The Calling of the Sea

[Ivan Cloherty]

How many of the membership considered alternative forms of employment prior to going away to sea.

I'm sure I can speak for many who left school in the 50s and recall several members in each class/stream who dreamed of nothing else. Several in my year went to Conway.


Interesting to hear of what were the drivers for you.

Brgds

Bill

Went on my first ship during WWII in the River Humber when I was 5 years old, we had been bombed out 3 times whilst Dad was away for two years. Getting to the ship at anchor during those days in itself was an adventure with all the paperwork, permissions and the trip on the pilot boat and it always stuck in my mind and from then on was determined to go to sea. Joined Trinity House at twelve and a half, then on deep sea trawlers at 13 years old. Did some research in the Hull Library, no computers then, it was Lloyds List and Journal of Commerce and pen and paper, borrowed some money from mum at 15 got the train from Hull to Liverpool without telling anyone where I was going, went to PSNC offices and they said they would give me job as a cadet when I was 16 which they did, never looked back from there. Of course PSNC was bloody hard work and cheap labour but the girls in Callao and Valpo were ample compensation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Surprising what you could do on £7 a month even after leaving mother 30 bob a month. God Bless Yardleys soap and toilet water, the best currency on the coast. Then quite a few more years at sea came ashore but never swallowed the anchor, been involved with ships one way or another to this day, can honestly say never regreted any of it, of course there were bad times,. bad ships, bad masters, bad food and hurricanes, typhoons etc and no doubt we all wished we were somewhere else at these bad times but there were more good times, good ships and good masters than bad and without the bad you wouldn't appreciate the good and I'm glad I did it, a 9 to 5 job never came into my mind that must be so soul destroying and certainly wouldn't have given me the memories I am forever blessed with, even if the landlubbers think we are dreaming, but we know what we've done and they cannot take that away from us.

Ivan

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
My Dad was in the RN in the first war only thing I remember him saying he was on one of those Q ships, wait for the u-boat to suface then down with the side hatches. My brother joined the MN in 42 in our small village all I heard was he's been torpedoed or he's been picked up, my mates brother died after being torpedoed my own brother having missed the same ship by sleeping in.
I left school at fourteen as thick as when I went in; went to work in the local timplate works untill I was old enough to apply for the Vindicatrix, and I was away on the Spanish main first trip, 16 great years, not enough, but long enough for some fabiluos memories,
Cheers Des

[Gordon Turnbull]

You know what jumps out at me on this site, not just this thread, but overall? No matter how many years people went to sea, for some it was only a couple, some 10 or 12, some 18 some 30 etc etc, not one person has a bad thing to say about the life. That is either a testimony to the attitude of people on here or a reflection on how life really was. Could obviously be a combination of both. In 28 years at sea I had some bad times obviously, however far far outweighed by the good times. If ever that book gets written it would be full of fun :-)

[Keith Tindell]

I left school on the Friday aged 15, had never even heard of O levels, and started work in a shoe repair shop on the Monday, soon realised this was not going to be something that would fulfill me for long, my father and my grandfather all went to sea. While working in the repair shop a Polish seaman used to come in, it was a small village in Surrey, and he was in the MN, he would tell where his last trip was to etc, that was it, against my parents wishes, applied for the MN as deck crew, and at 16 years was off to Gravesend sea school. I still remember today the first ship and the excitement as a 16 year old, and old Haines tramper, but i was hooked, and the next 7 years were wonderful. It was while taking my Ab`s ticket in London that we did a 1 day fire fighting couse at West Ham station, and the guy in charge told us that the London Fire Service would take the whole course of matelots if we applied, and some 2 yeras later when Mrs Right turned up, i joined the fire service and retired 30 years later, but navy days will never be forgotten, regards Keith Tindell

[Ray McCerery]

Wanted to go to sea from around 11 year old, Parents had a pub just off South Docks Sunderland, used to listen to the tales from the crews in the bar!!.

Tried to get a pier head jump but Dad put a stop to that, waited till I was old enough then sent to gravesend joined first ship in 58 and retired from the sea in 2007 had more better times than bad times. What a life for a bairn then to going to sea now???.

Ray

[Captain Gordon Whittaker]

I have fond memories of South Dock, Sunderland, or, more correctly, "Sooth Dock"! I was a regular visitor, on the "Marwick Head", a collier, and frequented the Regale Tavern, where I met my match when I tackled "Broon Ale", or "Journey into Space"! All in the early 1960s as I learned my trade as 3rd & 2nd Mate. Happy days, with great people, who showed utmost hospitality.

[Richard Culligan]

My Grandfather was an army man then a school teacher/headmaster and my father was a career army man but I wanted to go to sea since about the age of 11. Joined the sea scouts and then into the navy straight from school mid 1960's. Left early '70's and went into marine and cargo insurance via a Lloyd's Broker plus was able still to go to sea regularly by way of being part of a crew that looked after an old Dunkirk boat.

At that time did not know what made me decide at such an early age that the sea was for me but since retiring and looking into the family tree have found from the early 1900's two ancestors who sailed with Union Castle and Cunard plus one who was in the Royal Navy.

Richard (R846959)

[Ray McCerery]

I have fond memories of South Dock, Sunderland, or, more correctly, "Sooth Dock"! I was a regular visitor, on the "Marwick Head", a collier, and frequented the Regale Tavern, where I met my match when I tackled "Broon Ale", or "Journey into Space"! All in the early 1960s as I learned my trade as 3rd & 2nd Mate. Happy days, with great people, who showed utmost hospitality.

Hi Gordon

Remember seeing the Marwick and Rattray Head loading in South dock, The Regale tavern still open for business, but fred the lanlord retired many years ago, my Dads pub was the Cottage Tavern on the othe street corner.

Ray

[stephen flaherty]

Hi all, I left school at 15 and in them times back in 1957 I had a choice of many jobs and I got a job as a plumbers mate with a local building firm. After five years I became a Plumber but wanted to see the world before I got too old or involved in a relationship.
I went to Prescot Street in London and was told that the only people they wanted was firemen cleaners!.
I got through the medical and went off to Newcastle for training for 3 weeks, we were a mixed buntch of lads and we were sent to join the Queen Mary in Southampton. Even though I liked boilers and pipes I did not like the engine room.
I then being a little duck and diver got back to a Mr Kratze in the shiping federation in London with a faulse referance stating I had been working as a waiter in a bar in Shaftsbury Lane in London. I then started as a kitchen porter on the Pendennis Castle, then on to Orient Line as a Kitchen porter and finished of as a wine steward.
I had then back in 1969 left the sea and returned to my trade, but this time as a heating engineer working for large companies, After ten years I started my own one man band and have been doing this ever since.
I am a domestic and commercial GAS SAFE engineer, some of the people I work for: Embassy of Finland, Austrain Embassy, South Korean embassy,Embassy of Mongolia, and lot of High Commitions.
I loved the time I spent at sea and also love my pipes!

[Jimmy Scougall]

Pure and simple,it's in my blood.My Grandad,my uncles and cousins all went too sea,in our house alone there was 6 of us who went to sea.I was the yougest so listening to all the stories that were told there was only one job for me.Gordon Turnbull asked why we all talk so fondly of the M.N. I think it was the friendship you made at sea,that kind of comradeship you will not find in a lot of jobs.

All the Best Jimmy Scougall