UK Customs Checks

[j.sabourn]

#20 Bill think it was rhe Seaforth Victor going into Yarmouth we had been to Rotterdam. Got a bond and went round the crew to see what they wanted. That ground swell coming into the River at Yarmouth and the door into the Bond Locker fell off and in between trying to shove the contents back in and navigate in the river was a nightmare . My personal contents in the locker were 5 packets of rolling tobacco which I left out as the locker door had to be jammed closed. I put these in the ships safe after tying up and forgot about them of course we were boarded by the black gang and whilst entertaining the two boarding officers a searcher came into the room and demanded I open the ships safe. This was unusual to do at the best of time as ship carried all the cyphers and instructions for the outbreak of war. Anyhow he found the tobacco and I was fined 40 pound. I immediately took the two whisky glasses off the two senior officers and told them to vamoose out of my cabin . The second engineer was also fined for having a bottle of spirits in his cabin. I was on the black list they keep for quite some time so expected the rummage squad wherever I went. One time got them at Shell base in Aberdeen. Warned them I was only there for an hour and was shifting over to Waterloo Quay . They ignored my warning so just went ahead and shifted with them on board , they had a long walk back to Shell base where all their cars were parked , a small compensation to me of all the strife they tried to cause me. A pain in the ass if nothing else. JS.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Can't ever remember a customs officer climb the mast.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Unless it was the monkey that they thought was a French Spy and hung at Hartlepool ? JS

[j.sabourn]

#20. Think it was 62 North ? Anyhow what’s a 120 miles here or there. JS…

[happy daze john in oz]

There was a a second chef on UCL, went by the name of Ben Gunn, bloody good chef at that.

It was close to Christmas so he took two turkeys of the ship and set off for the gate.
Story was the gate man decided to take a good look in the taxi.

Asked where he got the Turkeys he said they were surplus to requirements.
Not good enough for the gate man, taking fresh food ashore not permitted.
Told to get out of the taxi and into the office.
Big fine for him we heard.
But while he was in there the taxi decided to go, along with the turkeys.

Ben was sacked then by UCL but no worries mate, he got a position in the London school of catering somewhere in the city.
My sister a couple of years later became one of his pupils.

[Bruce Morris]

After 18 months away on C.T. Bowrings "best" PROSPERO/GMYW, we arrived back at Smiths Dock Newcastle, January 1967. I had bought quite a few odds 'n sods during that time. Customs charged silly money for a cheap Japanese umbrella and pair of binoculars. As R/O I had also bought some test gear in Japan - an oscilloscope and a signal generator. He couldn't find them on his list and I said they were for my work. He didn't charge me duty on them despite their being worth far more than the other stuff. I can understand being charged for cigarettes (I've never smoked!) and booze (which I do drink!) but for a cheap brolly? Senseless.

[j.sabourn]

#26 your probably referring to Smiths Dock , North Shields , Bruce . Can’t remember one in Newcastle ? . Being a drinking man in 1967 chances are you visited the Northumberland Arms a hundred yards outside the bottom gate , also known as the Jungle. A famous or infamous den of iniquity whose reputation has been blackened over the years . No longer exists anymore mores the pity. Cheers JS

[Tony Taylor]

#26 your probably referring to Smiths Dock , North Shields , Bruce . Can’t remember one in Newcastle ? . Being a drinking man in 1967 chances are you visited the Northumberland Arms a hundred yards outside the bottom gate , also known as the Jungle. A famous or infamous den of iniquity whose reputation has been blackened over the years . No longer exists anymore mores the pity. Cheers JS

I noticed last week that the Mariner is up for sale, The Ballarat opposite still going.

[j.sabourn]

Are you talking about the old Golden Fleece more or less opposite the Jungle Tony ?
The wooden Dolly which was an old ships figure head standing outside the pub , was closed in my time , but the figurehead was moved to the square in North Shields at the top of Howard Street. The wooden dolly originally was halfway between the Jungle and the Fish Quay. JS

[Tony Taylor]

Are you talking about the old Golden Fleece more or less opposite the Jungle Tony ?
The wooden Dolly which was an old ships figure head standing outside the pub , was closed in my time , but the figurehead was moved to the square in North Shields at the top of Howard Street. The wooden dolly originally was halfway between the Jungle and the Fish Quay. JS

No John, its up the bank from the old ferry landing right on the junction, its actually The Mariners Arms to be correct, on Saville St. by the traffic lights; The Ballarat is on the direct opposite side of the road. The fish quay is in accessible from the west just now due to works closing a section of the road, you have to go right thro centre to get to Union rd. then turn right to access the Quay.