Where were you on your 21st birthday

[luke Horwat]

Hi, I have just seen the list and one said "Where were you on your 21st Birthday", I recall that on my 19th Birthday 12 August 1969 I was joining on that day, The Tucarinca, a Fifes Banana boat. The Bursar reminded me as I handed in my joining docs that it was my Birthday. I gained my starring cert. going through the Straights of Gib. I bet some of those monkeys ate some of our bananas Also, I was on the Northern Star and apparently, it had the largest swimming pool mural of any passenger ship at that time, It was beautiful. You felt like you were on a beach. I was a swimming pool attendant for a while, a lovely job as you can imagine. I wonder if the mural was saved before the Northern Star was sent to be turned into other things, very sad, it only had 4 years as the engines were breaking down a lot I believe.
I am not sure if this was on the Northern Star or SA Vall, but one day they had a clay pigeon shooting off the stern, I was helping and there was a massive crowd behind us, I was so embarrassed, every time the gun went off, I jumped out of my skin. Great memories, at least I entertained the passengers, a double whammy, they enjoyed the shooting and me.
The Captain of the SA Vall was nicknamed Swivel-eyed Lloyd, he was a terror. I had to clean the toilets ready for inspection. I was nervous. He came in and rubbed his finger around the top edge of a toilet bowl and there was a lot of cleaning gunk on his finger and he gave me a serious look and a wink. He wasn't that bad.
Oh yes, on the Tucarinca the Chief Engineer died and he was buried at sea. I was on Edinborough Castle, Pendiniss Castle, Northern Star, Tucarinca, and SA Vall.

Kind regards
Lucian aka Luke Horwat

[j hardy]

docked in either rotterdam or amsterdam, had my 21st in one and 22nd in the other. going back to 1971-72, so memory fades.

[Gino Griffiths]

Where was I on my 21st, I have no idea, couldn't have been that special.....

Quite the reverse for me Stan.
My 21st was VERY special. I vividly remember my 21st. 1966. I was in a bar in Galway City centre with my new bride, Rina, watching England beat Germany in the the World Cup.She was my very own irreplaceable Galway Girl. She passed away in January 2015. I thank the Lord for the 50 years I knew her but wish it could have been 60. Since she died my life has just been an aimless existence - apart from my memories..

[Paul Dowell]

As if it were yesterday!! Laid up on Ocean Monarch in the River Fal. A great ship! what a great place to be a deck cadet!!!

[William Kean]

2nd Lt, on a street in the Bogside Londonderry completely out of my depth, but had a first class section Sgt, who offered good advice which I was most glad to accept.

[David Casey]

I'm ex Houlder Brothers R/O and was at home on leave but two days before joining "Oswestry Grange" a Houlder Brothers collier for what turned out to be nearly two months on the North East to Thames/Medway coal run.
Next trip was better - started about 20th July on Dunster Grange, Houlders bulker for 6 month trip, just about best of my sea trips.

Join and two weeks in Castellemare near Naples.
Run to Lome/Togo for loading Bauxite - 2 weeks anchor, couple of days alongside.
Run to Rotterdam - discharge Bauxite.
Run to Baie Comeau/Canada - load grain.
Run to Maceio/Brazil - about 2 weeks alongside discharging part cargo.
Run to Recife/Brazil - about 5 days concluding discharge.
Run to Rio - bunkers
Run to Bahia Blanca/Arg - about 10 days at anchor, about 7 days alongside loading grain.
Run to entrance of Magellan Strait prior to transit.
Run across Pacific to Kagoshima/Japan - 5 or 6 days alongside discharging grain.
Run to South Australia, celebrating new year en route, to eventually berth in Port Lincoln and pay off (via 8 day holiday in Melbourne/Sydney before long trip home)

Lot better than up and down the North Sea!!

Cheers all,

Dave Casey

[George Edward Harrison]

I was a first trip junior engineer, 5 days out from Japan carrying coal from New Port News to the Osaka steel works. MV Clearton, Chapman& Willans.
That was 1960, 63 years ago last Thursday. Happy Days.

[Richard Keith Roberts]

Not such a bad day after all, maybe for you but for Ruth a bit of a let down, quick one at that.

In Tahati and had ONE watch off from the engine room.

[j.sabourn]

#16 That would of been October 1960 then George judging by your CV . Just as a matter of interest 6 years after this I was entertaining your boss man Mr. Chapman himself on the deck of the Sunprincess in Bermuda. The Sunprincess was not a passenger liner but an old Liberty ship of 1944 vintage. He was invited as many others were by the American president of Alcoa . I was informed I had to sit at his table and keep his party amused. Things were going swimmingly and think he thought I was a Canadian and was receiving invites to his mansion in Bermuda , until he asked me what part of Canada I lived and being the honest man I ain’t said I’m not I’m from Tyneside and I served my time with Runcimans . Things went rapidly down hill from there , whether it was the name Runcimans , or whether I knew too much of his past in Shipping I don’t know, but I was no longer flavour of the month . Which often makes me wonder of the talk that used to go round of a group of NE shipowners , Runcimans, Chapmans, Ropenors, Dalglieshes , and others who were given government money during the war to build small ships at Blyth but were caught out building houses instead. Dalgliesh is supposed to have stood up and taken the blame also the very short gaol sentence that went with it , which meant he would never receive the monarch’s honours for any charity he endorsed , so all his endeavours in Port Churchill were doomed from start to finish , that family I felt sorry for as they had lots of bad luck throughout , I worked for them also. I never worked for Chapmans but came very close to it , Runcimans came down from Scotland and offered me a job before the super from Sunderland managed to get to me . However going back with Runcimans didn’t. Work either
5 months and I was on the wander again. Best thing I can honestly say is I wish I had started off my sea career in Australia. Cheers have a good second 21st. birthday. JS

[Peter MacFarlane]

Hi, I have just seen the list and one said "Where were you on your 21st Birthday", I recall that on my 19th Birthday 12 August 1969 I was joining on that day, The Tucarinca, a Fifes Banana boat. The Bursar reminded me as I handed in my joining docs that it was my Birthday. I gained my starring cert. going through the Straights of Gib. I bet some of those monkeys ate some of our bananas Also, I was on the Northern Star and apparently, it had the largest swimming pool mural of any passenger ship at that time, It was beautiful. You felt like you were on a beach. I was a swimming pool attendant for a while, a lovely job as you can imagine. I wonder if the mural was saved before the Northern Star was sent to be turned into other things, very sad, it only had 4 years as the engines were breaking down a lot I believe.
I am not sure if this was on the Northern Star or SA Vall, but one day they had a clay pigeon shooting off the stern, I was helping and there was a massive crowd behind us, I was so embarrassed, every time the gun went off, I jumped out of my skin. Great memories, at least I entertained the passengers, a double whammy, they enjoyed the shooting and me.
The Captain of the SA Vall was nicknamed Swivel-eyed Lloyd, he was a terror. I had to clean the toilets ready for inspection. I was nervous. He came in and rubbed his finger around the top edge of a toilet bowl and there was a lot of cleaning gunk on his finger and he gave me a serious look and a wink. He wasn't that bad.
Oh yes, on the Tucarinca the Chief Engineer died and he was buried at sea. I was on Edinborough Castle, Pendiniss Castle, Northern Star, Tucarinca, and SA Vall.

Kind regards
Lucian aka Luke Horwat

I was a junior engineer and day south of Mombasa. I was given a break from night watch in the ER when we arrived in Mombasa and had a great run ashore .

[Keith Wigglesworth]

My 21st was pretty memorable for a number of reasons, the main one being the old man shut the officers bar Panama transit as he didn't want any problems haha. I was first trip 2nd Electrician, returning after my first Oz / Kiwi coast and we were going via Odessa in the Black Sea. As the Chief Elect's missus ( Christine Bloxham ) was on-board she mad sure I got all the 'trimmings' that weren't nessessarily a given with a full male crew - engineers made a big bronze key, chippy mounted it on a nice bit of timber and all officers signed it - very cool now )
My party was postponed until we hit Odessa where we found the only thing drinkable ashore was the Champagne - so black-market exchange rate Rubles later, the whole crew enjoyed Champagne-Brandy cocktails for the night - pretty cheap night as I recall )