home confinement

[Chris Allman]

Les I think that the Hammond Innes book he was researching for was the Golden Soak.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Chris
Was that the one about Aussie beer!!!
Des

[Red Lead Ted]

Re # 32 RLT. That was a book that I devoured and read a few times while in the bush. Also seen the movie a few times. Did bump into Hammond Innes when I was working in the Nullabour Desert where he was researching for one of his books on gold mining (can not recall the title). Have read all his books but that was years ago.

Les, Hi buddy another bunch of books which i think i must have read them all also, Was the Famous Captain Edges western,s they seemed to be aboard every ship. Happy days buddy your scouse mate Terry.

[j.sabourn]

Who was it that supplied the ships library’s, was it the seafarers education committee or a similar sounding name.usually came in a couple of boxes , or could change them with other ships . Were changed out officially in the UK. These things seemed to disappear over a period of time. Like the merchant navy program on the radio. Think maybe Walport with their movies must have been a bigger drawing power, but believe they also disappeared ? JS.

[Chris Allman]

John I seem to remember that it was the Marine Society who are now Nautilus I think, who as you say supplied our libraries in two wooden boxes. In L+H it was the Cadets role to look after the books and to make sure all were returned at the end of each trip. Gosh that was a blast from the past, thank you. Yes the Merchant Navy radio program too, they always seemed to give preference to the big tanker companies and the bigger shipping lines like P&O and Cunard. Nearly every program had Sailor by Petula Clark and Homeward Bound by Simon & Garfunkel
played on it.

I remember on one trip my fellow Cadet and I bought two paper back books in Swansea - Lady Chatterly's Lover and Fanny Hill - after we had read them and once the crew found out we had them, they became the most read books on the ship. Never did get them back. Happy days.

[John Gill]

Did any members ever use the libraries offered by Missions to Seamen, whereas books could be borrowed then returned to another Mission elsewhere round the world. I used them quite a lot and read many volumes of Readers Digest condensed books which contained most of the popular classics. I read these books for years until I was given, as a present, an unabridged version of one of the Digest books I used to read.I was surprised how much of the content of the Digest books had been deleted. I looked further into it and realized I had been brainwashed. Most references to anything resembling communism or leftish dialogue, or anything that didn't fit the American ideology, as was then, had disappeared. Whether the same goes on today I don't know but I haven't opened one for 50 years.
Gilly

[Bill Morrison]

Post #37. The mention of Walport films. My first trip to sea 1966 on a tanker, the film shown was "Rose-Marie" Nelson Eddy & Jeanette MacDonald. The Indian crew seemed to like it.
I wonder how many ships it had past through!

[Red Lead Ted]

I used to get the sea breeze every month it was always a good read very informative for seaman and once read i would collect a bundle from other seaman, Seaman's mission, An old shipmate sadly passed now John Scowin R.I.P. Started the idea of donating them to the mission and it snowballed i have seen the missions bus delivering up to 5 large boxes to ships here in Liverpool and just like the movies we used to swap with other ships, The sea breeze would be passed on, Any little read you could get hold of always went back to the library section and as i remember when i was with Harrisons the chief steward used to take the lead with the assistance of the galley and deck boys and swap just about anything it all made for a bit of therapeutic treatment especially at sea keeping sea watches the ship would be so silent through the night most of us had are heads into a good read. Good health all Terry.

[Chris Allman]

I enjoyed a good read during off duty hours, I found it extremely relaxing especially before I turned in.

[Doc Vernon]

In those days i used to enjoy reading the Books of Zane Grey his was so different from many other type Westerns , a good Writer which to me held you at most all times.
Cheers

https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/zane-grey/260686/

Riders of the Purple Sage was i think his all time best,but he had so many it was hard to choose!