Bibby Line Reunion

[Paul Steel]

Hi all Bibby people,

Dave Creamer and a few others are organising a Bibby Line reunion in Liverpool in November.
If anyone is interested please post back and I'll give up more details.

It does mean joining Facebook as that is where it is being organised.?

I do not wish to detrack from this excellent site, it is just where this reunion has started from.?

Hope to hear from a few people.

[John Callon]

Hi Paul
I was with Bibbys a number of years, first ship being the troopship Devonshire in 1960. Have you any more details of this planned reunion or does one have to join Facebook, which I have to say, I am reluctant to do. I would join to find out more about the reunion though as I can cancel out of the site (Facebook that is) once I have all the details.
Regards
John C

[Paul Steel]

Hi John,
I have just been informed that FB membership is not mandatory, just convenient. I was on it anyway. That way you can also see who else is in the group.
I am going to find out how anyone interested can do do without joining FB, as at least one other member of this site has no wish to join FB either.
I will come back with my results later.

[Jim Dixon]

Michael Bibby was featured in the Times yesterday. Unfortunately, he is a trained accountant and does not have the interest in ships that his old man had. Worth checking out if you worked for this outfit.

[Paul Steel]

For anyone interested, being a member of the FB group is not necessary.


The alternative method is to email Dave Creamer at sinbadscrewtop@hotmail.co.uk or bibbyseafarers@gmail.com giving their name,
Bibby Line connection and preferably years served, ie. 1970 -1975, so the administration can confirm they're bona fide.
Your partners are invited as a matter of course.


Once verified you will receive a booking form and other instructions.

Hope this helps anyone who might be interested.

[John Callon]

Hi Paul,
Many thanks for your replies. In spite of what I posted last night i.e. joining facebook, I did register with them and have now joined the Bibby Line Group. Again many thanks for the info.
Regards
John C

[Lewis McColl]

Michael Bibby was featured in the Times yesterday. Unfortunately, he is a trained accountant and does not have the interest in ships that his old man had. Worth checking out if you worked for this outfit.

His dad was a ship owner and had a genuine interest in his ships, shall we say he was canny with his money, but for all that used to come out and visit the ships. I met Sir Derek a few times and was even in his home in Williston Wirral.
I was home on leave and got a phone call from the office , I guy I knew was super there , Martin Kent. He lived not far from me. Me in Hoylake and him in West Kirby. Lew what do you know about central heating? What? Sir Derek has phoned the office and needs someone to have a look at his heating, you have been elected. I was given the address so being a nosey bugger went and had a look. First mistake was ringing the front door bell. His Polish man servant /driver opens the door, tells me back door is for tradesmen. Lady Bibby was in the kitchen, lovely women. Anyway after a brew, had a look at this ancient oil fired boiler and got it going again. Sir Derek appeared to thank me. He looked at me and said have you been here before, no sir. I seem to know your face ? I flew out with you last year to join the Lincolnshire while she was in Rotterdam. Ah okay now I remember. Would you like to take a walk around the garden with me? Not as if you could say no is it? Anyway he got a bag and off we set. He was asking me about how I enjoyed life at sea and how long I had been with the company etc! He seemed genuinely interested in passing his time with me , no rush to get me gone. He filled the bag with apples & pears also Tomatoes from the green house. As he walked me back to the front of the house were my car was parked. He looked at it and said nice car I like your number plate T200 LEW(wife bought it for me) Mind if I have a sit in it. Go ahead, how old is this car ? just picked it up last month. It was a new Mercedes C200. The old bugger says to me if you have a Mercedes I must be paying you to much , can you drop me off at the Williston post office. He was unwell at the time so I dropped him off , I waited for him and run him back home. He was nice guy but you could tell he did not stand fools easily. A week or so later there was a rap on my door and the post man had a an envelope to be signed for. It was £100 and an invite for me and the wife to attend a garden party at the end of the month. Sir Derek did a lot for the working classes in the Birkenhead area. Michael his son is a different fish. The one that still looks out for the Birkenhead folk now is Peter Bibby. I was reading a recent article in a local magazine called Wirral focus? seems like a chip of the old block. Sadly my meeting with Sir Derek was not long before he decided to end his pain, I liked and admired the man,he had a mans hand shake unlike Michael hand shake like a wet fish.

[Jim Dixon]

There is an old adage in business which equally applies the that of shipping. One generation creates the wealth, the next expands its, the following spends it, the final generation destroys it.

[Jim Dixon]

[QUOTE=Lewis McColl;265612] Sadly my meeting with Sir Derek was not long before he decided to end his pain]

He could have chosen a easier way. I seem to recall they evacuated Arrowepark Hospital on his arrival. Fertiliser is a messy business.

[Lewis McColl]

Jim sadly he did , but I am sure if he had known that, he would have chosen a different method. The Bibby family have been very generous to the youth of Birkenhead and the area for many years Birkenhead boys club etc!