The Houlders Family (hippy navy)

[Martin Self]

Hi Folks, I'll blame Drew for prompting me into signing up for this website. I was browsing on-line for the old family "Houlder Brothers" and came across this site, stirred some memories I can tell you. Spent some exciting years with this outfit, even after we merged into Furness Withy it still carried on. Never met so many good charactors in my life. Like many of us spent years Offshore after but the buzz wasnt the same.
Hey Drew can you remember that crazy bosun aboard the OT who used the bread knife out of the crew mess to kill a caged rat he had caught in the foc'sle head, he gave it a wipe then put it back in the mess.....mad. things that happened that trip wow. My brother Cliff is also in-touch with plenty of ex Houlders guys but I think he uses a different website, will ask him. We were both Chefs for years but now seen the light. I run my own Pest control & Prevention business in Wales and Cliff is also a Pest Control Technician in Suffolk.
Is it the one and only Gary Meadows.....2nd Steward, Orduna?????
Looks like may have some fun on here
Cheers
Martin

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Martin
Would just like to give you a warm Welcome to this very good site!
Here you will find lots of info,good Crew and with luck also find a few old Shipmates!
So sit back,relax and just enjoy the trip!
Hope we will have you here for a long time!
A site truly worthy of the British Merchant Navy!
Cheers

If you would like to join in and have your Full name R Number and First Ship
Included in the Flag then Please join the Crew List and leave full details on the Registration Form.
We need your names to get the New Flag full,so please do respond!
Thank you
Vernon (castleman)

Don’t forget to note your First Ship on the Form!

If any new Members or old ones too want a bit of info on the Flag Projects please
Go to the following Links where you can see Pics and Write ups on this subject!
Thanks

http://www.merchant-navy.net/gallery...php?photo=8380

If you have allready done this then Thank You!

[happy daze john in oz]

G'day Martin and welcome to the site. Do you still have a list of the ships you sailed on and maybe some dates? If you do and care to post them on site there is a good chance someone will remember you. So sit back with a cold one and enjoy the voyage.

[Martin Self]

Thanks guys for the welcome. Going too dig out the old discharge book to confirm ships and dates, memory slightly shattered from years of the good life.
Spent some time up the road from youself "dazey John" in Geelong, was on the "Lord Kelvin" 85 I think, we sailed the circumference of the globe that trip, only time I ever done it.
Joined Houlders in 77, then worked offshore late 80's for 15 years.
Living in Ruthin, North Wales for passed 22 years, love it, shooting, fly-fishing good rugby and real ale.....oh got the wellies as well !!!

[Duncan Culver]

Hi Martin,
don`t know if you remember me,i was the messman on the orduna when we did a trip down south america.Dave Wheaton from Cardiff was 2 nd cook and Gary Meadows was 2 nd steward.You got paid off sick just before we sailed from birkenhead on the 2 nd trip.We used to spend a lot of time in your cabin,smoking the funny stuff and planing our next run ashore!
Drop me a line if you remember me
Duncan

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Duncan C
Would just like to give you a warm Welcome to this very good site!
Here you will find lots of info,good Crew and with luck also find a few old Shipmates!
So sit back,relax and just enjoy the trip!
Hope we will have you here for a long time!
A site truly worthy of the British Merchant Navy!
Cheers

If you would like to join in and have your Full name R Number and First Ship
Included in the Flag then Please join the Crew List and leave full details on the Registration Form.
We need your names to get the New Flag full,so please do respond!
Thank you
Vernon (castleman)

Don’t forget to note your First Ship on the Form!

If any new Members or old ones too want a bit of info on the Flag Projects please
Go to the following Links where you can see Pics and Write ups on this subject!
Thanks

http://www.merchant-navy.net/gallery...php?photo=8380

If you have allready done this then Thank You!

[Martin Self]

Hi Duncan, yes some trip eh, shame we never had a repeat performance. Went off in birkenhead with grumbling appendix as she was letting go, spent 3 days in hospital but they wouldnt take it out, thought it was the chinese we had night before but watching Ordunda sail down river without me hurt even more. Been intouch with Gary nice to hear he's well, always wondered how he faired after that trip.hahahahahah. Have you heard from ginger at all these days? Ive been down to cardiff last few years with my son at uni and always keep an eye out for his ginger mop!! We cooked some wicked recipes together in that galley.
Where you hiding these days, thought you went offshore, sure my brother has mentioned your name over the years. He's intouch with other Houlders guys on another website from sea and offshore.
Funny how those days are always a part of you but you never seem to cross paths with the characters who made them.
Well back to me real ale.
Keep intouch
Martin

[happy daze john in oz]

G'day Duncan and welcome to the site. Do you still have a list of the ships you sailed on and maybe some dates? I fyou doa nd care to list them on site you may well get to hear from some who knew you. Gary Meadows sounds familiar as there was a secon steward by that name with UCL at one time, not my favorite thougfh.

[Duncan Culver]

Hi Martin,
yes i will always remember that trip on the orduna,do you remember that customs officer in kingston?.Did 3 more trips after you left with ginger,went to see him in cardiff but lost touch after that and have not seen him since.Did 4 trips after that when it changed name to the beacon grange down to brazil,then was on the canadian explorer backwards and forwards to canada till i left the sea in 1988.
Still have a photo somewhere of you wearing a davy crocket hat in the galley on the orduna,your eyes looked a bit red!I am still in contact with gary meadows but he said he cant remember you,dont know how he was in the next cabin to you!
Duncan

[Duncan Culver]

Hi happy daze,
dont think you know gary meadows he was never with ucl.
Cheers
Duncan
ps thanks for the welcome to the site