spuds

[cappy]

one of the first jobs I remember onmy first trip was sitting out side the galley door spud peeling .....some folk off watch would just sit down and peel a few.....the chat from this was a learning channel for a young man....the stories were endless....down off the azores in jan after leaving shields on dec23 it was so warm and I remember a great tin of pineapple slices being opened and the cook .....long gone now telling me I could drink all the juice ...truly nectar from heaven.....first stop for bunkers Willemstad in curacao.....no subs but selling ciggies and getting my ist beer abroad having a good throw up ....but telling all I was feeling great ....the cook from shields kicking my **** the next morningas I couldn't get out my wan..r....the small jolly boat which turnedover in Sydney harbour after somebody saying the harbour was full of sharks and swimming for the gangway with one hand on my nuts ....the fight that followed by a mixture of all as to who caused it to turn over ....the second engineer lifting a pile of plates in the sailors messroom and crashing them into an ab,s head the chief steward from north shields breaking a jug of penfolds over the engineers head .....the third mate looking in the messroom then scuttling off me sitting in the corner wanting to wack some body but to scared ......writing a letter home to my granny and telling her it was like being on a holiday the docker in Melbourne telling me to get out the bar he didn't want to drink with kids......me telling him to foxtrot alpha.....him trying to grab me ...me to quick the cook wacking him and thre bosun who lived up our street.....sorting the docker and his mate out ....could go on forever that was the cragmmoor 1956 out of shields a young mans first taste of true life

[j.sabourn]

Had to be tough to survive Runcimans Cappy. I knew no different for the first 11 years and only learnt there was life outside of 56 Pilgrim Street when they moved upto Glasgow with Anchor Line about 1964. When 2nd. Mate there was my job in Oz to go to Custom House and see what seamen they had awaiting deportation as DBS to make up for those who decided to try their hand in Oz. However looking back now sailed with some brilliant seamen, which I reckon the present model would have a hard time scratching the surface of. As in every walk of life I suppose you take the bad with the good, but in general there were more good at sea than ashore. Cheers John Sabourn

[cappy]

you hit the nail on the head there john....there wasn't any obesity in those ships after a couple of weeks.....but a spirit you couldn't bust ......proper ships andsome proper characters ....all gone now ...for the better I don't know...only no it was good to build character...regards cappy