince Line, Furness Withy &Co, I was on Six Hours overtime a day, every day. I was very well paid at the time. Perhaps in hindsite it was this type of thing that killed the job.
Cheers, Archie.
Actually I put the message on twice. I can’t delete it so I’m just filling in the space. Sorry all.
Saviem:
Retired Old ■■■■:
Just waiting for our friend Stellios to take over Douglas Port facility, paint everything orange and halve the prices charged by the Steam Racket Company.Hi ROF, if you want to laugh, read the IOM Government “reassurances”, about the single user agreement, its farcical to anyone who posseses common sense! How to get ripped off, then justify it!! The Manx people have been misled, and ripped off for years, and even their elected members cannot see it…or can they, and do some have something they wish to remain undiscovered??
Interesting subject for a “thesis”. Perhaps there is a bright youngster at Liverpool`s John Moore University who could take up this interesting challenge…It really should be explored!!! And a very good thesis for a" Masters" !!!
Cheerio for now.
Yes, Saviem. I, together with a few more “interested parties” gave that Single User Agreement a rather thorough examination some years ago and concluded that, although there appeared to be some cause for concern, it would take more knowledgable people than us to attempt any worthwhile investigation. The political processes of both the U.K. and the Tynwald are fraught with a process commonly known as “arse covering” and “mutual back-scratching”. 
A good excuse for visiting a bottle or two of Chateau Erdington?
Perhaps in hindsite it was this type of thing that killed the job.
That’s a sobering thought Archie but, in reality we all killed the job. I’m sure you remember too the general feeling after the strike that now we had the owners by the nuts - Hah! Exactly the same with the Dockers strike(s). I wonder the Port of Rotterdam didn’t buy them a new car each!
I remember a few years after the strikes were over I was in the east end with the Leyland Comet that I was driving as a leave job and I found myself with Jack Dash crossing a zebra crossing right in front of me. I didn’t think fast enough - still don’t come to that - but if I had I should have run the silly bu**er over!
Thinking about it, it was a very different time then. What innocents we were.
David
David Miller:
Perhaps in hindsite it was this type of thing that killed the job.
That’s a sobering thought Archie but, in reality we all killed the job. I’m sure you remember too the general feeling after the strike that now we had the owners by the nuts - Hah! Exactly the same with the Dockers strike(s). I wonder the Port of Rotterdam didn’t buy them a new car each!
I remember a few years after the strikes were over I was in the east end with the Leyland Comet that I was driving as a leave job and I found myself with Jack Dash crossing a zebra crossing right in front of me. I didn’t think fast enough - still don’t come to that - but if I had I should have run the silly bu**er over!
Thinking about it, it was a very different time then. What innocents we were.
Hullo David,
The Strike eh! The first one ever. 1966. Who will ever forget it ? Can you remember who was one of the Chief S**t Stirrers in it ? A biggish Fat bloke from Liverpool, an ex assistant steward, went to University on a Grant from the National Seamans Union. he lives over in Hull now. J.P. does that ring any bells. The Strike did’nt do him any harm did it, look where he is now. Aerosol that’s him. I remember during that period him and a Communist bloke called Gordon Norris and John, forget his name now, and a few others, all used to gather in the Stack of Bricks ( Victoria Docks Seamans Home ) and hold their Strike Meetings. I went out and got myself another job, I had a Wife and a new born lad to feed, plus another one on the way, and a mortgage. Still I went back when it was all finished though. Good old days.
Cheers, Archie
I could not remember Archie, so I went searching (ain’t the interweb thingy wonderful?). It’s all there but the most comprehensive - though ultra left wing - account is here: libcom.org/library/seamen-strike-1966-foulser
I had forgotten what power the pool had over us in those years and the article reminds me that I definitly should have run Jack Dash over whilst the chance existed! 
David
David Miller:
I could not remember Archie, so I went searching (ain’t the interweb thingy wonderful?). It’s all there but the most comprehensive - though ultra left wing - account is here: libcom.org/library/seamen-strike-1966-foulserI had forgotten what power the pool had over us in those years and the article reminds me that I definitly should have run Jack Dash over whilst the chance existed!
David
Prescott has always been a total waste of space both at sea as a union official or on land as a so called Labour MP.As for the dockers that story just shows that the unions are often more than capable of defeating themselves by not sticking together.
Please gentlemen, Lord Prescott! Show some respect.
That strike was the start of my downward spiral in that I trained as a bus driver on East Kent, Guy Arab 111, drove for two weeks. Strike over, Back on board. Very unfair to the bus company but I was young and foolish and it gave me a taste for the open road!
Stuff that for a job, Andy. No sooner do you get the pile of ■■■ rolling than some prat wants you to stop again
David
That’s why I went for trucking. Far fewer demands from the cargo.
That is a fascinating read, that link David, much of which is new to me. I had left the sea by '66 but one part had a particular resonance for me:
A seaman who misses his ship abroad is not only liable to forfeiture of wages for the entire time he served aboard the ship, he can get jailed into the bargain. Some Merchant Navy Pool Offices have the walls decorated with posters giving such news items as: “AT SOANDSO POLICE COURT RECENTLY A SEAMAN WHO HAD DESERTED HIS SHIP IN AUSTRALIA WAS IMPRISONED FOR THREE MONTHS: HE FORFEITED HIS WAGES FROM THE SHIP HE LEFT ALSO FROM THE SHIP IN WHICH HE RETURNED TO THE UNITED KINGDOM” . . . AMEN!! . . . Serve the rotten swine right for committing sacrilege against the Holy Shipowner . . …
Either I was just lucky or the fact that the Australian immigration authorities had believed my story and castigated the company. Or, perhaps, Shell were a decent company to work for and treated their employees with respect. 
I couldn’t help again, as we have earlier in this thread, drawing parallels with lorry drivers and seafarers. The lack of continuous contact is a major factor in the way both sets of workers are organised. The ‘79 lorry drivers’ strike started as a series of unofficial actions in various parts of the country. As a shop steward with Econofreight in Leicester I was told by the union (TGWU ) that strikes could not be called nationally, each area was autonomous. True or not it drove a nail into the coffin of unity. I was lambasted by the steward at our ‘home’ depot in Thornaby to join their unofficial action and replied by saying that we had to wait for the Leicester committee, which was extremely non-militant. Indeed, I, and my counterpart from Cawthorn and Sinclair (Leicester depot, who was similarly pressured like me from the NE) were branded as communist agitators by that committe for voting for strike after majority votes from our own members to come out. Neither of us, I think, well certainly me, personally approved. I could see the futility of it in such a splintered industry.
Eventually Leicester voted for strike and I began the round of organising pickets in the bitter winter weather. I got not a penny from the union by the way for all my expenses (Econofreight’s customers were scattered all over the E. Midlands) because I was off work with an industrial injury and so was not technically striking.
The strike fizzled out, as I thought it would, and I had the bizarre experience of now receiving exhortations from Thornaby to go back to work after their collapse, while insisting that we remain true to the official position.
Sorry for thread drifting a little, but I thought that the similarities and parallels were worth drawing. 
Jazzandy:
Please gentlemen, Lord Prescott! Show some respect.That strike was the start of my downward spiral in that I trained as a bus driver on East Kent, Guy Arab 111, drove for two weeks. Strike over, Back on board. Very unfair to the bus company but I was young and foolish and it gave me a taste for the open road!
Hullo Jazzandy,
East Kent Guy Arab, on No.10. You must have been the bloke that used to pick me up at the Toll Gate and drop me of at the Roebuck at Harrietsham on a Saturday Night.
Cheers, Archie.
During my two glorious weeks, I was based at Dover on 15’s, 87,s, 88’s, 90’s, etc.
We had Arab 3’s and 4’s and also Regent 4’s with MCW bodies. State of the art at the time but East Kent always specified manual gearboxes so they were all ‘interesting’ drives.
Hello Archie … the “Baltic Importer” UBC fine looking ships often admired them up the Baltic they were Modern not like the “SS Shetland”
(Curries of Leith)I was on used to see them in the Finnish ports all the time …I was on that run for 12 months (1958) probably saw every port in Finland … Hamina was my favorite then Kasko Kotka Turku Oulu to name a few great times through snow and ice etc and the smell of pine trees in summer Oh to be that age again!!!
On another note at the beginning of January in 62 I was sent by the pool in Dundee to join the King Henry in Tilbury docks before signing on we (there were 3 of us EDH,s)went aboard for a look her over then at the shipping office we decided we were happy to take her round the land but not the Voyage (West and East Africa)so with an agreement with the shipping master we signed on!!!
Fast forward to Birkinhead via Rotterdam then Antwerp she was a doozie horrible grub and accommodation you name it …anyway on the request to be paid off per arrangement… we were politely told that no such thing was known !!! Well do any of you recall the at the end of 61 there was bit of a strike and there was an unofficial union formed ■■? memory hazy about that !! we got them aboard and the next thing was the dockers were all stopped !!! we paid off the following day!!! nobody likes unnecessary conflict especially when it could have been easily avoided … I,m not bolshie at all but at times you have to stand firm
happy days right enough