bulls**t corner

[Keith Tindell]

Hi Shipmates,
I was on the Baltic Trader for 15 months in the early 60s, and our home port was Hamburg, good run ashore etc, but if memory serves me well, i remember sometime on the approach to Hamburg on the Elbe, we used to pass what we called bulls**t corner, where someone had to stand by the ensign aft, and a shore station played a message of welcome and the National Anthem, and we replied by dipping the ensign. As i recall all foreign ships got the same treatment. Just wondering if the same thing applies today, regards to all Keith Tindell

[Ron Kendall]

At the North Sea entrance to the Kiel Canal at Brunsbuttel, the Anthem of your Country was played over a loudspeaker in the late 50s, I dont know if it still happens.

[Chris Allman]

Going up the Manchester Ship canal in the 60s, all we heard was Rock & Roll and got bricks thrown at us.

Chris

[Captain Kong]

Going up the Thames and under the bridges on the Bowbelle all we got was garbage and pi** dropped on us, The only sound was screams of abuse.
this was after the Marchioness incident.

[John Arton]

Hi
Last time I went up to Hamburg (2008) they still played the National Anthem of the country that the passing vessel was registered in, though around that time one of my company's ship (that would be the chem. tankers with a big red S on the funnel) did try to stop the practice by losing power in fog and nearly ramming the jetty where the restaurant was, where the music came from was situated. Much ado and plenty cost did this.

rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)