Richard Willis (deceased)

[Kieran Quinn]

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This photo is about late 60’s.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Cheers Kieran, great pic.

K.

[Christine Couper]

Hello JS,
Small world!
No, I'm in Low Fell, but originate from Blyth.
CC

[Tony Taylor]

Christine my wife is a Gateshead girl. Your not from the Rawling Road area are you ? JS

John, I am from Kibblesworth originally, but you probably would not know it being from north of the river, but your wife may.

[j.sabourn]

#13. My grandmothers family also from Blyth. Their name was Chandler , I always associated it with the robber of ships stores. Although do think she had a relation who was a windjammer skipper so the story went. The only authentic family history were the Sabourns from Cullercoats as have pictures of them with their fishing boats. And some of the females sitting outside the fishermen’s cottages that used to be there selling the shell fish and winkles etc. when you hear stories passed down through generations you always have to accept a bit of lacework round the edges even if just for the propriety of the occassion , it is however more probably truer than official reports from the media who usually try and embellish everything to make more appealing reading. The likes of Capt. Hogg an old family friend and one of the oldest families in Cullercoats when his ship the Blythmoor was sunk in the North Sea, Lord Haw Haw came on the radio and gave a commentary on how he had survived and was now safe at home and even gave his address. Those sort of stories never reach the media. Cheers JS
PS to the Low fell girl My best man when I was married was Maurice Bennett who was 3rd engineer at the time, it would be great to know if he was alive and well today. Who knows he may even look in at this site sometimes . JS

[Lewis McColl]

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This photo is about late 60’s.

Kieran my eyes are not what they were. Have I missed something on this thread? Can I ask what is the reference to the photo you have posted is? Is that ship a photo of the Gardeners coaster Saint Bridget? My reason for asking is, she was discharging a cargo of Nitroglycerin (TNG) into a Blue funnel ship I was sailing on the Autolycus. We were anchored off shore Falmouth. It was the last cargo the Saint Bridget would ever carry. There was a problem with the cargo as it was leaking. We stopped the loading and back loaded the cargo after both ships were ordered further offshore. A group of specialist were flown down from Scotland from an ICI factory were the cargo had been made.. All shipping and aircraft were diverted from the area. The Saint Bridget was ordered to sail or she may have been towed as far as I can remember 50 miles south of Lizard point and the Royal Navy placed explosive charges onboard and the Saint Bridget was sunk. This happened in February 1972 on or about the 6th of February. The reason I can remember the dates so well , it was my 23rd birthday.

[Doc Vernon]

Revival of old Post here Lewis
Cheers

Anyone ever sail for J&A Gardner (Saint Bridget) (merchant-navy.net)

[Lewis McColl]

Ah okay thanks Doc.

[Ivan Cloherty]

my dad was on Empress of Scotland 1947

If I remember rightly her name was changed from 'Empress of Japan' in 1941 to 'Empress of Scotland' but could be mixing up E of S with another vessel

[Robert George Young]

my dad was on Empress of Scotland 1947