Denby Grange

[AJ Hawker]

hI Geoff
Morning to you, My lips are sealed lol, someone made a few bob that day,cannot remember the full story how much were they worth?
AJ

[Geoff Anderson]

Evening AJ.
Guess who got a tap on the shoulder for that one, but it wasn't me, honest!. Maybe id better explain. I used to help out on a farm in Wenvoe one day i was working on a fence line that was our boundary with an old quarry and i saw all these cop cars come up the lane and go into the quarry. so i just had to be nosey and have a look at what was going on. Then two pairs of hairy hands were on my collar, two cops had nabbed me. They wanted to know the ins and outs of a cats behind and i couldn't help them, the quarry was used as a scrap yard by an ex shipmate. They eventually found the condensers buried in the ground with a load of scrap iron on top
I think they were worth about 20,000 pounds each.
Did you ever sail with a deckie nicknamed Shanks, ELY boy. Ho the reason of how he got his nickname, can you remember the makers name of the sanitary ware onboard most ships?? (This question is open to anybody)
He sailed with me on the Hornby Grange.
Geoff.

[AJ Hawker]

HI Geoff
Getting confused now morning or evening any way its morning here.Now you mention quarry, condensers think i will have a little talk with some ex drydock workers. Iam afraid the name Shanks does not ring any bells only the loo then i am not very good with names , good with faces though lol.
Cheers AJ

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi A.J Hi Geoff Hi shipmates', Geoff was the farm in wenvoe owned or run by a man called Jackson? he was ex merchant seaman on deck, A.J as you know I worked in Baileys and all around that area, for K and B anti pollution, base was Cardiff docks, and Patsy sullivan sends his regards to you, Anything that could walk, or not bolted down,on the docks was fair game? My wifes family were all dockers.

[AJ Hawker]

Hi Lois
Thought you had jumped ship somewhere, you are right about things not being bolted down they would go walkies. Lois was it you that was on the Clutha River when she sailed from Barry on Christmas day, becouse Ray Lima from Barry was on the same trip he has a post on this thread. Would not mind popping to see you and Patsie some time, give Patsie my regards also catch you later.
AJ

[lima]

Hi A-J
I paid off the "Clutha Ri ver" in France in August 59 wife having my son, the ship was ok but the crew were a nightmare.We sailed as i said on Xmas morning to Mena-Al-Ahmadi and back to Willemahaven then Falmouth for bunkers,most of the Barry crowed paid off but i stayed.Picked up a rushed crowed from Newport and they fought from Falmouth to Punta Cadon to the States and back until i paid off 6months later.They set fire to the stern locker in Curacao,dumped all the stern ropes and the Skipper had us patrolling the decks at night every 20 minutes.I think 6 were DR'd in france and 2 in Curacoa.That was my last trip at sea.
Happy times. I could go on for ages.
Best Wishes for Xmas.
Ray.L Barry

[AJ Hawker]

Hi Ray
Gee that was a nightmare of a trip allways seemed to have trouble with a crowed from the the same home port, who was the skipper. I am glad i never expirenced a trip like that come close on a shell tanker, speak soon.
AJ

[Geoff Anderson]

Hi AJ.
Sorry about , morning / evening, we are 13 hrs ahead of you in NZ.
Shanks name was Dale Evans and he got the nickname shanks because he was always in the heads and we thought he had shares in the company who made the porcelain
Geoff

[AJ Hawker]

Hi Geoff
Now that name rings a bell, have to get the old grey matter working.
AJ

[Geoff Anderson]

Hi Louis.
The name Jacksons rings a bell, but i worked on the Grieve farm, owned by Randolf's . He was the grandson of the Brains estate and owned three farms in wenvoe, all along the wenvoe straights.He was very rich and very tight as well.
As for nothing being sacred and everything was fair game on the docks, how true. But these condensers were not small, apparantly he drove his truck into Baileys used the crane to load then up and just drove out again, and they didnt know they were missing until they went to install them. But somebody had taken down his rego numbers of the truck.
Can you remember the cop on Cardiff docks called the Rat ,saw him thrown in the dock once, but the bugger could swim.
Geoff. hoping you are still keeping my pie and pint of dark handy.