As we get old

[John Gill]

Break that mirror JP and risk 7 years of bad luck. You'll look better!

[Des Taff Jenkins]

My wife keeps saying , "You don't look like nearly 91', hoping I will say, which I always do, "And you don't look like 87 dear". Nothing like a little seaman's talk [or bull]to keep our chins up.
Des

[j.sabourn]

#29 Alan when people youths come on site looking for advice on a seagoing career I think of my first lecture at pre sea school at the ripe old age of 15 , title “ what is a ship” Answer a ship is a vessel which carries goods from one part of the world to the other and floats in water to do this .it is divided into holds by walls called bulkheads to enable the carriage of different commodities , and continues the basics blah blah. That was 70 years ago and still believe it should be the start for any seafarer. After all my full time working life at sea I am still looking for answers , one never stops learning at sea, and long may it remain for some of the youth of today. However as far as the UK is concerned I think they are on a hiding to nothing as all has been given away. Cheers JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
I feel sad when I read the news about the lack of shipping in the UK, no more sea schools; no more adventures for the teens there, much the same here, but Aus never got off the ground in shipping like the UK. Their politicians do a lot of chest thumping but don't seem to know how important shipping would be to the UK n the event of a war anymore, , where Aus has the land to keep people in food, the UK as shown in two world wars hasn't. letting shipping slip away has don them no favors.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Even a nationalised industry would have been better than no industry , so much for Harold Wilson. JS

[j.sabourn]

#34 Des those of us who grew up during the war years will always have that knowledge of food shortages and the loss of life by the civilian population. I wonder how many can remember that movie produced in 1944 called Western Approaches by Ealing Studios to boost people’s morale re the merchant navy. Think I sat through it twice never heard the air raid sirens going outside. When I left school there were 4 main industries .. the shipyards, the coal mines, the fishing fleets, or the M.N. Today you would have a hard time finding any. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John.
When I left school at 14 I started in a tinplate works, talk about Qliver Twist it was the same for girls doing a mans job before they had developed, but I suppose it made us tough enough to face the world, today's kids all want to be in IT, that will feed the country; everyone will be eating words for breakfast.
Des

[Bill Morrison]

John.
When I left school at 14 I started in a tinplate works, talk about Qliver Twist it was the same for girls doing a mans job before they had developed, but I suppose it made us tough enough to face the world, today's kids all want to be in IT, that will feed the country; everyone will be eating words for breakfast.
Des

Hi Des. I think they will to look back about eating words. This was starter years back!!

[Noel Kelly]

#34 Des those of us who grew up during the war years will always have that knowledge of food shortages and the loss of life by the civilian population. I wonder how many can remember that movie produced in 1944 called Western Approaches by Ealing Studios to boost people’s morale re the merchant navy. Think I sat through it twice never heard the air raid sirens going outside. When I left school there were 4 main industries .. the shipyards, the coal mines, the fishing fleets, or the M.N. Today you would have a hard time finding any. JS

I was 7 years old when the war started, aye I'm 91, and I certainly know about the rationing and such, but I can't say I remember the movie Western Approaches in 1944. In regards to the movies, or should I say 'pictures', seems like my memory takes me to the hectic Saturday afternoon matinees meant for us kids. Remember galloping home from the picture house slapping my bum and yelling Hiyo Silver. Or pretending to be Flash Gordon. My sister and I were evacuated to Askrigg, Yorkshire in 1939 with a lot of other kids but we came back early in 1941.

[j.sabourn]

It was a government made film I think Noel and I can vouch for it as saw in Kingston on Thames at a cinema round the corner from the Hawker Hurricane Factory where my mother worked as a fitter and turner. Think it followed on the lines of the San Demetrio or similar where the ship was abandoned after being torpedoed , the u-boat hung around for any rescue ship appearing , eventually the crew reboarded the vessel and was brought back to port. The crew in lifeboat suspected the uboat was waiting in ambush and managed to warn the naval vessel sent to investigate. So the villain of the peace shook hands with Davy Jones . Cheers JS