backsplice:
…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
Wow, not another mutineer , did they threaten you with the noose, as they did to us in Sacaramanga?
You’re right though, if you have right on your side you have to make a stand. Doesn’t always work out well though.
Never thought I would be doing this again …
Work has been very rare for my little ‘wheelbarrow’ of late and was wondering what to do next to keep the pennies coming in. Phone rung this morning and I thought ‘another enquiry wanting me to do a run for next to bloody nowt’ but it was a firm from Colchester asking me if I wanted to take one of their sand barges running up to Deptford Creek on a casual basis filling in for holidays, sickness etc.
I haven’t done that kind of work for about 40 years so I’m hoping the Thames is still in the same place, will find out next Monday.
raymundo:
Never thought I would be doing this again …
Work has been very rare for my little ‘wheelbarrow’ of late and was wondering what to do next to keep the pennies coming in. Phone rung this morning and I thought ‘another enquiry wanting me to do a run for next to bloody nowt’ but it was a firm from Colchester asking me if I wanted to take one of their sand barges running up to Deptford Creek on a casual basis filling in for holidays, sickness etc.
I haven’t done that kind of work for about 40 years so I’m hoping the Thames is still in the same place, will find out next Monday.
Hullo Raymundo,
Well done, sounds to be a good little number and as you so rightly say it keeps the old pennies coming in. Just be careful though, they’ve built a large Barrier across the River at Silvertown, where the Sugar Boats used to berth. Try to miss it in the dark. Best of luck in the New Venture.
Cheers, Archie.
Been up the river a few times though up to about 7 years ago, we used to run to the stone berth directly past the barrier on the Charlton side. Did a few cargoes of stone from Felixstowe to help build the barrier back in the distant memory of my mad youff
Made a change from running up thru the bridges to Wandsworth, which reminds me of the seacock often getting blocked on the way downriver when MT by those very thin white latex balloon shaped things that were floating about
raymundo:
Never thought I would be doing this again …
Work has been very rare for my little ‘wheelbarrow’ of late and was wondering what to do next to keep the pennies coming in. Phone rung this morning and I thought ‘another enquiry wanting me to do a run for next to bloody nowt’ but it was a firm from Colchester asking me if I wanted to take one of their sand barges running up to Deptford Creek on a casual basis filling in for holidays, sickness etc.
I haven’t done that kind of work for about 40 years so I’m hoping the Thames is still in the same place, will find out next Monday.
Hope Raymundo has a mobile phone at least he won,.t have to skull the jolly boat ashore to the phone box at Greenhithe for orders then nip into the “White Hart” for a black and tan thats how I remember that part of the Thames anyway !!!
…keep 'er off the knuckle 'arry
backsplice:
Hope Raymundo has a mobile phone at least he won,.t have to skull the jolly boat ashore to the phone box at Greenhithe for orders then nip into the “White Hart” for a black and tan thats how I remember that part of the Thames anyway !!!
…keep 'er off the knuckle 'arry
Hullo backsplice, Wow! obviously an Everards Man methinks. See Mr.Kimber for a job eh ? Long time since I heard that. Keep 'er off the knuckle 'arry Good old days were them.
Cheers, Archie.
No Archie !! never a member of Freds navy but ■■■■■■■ to the buoys there often while on the Lochee (DP&L) and many a time did I have to Skull the mate or the skipper ashore for orders where to load cement… it was nearly always hard going what with the fast tides nearly lost it a few times ■■? we did 3 trip[s a fortnight to Dundee loading at some exotic places on the Thames such as …Cliff Quay miles from the nearest pub and if you managed to get a lift on the little cement rail line the go ashore gear got cement stains which were a bugger to dhobie out … other marvelous loading places …Erith … Swanscombe .,Dartford …Northfleet all GREAT runs ashore ■■? aw well can,t have it good all the time and anyway whats wrong with 4 on 4 off and 30 bob a week for "subsistance " 1x bar of sunlight 1x bar of toilet (usually lifebuoy) a can of shaky and a can of condensed to last only a whole week !!! and paraffin lights in port sheer luxury ■■? some blokes don,t know what they missed oh and when night watchman with nearly a 20 foot drop at low tide lines singing under the strain you got 2 rashers of bacon and an egg to see you through the night but you had to keep the galley coal stove up to it and if lucky the lads coming back from the pub blowin for tugs you might score fish and ch ips yeh if you were lucky
Hullo backsplice,
I was for my sins (literally) on one of F.T.Everards Ships for a while, I went down to see Mr. Kimber and was on a ship the very next day. This was in the early 60’s I sailed as the Cook/Steward. The m.v. Scarcity. I was also taught how to Scull a boat on there as well. This was quite good as I did’nt have much work to do as there was only a dozen of us in total to feed. Quite often I was also dicked into sculling the Old Man (T.Willis) ashore, same as you were. Usually I’d be dressed in my checks as well, straight off of the job. Actually it was’nt a bad little job at all though. Erith I remember very well ( in fact I was born there ) we ■■■■■■■ to the bouys there many a time, while they lowered the masts and derecks so that we could get up under the Bridges to Wandsworth Power Station. This was quite a regular run for us at the time. We did a lot on the South coast and East coast of Southern Ireland too. Loading Peat Moss for the Power Station to Burn. I also had a nice little earner going with the Ship’s Chandler in Drogheda, when he brought the Stores down to me he also brought usually about six sacks of Letters and Small Packages for me to post in London, and there was always £50 for me in it. I was a bit cagey about it at first, the Letters and Parcels were addressed and they were all Stamped with the correct ammount of Stamps, to Places all over the World, USA, Australia, NZ, South Africa and of course UK. As I say I was just a bit wary, so I opened a couple of the Letters up. Bloody Hell, they were only Irish Sweepstake Tickets, millions of them. Of course each evening, usually three evenings, I would go round Wandsworth and as far as I could filling bloody Post Boxes with them. Still it lasted all of the time I was in that Ship, and kept me in pocket, so why should I worry. But as soon as I’d served my punishment (I sailed on a Non Pool Ship) I was back Deep Sea again.
Cheers, Archie.
Well done Backsplice reminding us of what life was really like on the coast. It’s a problem that when you think back on things you always remember the good times only.
Nice picture of the Lochee, too. You’d never guess from her topsides that she was in the cement trade.
There was nothing like a home trade agreement …I first went to sea in 57 after the usual term at the Vindi my first ship was built in 1912/13 foc,sle accommodation woodbine funnel you name it ■■? my 2nd ship was,nt much newer only difference was the age … great feeders though even for 30 bob a week so thank you to all you COOK STEWARDS out there good job ( thats you Archie)
Remember when steaming into the Thames Estuary and the pea soupers dropped in … hooks were dropping all over and while the fog hung around all you could hear was bells being rung every couple of minutes bloody cold standing on the foc,sle on fog watch !!!
then up it ( the fog)would go and it was like the wacky races windlasses cranking at full speed …engines ahead before the hook was off the bottom I just loved my time on the coast !!!
Hullo All,
This is the last Ship that I went Trans Atlantic on, m.v.King Alfred. A large Bulk Carrier which was bought whilst still on the Stocks in a Shipyard in Gothenburg. She was built originally for a Foreign Company in 1968. She was Launched by Eriksbergs M/V A/B, Gothenburg as ANGELUS . sold whilst being fitted out and renamed HEMSEFJELL. Whilst still being fitted out sold again and on 09/01/1968 was completed as KING ALFRED. I joined her as Purser Catering Officer whilst she was in the last stages of being fitted out. My job was to Order and Install all of the Interior Fittings in the Accomodation, Order all Crockery and Cutlery, Cleaning Equipment, Kitchen Equipment, plus all Foodstuffs Fresh and Tinned (Frozen Foods were not used yet), and Bonded Stores. I did the Maiden Voyage on her from Gothenburg to U.S.A. then from Venezuela back to Rotterdam. A very hard voyage for me indeed, I had to open inventories for everything, I had to convert all prices into £ sterling from Swedish Kroner, Kilos into lbs and ozs, so that I had a correct daily cost of feeding each person on board. At Rotterdam I had to have all inventories up to date. Plus having to clean up the mess left from the Shipyard, so that she was in the immaculate condition that B&C required. I also as my job description implies, had to have all the Ships Accounts, plus all the Customs Documents completed upon arrival at Rotterdam.
Now 45 years later I am crossing the Atlantic again on this Vessel m.s.Fantasia. Christ I hope I don’t get Sea Sick.
This is my old “ship”, I sold her in 2010 and she is still moored on the timber ponds in Goole. 36ft long 12ft beam with a draught of 4ft and an air draught (with mast down) of 8ft 6ins. Had some great times on Avalon but a bloody expensive hobby.
there you go Archie …King Alfred …British & commonwealth SS Co in my earlier post see the King Henry mentioned ■■? and for sea sickness stick a bandaid across your belly button !!! Bon Voyage ■■
this is an absolutely fascinating thread , these chaps have been there and got the tshirt . it must have been a very interesting life . no use me wishing i could have done it though , only had one cruise round arran and i was sick as a dog all day . stuck to the lorries , at least the road didn’t wave up and down much , cheers , dave
Lawrence Dunbar:
M.S DUNERA. 12.615 TONS, My kid brother wenr to France on it in 1
962, Leaving from Sutherlands Quay South Shields, Regards Larry.
Hullo Larry,
I remember the “Dunera” very well. She was a British India Company vessel and was used as a Troopship. I saw her many times in my travels, I also remember that when we had not too many Troops to transport to and from home, she was changed into a Schools Ship. ( Educational Trips ) I don’t believe she did that for too long though, then I think she was scrapped, that would be probably in the late 60’s or maybe early 70’s. She was a beautiful looking Ship though, a real Ship.
Cheers, Archie.
, did they threaten you with the noose, as they did to us in Sacaramanga? 
