Foggy Days and Nights at Sea..........

PS to #10 . Many’s the time I would flash at them P in the hope it would cause a bit of panic, but no doubt it would of had to be a first tripper on the bridge to arouse any anguish. P meaning your lights are out of burning badly. JS

Good thread this one, We all remember the fog horns up and down stream of many rivers the one on the River Mersey was bloody loud alright, A good quiz question, What Liverpudlian is always closer to Man Utd Old Trafford football ground, Than Liverpool's or Everton's Answer the River Mersey. Terry.:rolleyes:

I remember appearing before Captain Wallace for 2nd. Mates. His preface to covering 'Regulations for the Prevention of collisions at sea. Rules 1 to 32, I do not EXPECT YOU to know them off by heart, but do not put anything extra in and do not leave anything out'.
Of course he always started before you even entered the exam room. Clerk would tell you to go to room XX and knock on door. Did that and got no answer, so knocked again. "I CAN HEAR YOU'
silence, eventually told to enter. As entering told to stand by door and give name. Which I did, only to be told cant hear you, speak up. Wood Sir, 'DO NOT SHOUT AT ME', Model way to start an exam.
Had the same gentleman for Mates ticket so got the entry procedure correct but at end of exam am told,"you are laughing at me, I can go back to sea anyway, so I am not going to pass you or fail you but will keep your 2nd.mates ticket in my draw. Go home and study, do not go back to school or talk to any of the other students. Just study and come back at 1500 on friday. Do not be early and do not be late.
Arrived at Dock St, shortly before 1500, and stood in doorway acroos the road until 2 minutes to 3. Then entered only to be told by clerk that Captain Wallace was waiting for me. Straight to his room knocked, immediately told to enter,"come here, what is this buoy, here is the slip for the clerk, You have passed".
Having got 2 tickets from him, was very disappointed when he died while studying for Masters at Plymouth.

#13.Examiners. Bullying tactics-perhaps a perpetuated tradition , and so unecessary really.I think we feared the Orals Examiner more than we did the whole Examination. I wonder if things have changed..my stomach is in knots thinking back on it. Dentist visits after that were pure joy !

#13. Colin I had palpitations even before going to sea when Captain Sargent took me for the lantern test at 15 , I used to wait in later years when he was off on holidays before putting my papers in. It was a pastime with him dishing out extra Seatime JS.

Although I took the exam in London, I put my papers in in Plymouth. When I told the shipping master I was going to sit in London, he got quite agitated. So we went to pub for a beer where he told me he had met the examiner in London at a conference and he was the rudest most unpleasant person he had ever met. (Cant remember his name. ) When I told him that that person had gone on an expedition to the antarctic, he just said, 'God help the poor penguins'.

This Post reminds me of the very first Trip i did on the Dunnottar Castle , going towards London and KG5 Dock in Tilbury
As it was my first trip i was looking forward to seeing the famous White Cliffs , and had asked to be Woken in time for that.
So what did i see, getting up a bit early i was up on Deck and all i could see was Fog! No Wjite Cliffs so a very disappointed young Lad!
Then to crown the glory of course also would have loved to have seen the Entering into the Docks, again could not see very much at all as it was lie Pea Soup!
So had to wait till the following trip, and luck had it then that i did see what i wanted after all.
Cheers

Well doc we just dont get those pea soupers any more .....were a white shirt collar was covered in grit and even street lights were hardly seen.....cappy

The last bad pea souper I recall was way back in about 1959.
I was out on a pig farm near Biggin Hill when it came down.
Only a bicycle for transport so set off home.
Got to the main road and there was a bus, stuck behind him all the way, all 15 miles of it.
Did get home eventually about two hours late and the usual question from mum, 'where have you been your dinner has been ready for hours;

Hi Happy Daze, my grandmother lived in Biggin Hill during the war and we walked or cycled passed the aerodrome when going to see her. Have had more than a few beers at the Crown on Leaves Green road. Caused chaos there one night when I accompanied him to pick up one of Crouches coaches which he drove of a weekend. Pulled up at the crown on our way home to Coney Hall on a friday night, they thought it was a coach full of unexpected customers. Good Fun. Drank regularly at the Fox at Keston.