Do you miss the sea?

[Captain Kong]

30 pints for a £1 !!! Ye Gods !! Bring back the old money...
hahaha

Hi Matty
in 1955 I was on £28 a MONTH as an AB , so 30 pints for £1 wasn't all that cheap. at less than a pound a day wages before tax , At £2.50 a pint today that would make a days wage something like, £75 so not cheap for a skilled tradesman.
or 10 glasses of beer for $1 in New York. But cheap enough to get bevied on.
Cheers
Brian

[Richard Quartermaine]

Leaving the Sea the sea never left me. Getting married, having kids, changing jobs, all became one long exciting journey around the Globe. How better than to give this example:
On signing off, I was handed a few Australian pound notes that were left after the small withdrawals I had made at various ports. My copy of the Certificate of Discharge with the cash money was dated 19th June, 1947.
My kit bag was packed; I made my farewells, launched the kitbag onto my shoulder and strode down the gangway. At the wharf customs gate I stopped, turned around and took my last look at the grey battler that had housed, fed and carried me around the world. Not only that, it gave me more money than I had ever had in my hands before and the price of a train ticket to complete the global circumnavigation to Sydney’s Central Railway Station. I walked taller than I had ever walked before. As I rode the tram to Melbourne’s Spencer Street railway station I made up my mind. I would go home. I would see my friends. I would find another ship and I would sail away again.
At Melbourne’s Spencer Street Station I collected my ticket for the overnight express to Albury on the states’ border of Victoria and New South Wales. It was necessary in those days to change trains at Albury because of the difference in rail gauges. The state planners in their short-sighted lack of wisdom had not co-operated with each other by agreeing to a standard rail gauge for all states. In Victoria the width of the rails was 5’3” whilst it was 4’8.5” in New South Wales. The platform was crowded with happy khaki clad Australian soldiers heading home to be discharged from their war service abroad. I felt some pride with them; the Merchant Navy was a major player in ending the war less than two years earlier.
The steam engine whistled, hissed and grunted as it took up the slack and jolted everyone in the crowded carriages. Off we went into the night and the happy chatter became heavy breathing as the passengers settled in. Some hours later, the train came to a halt and over the loud speakers came a rich Aussie nasal accent informing everyone that they needed to cross to the other side of the platform and board the New South Wales train for Sydney. Everyone scampered across the freezing platform to the warmth of the waiting train.
More hours passed during the winter night. As we thundered through Moss Vale and then Bowral in the Southern Highlands, I knew the next station would be Mittagong. I got as close to the window as possible and as we shot past the darkened platform I silently hoped that we had not interrupted some poor bugger’s sleep.
Arriving at Sydney’s Central Station I was in familiar territory. I had been in correspondence with my parents and was going home. It was early morning when I got there and I was exhausted. My parents were quite excited and we chatted for a while then I was sent off to the nice little one roomed cottage attached to the laundry at the bottom of the garden that had been prepared for me when I returned. I nestled into a comfortable bed, slept all the rest of that day and night only to wake up the following morning.
When I awoke, completely refreshed, I went up to the house for some breakfast my mother had prepared. My brother had been demobbed from the Air Force was there all smiles and bonhomie. After breakfast I went back to the cottage and as I opened the door, my brother, who had been inside prying on what I had brought with me tried to brush past. I put my knee out in front of him and asked of him what he wanted. He put his head down and moved to go past.
I realised that I was as tall as he. Standing firm he could not get past me. I was sixteen, had become a sailor, had just circled the globe and was home from the sea. I did not need to speak. As I stood up straight and glared at him, my body language warned that I would relish the chance to inflict something far worse on him than he had ever dished out to me not all that long ago. He lowered his head; I let him slink past and he never ever took that chance nor ever again was part of my life.
After five weeks recounting what I had been up to, riding around on our bay mare, Tibby, and catching up with friends, I did the rounds of the shipping companies. It was now different for I had papers and experience. Shaw Saville & Albion Company had a berth on their old 1913 model coal fired cargo steamship ‘Raranga’ sailing for London via Fremantle, Durban and Las Palmas. It was mine if I wanted it, and I did.
The following day “Raranga” lowered her Blue Peter ‘sailing today’ flag, blew her fog horn and as the tugs set her free she slipped under the Harbour Bridge and out of Sydney heads into the open sea. Sitting on an upturned potato box out on the deck next to the galley door, peeling potatoes, I had a grandstand view, a great feeling of freedom, adventure, excitement and a broad grin across my face like a white picket fence in the moonlight.


(re Mittagong - I slept on that station in midwinter (June) when I was fourteen and had ran away from home)

Richard

[Red Lead Ted]

Matt, I remember doing 3 trips in one ship the Linguist, To give you an idea of why your pay never really mattered, It was my second trip which lasted 4 months here are some of the ports I can recall from that one 4 month trip, And remember these paradise islands in the Caribbean were untouched by human hand back in the early 70s, St Lucia, St Kitts, St Thomas, St Vincent, St Martin, Granada, Barbados, Port o Spain Trinidad, Kingston Jamaica, Belize, Far to many to recall, The other 2 trips were ports on the Eastern sea board of the U S A And the Mississippi, And one around the Mexican gulf, Far to many beautiful ports to recall but memories are priceless, And the beer was never expensive, I stood with a guy in a local bar the other day waiting to get served, And he was bragging to his mates the cruise he had just been on in the Mediterranean, Gibraltar, Malta, Tenerife, ETC........ These where ports that most on here would drop into for ships stores before your journey to the far east and beyond through the red sea began, I just shook my head and thought if only you new where I got to and got paid for the privilege. Not the other way around. Still he seemed happy enough Terry.

[gray_marian]

#20, Hey you John S, .......I keep telling you I was still at school Between the Nuns, and my parents I was oblivious on what was on offer on the Clydeside or any other port

[Captain Kong]

Hi Richard,
a very interesting story, enjoyed it. again it is a part of history that few today have experienced. That is something again shore people do not understand.

Here are some photos of your old Ship, Raranga. courtesy of Old Ship Photos site.
Cheers
Brian

[Doc Vernon]

Some of the Ports we did on the old Warwick Castle,that Run was one of the best I recall!
And the pay Capt was also about the same as you mention some 30 odd Quid a Month plus overtime and Tips! Great times!
Still wish I had stayed longer but Alas! Complications! LOL
cHEERS

Warwick_Castle_195859.jpg

Winchester Castle Wages.jpg

[Richard Quartermaine]

Hi Brian,
On photo #2 the galley was the portholes facing for'd towards the bridge. Of the two large stokehold scoops the one directly before the funnel was where I sat daily peeling spuds as the world slid by at about eight knots and crossing to Durban I had the company of those beautiful albatross. In age, she was really only one step up from the four masted old Runic also pictured.
Cheers,
Richard

[Doc Vernon]

30 pints for a £1 !!! Ye Gods !! Bring back the old money...
hahaha

.
Cheers
Brian

I cant actually recall the Price of a good old Mug of Beer (Bitter or Black and Tan) Yummy!
But know that the Money seemed to go a lot longer way than Today! LOL

Cheers

[Red Lead Ted]

Someone, Will post the answer I am convinced. Who can remember all the girls names on the cans of Tenant's, I preferred to neck them, Or get it on right down. Terry.

[gray_marian]

#29, Here you go Terry, knock yourself out

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