Seamen's Missions

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Patricia

Thank you for starting this post, we owe you a vote of thanks for that, yes we old sea dogs have our disagreements around the saloon and messroom tables and also now upon the imaginary ship we are sailing upon, but most of our era found nothing but hard work when afloat and made up for that by perhaps being a little over excessive when ashore.

It may be difficult to say exactly what exact influence the Missions collectively had on our lives, but it would be fair to say that they certainly played an important role to members of all ranks and creeds and their doors were ever open. Some of our so called "hard and constantly sozzled when ashore" crewmates also used them what success the pastors/padres had in converting them to a wiser way of life is debatable, but as the good lord said, one soul saved etc etc.

I think that most of my current shipmates on this site would agree the world without them for us seafarers would have been a darker place and they offered a lot of sage advice, even if it was only which bars to keep out of. They never forced religion down our throats, but did like us to join in prayers for a few minutes a night, and that was optional, these few minutes brought us back to to normallcy, the padres may have wished that they also stopped us drinking and visiting houses of ill repute, but they were wise enough to know that 70 to 80 men on the normal cargo ship cooped up on an iron island were going to seek the pleasures of a drink and the flesh especially after a particularily long and bad weather voyage when you did not know if you were ever going to reach another shore. So we would go to the Mission (if there was one) say our thanks to the Lord and then go to the bars where the Lord had also provided the pleasures of drink and flesh. It wasn't necessary for all of us to partake in the pleasures of flesh, it was just nice to be in a situation where there were females and some of the girls working the bars were very nice people and would listen to you without always trying to get you into bed, and maybe the Mission' influence made you stop and think, do I need to take the risk although I would say that most establishments ran a clean house, but the Mission probably put doubts in your mind, so there goes another soul saved from the path of self destruction and the possible rigours of the medicine chest!, a quick injection by a an inexperienced First Aider and a dab of Whitfields ointment was enough to put anyone off. Other ailments were cured with a liberal dose of Black Draught, the contents of which were only known to the devil.

Sorry to have rambled on, but I don't think definitive answers to your questions are possible, but were the Missions a positive force, then the answer must be yes and they probably are more so today even though their potential flock has decreased dramatically.

Good luck in your endeavours and perhaps some more of my shipmates will lose their shyness and bring you tales of their shoreside exploits, so come on lads "her indoors" will forgive you and be glad she married an experienced man, as most of your exploits will have happened before you were married ! Right !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ivan

[Neil Morton]

The Trinidad mission is still there .Now THAT is truly amazing . I have a shipmate buried in the cemetery there and its good to know that a modern highrise has not despoiled the plot.

[Patricia Hosie]

Hi Neil,

Many thanks for all your posts and I would just like to say that I have now had your book, Drifting Beneath the "Red Duster" finally delivered to me. I haven't had an opportunity to read it in full because I'm currently busy writing an essay on Piracy in the second half of the sixteenth century. However, I've highlighted some pages where your information will be brilliant for my dissertation and I am very grateful to you for sharing these memories.

Patricia

[Doc Vernon]

Hello PATRICIA
I know this is not a Story ,but thought i would post these Pics of various Seamans Missions!
The one in Southampton(Jelicoe Hostel) was very well known by many,and used extensively .
Cheers

The one i dont know where it was possibly someone out there can ID it for us!?
n760052921 1426137 7714 jpeg ????????

[Doc Vernon]

A few more!
Cheers

[Doc Vernon]

Last few
Cheers

I just threw in th Smugglers Inn Durban for old Memories haha!
And is the Pic of the one in Hull correct ??
Thanks

[Glenn Baker]

As a Young Merchant Seaman who didnt have a home at all, I have the Flying Angel Mission to thank for having Accomadation that was affordable to people such as me on lowly wages and as I said having no home compliments of the Second World War. Im pretty sure there were lots more fella,s like me in those sad circumstances, I hated even paying off a ship because in very simple terms it was my home for X amount of months.
The Flying Angel without doubt gave me a safe Haven which was cheap and close to the Docks in London to ship out for that I can be truly grateful.
To watch fellow seafarers pay off their ships and go home to Parents was an entire mystery to me as I lost most of my Relations in the War, I got to know a few more people in the same circumstances as me. It was after a few years of Shipping out in those circumstances that I realised I would never be able to afford a House of my own in the UK and didnt want to be a resident of the Flying Angel every few moths so took the Gigantic step and immigrated. But i shall never forget the Civil and nice way the Flying Angel showed Genuine Concern for Sea farers like me in those years at Sea. Glenn Baker

[Colin Hawken]

Jellicoe is long gone now Vernon. Luxury flats today.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Colin
Thanks for that,i did know about the Flats there though,as it was told to me quite some time ago by George !(Of Southampton)
Actually had a nice Pic of those Flats as well,somewhere on my External Drive! Now where ?????LOL!

Its a pity that so many of the old places have dissapeared,they were good places to Bed down on our Shore leave! SAVED US A LOAD OF CASH!
Also had many happy hours at the Jelicoe! A few bad times as well haha!

Cheers

[George]

Hi All,
How many ex Vindi Boys remember the Seamans Mission at Sharpness, for many of us our first intoduction to the Flying Angel. If my memory is correct the Priest name was Mark, and he would play the mission piano, and was well aware of the toughnes of the courses, and the regeme that run them. That particular mission and Preist must have left an impression on many young British Seaman, and helped many boys through what was at the time a pritty tough period in there young lives.
George
in Southampton