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Thread: Everyone wanted a Job on them

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    Default Everyone wanted a Job on them

    This is just an exert from a short story.

    Everyone wanted a job in the liners






    Well, in those days of course the Cunard sailing from Southampton, the two great liners, the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, it was a hard job to get a job on those because everybody wanted to do that.

    It was going to the States, everything was going on in the States, there was money about, good clothes, good food, and of course bearing in mind that we were still in the ration period in here in England, I then took whatever I could.

    The first ship I went on was a ship called the Almazora. I came back into Southampton after doing a couple of months away, did a trip...a couple of trips on the old Winchester Castle down to Capetown, that was quite good, quite an experience, and then I came off that and went for a job on the Queen Mary. First job I had on there was a cabin steward in Cabin Cass, 'cos there was three classes on the ships in those days. There was First Class, there was Cabin Class, and there was Tourist Class. I did one tour which was about...you did five trips if I remember rightly, five trips and one off in those days...Question:

    What days are we talking about here?Talking about [19]49, around about '49, and I then worked my way up if that's the vernacular, up to First Class restaurant as a First Class waiter, and then I finished up as the Captain's steward, that was the Staff Captain Steward in those days, which was called the Captain's Tiger, generally looking after him, and serving drinks when he was ....had guests or visitors in his cabin, and serving dinner and meals when he was in the restaurant
    Last edited by Doc Vernon; 7th January 2019 at 07:28 PM.
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    Default Re: Everyone wanted a Job on them

    Often in Scullards bar in Southampton you would see them.
    Often known as 'Cunard Yanks' the catering crew from the two Queens.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: Everyone wanted a Job on them

    Having made a comment in a thread the other day when you consider and I could be wrong but I believe that a first class winger could get 8 plates on his arm and deliver them to the right person on the right table on the right time those guys that could do that job were absolutely magicians I remember one steward in particular who had the flamboyance in preparing a baked jacket potato that made the reciprocant feel that they were having a special honour I know some of them are really over the top but I think they were absolutely great guys who had learnt their trade the hard way
    Rob Page R855150 - British & Commonwealth Shipping ( 1965 - 1973 ) Gulf Oil -( 1973 - 1975 ) Sealink ( 1975 - 1986 )

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    Default Re: Everyone wanted a Job on them

    Signed on Queen Mary as fireman/cleaner on 16.8.67 until 12.9.67 which from memory was 2 trips. Cleaning burners all watch until given job as forced fan greaser which entailed going into spaces in passenger accommodation to check bearing temps. and oil levels. Bad move as always parties going on and was not asked back. Not the best cabins as about 12 or so to a cabin, so much body odour. Never forgotten seeing her massive working alleyways that seemed wider than the street i lived in.
    Last edited by Trevor Bodiam; 8th January 2019 at 09:22 AM.

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    Default Re: Everyone wanted a Job on them

    Trevor, the last paragraph in your post reminded me of a young lady i knew in Hamburg many years ago, lol, kt
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    Default Re: Everyone wanted a Job on them

    A winger with 8 plates on his arm sounds more like the old steerage class rather than 1st class.The 1st class restaurants I have worked in the plates are kept in the dumb waiter at the side of the table in the restaurant, the food is brought in on silver flats.The waiter places one plate at a time in front of the passenger then serves from the silver flat.Tourist end all plates carried on a tray with covers on.

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    Default Re: Everyone wanted a Job on them

    When I left the Newcastle Fireman's training school in November 1964, we were told that after our first trip we would be free to chose from the pool but, on leaving Newcastle we will be given the first ship.
    We were also told that a great percentage of fireman first trippers would be sent to one of the Queen's as they were always looking for engine room crew. This made us recruits feel that the Queens were not something to look forward to. As it happened I was sent to the Gothic sailing just before Christmas, I had always thought that I was lucky to have missed the Queens. Now I look at some of the old films on the Queens and I would love to think that I had done at least one trip on one or other of them.

    Frank Thorp.

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    Default Re: Everyone wanted a Job on them

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Brady View Post
    A winger with 8 plates on his arm sounds more like the old steerage class rather than 1st class.The 1st class restaurants I have worked in the plates are kept in the dumb waiter at the side of the table in the restaurant, the food is brought in on silver flats.The waiter places one plate at a time in front of the passenger then serves from the silver flat.Tourist end all plates carried on a tray with covers on.

    Regards.
    Jim.B.
    Hi Jim
    You are correct as far as I recall as well,when in 1st Class Dining Room on the Dunnottar Castle only had 6 Passengers to look after and all Silver Service,and that is the way I recall it being done!

    However on a few of the others like the Stirling,Winchester etc in Tourist Class ( called it Tourist Class Gallop) we used to have up to Two Sitting of Fourteen ,(old Alf remembered that in one of his old posts) and yes we did carry up to 8 Plates (Afew sometimes managed 10 ) as that was the only way you could get through the sittings,otherwise it would have taken far too long.
    It was Murder at times especially through the Tropics when it was so Hot,after the Second sitting one was really all washed out literally!
    But those days we were Young and full of energy!
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    Default Re: Everyone wanted a Job on them

    Hi Vernon tell me this please.You take the order off 8 passengers,2 fish,3 lamb and 3 pork chops for argument sake.So you have them 8 plates up your arms.how do you carry the roast & boiled potatos and say 3 veg which are in veg dishes,do you go back to the kitchen and collect them separately.I remember Alf giving his take on it.Maybe the potato's and veg were put on at the press,real dock road canteen stuff that.

    Regards.
    Jim.B.
    CLARITATE DEXTRA

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    Default Re: Everyone wanted a Job on them

    I was a tourist class winger on the Orontes, the Oronsay, and the Windsor Castle, I never had to carry 8 plates on my arms, the meat and vegetables were all put on the plates in the galley, I then carried at least ten full courses on my tray to my dumb waiter to serve.
    The most difficult meal was breakfast, the menu was so varied, one passenger would order “eggs , bacon & sausage, another would order bacon, eggs and sausage etc , so very quickly trained my “bloods “ to order “Full Houses “ made things a lot easier, and rarely saw any of them leave anything.
    And we always had ten covers not eight .
    Last edited by Bill Cameron; 8th January 2019 at 09:40 PM.

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