Luggage

[Capt Bill Davies]

In my days in the China boats all ships arriving at the Gladstone Dock were met by a Luggage carrier by the name O'Neills.
His services were used by many, especially the Welsh contingent, as there were few who were met by family who owned cars.

The driver was a Jack Lynch, a nice guy, who ended up driving Taxis and based at Liverpool Lime Street at least that is where I last met him in the early 70s.

Ring any bells or was this Luggage carrier a BF thing?

Brgds

Bill

[Jim Brady]

The vans meeting the Cunard and CPR were Daley's.They were used maily to deliver the store boxes which the lads had bought on the ship.(Store Boxes thats another story)It was 5bob a box and it would be delivered anywhere in Liverpool.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

That is right Jim, Daleys were always there on the Pier Head, I always had a few Stores Boxes, sometimes a Washing Machine or Fridge from the Salvation Army, $10, in New York. Five Shillings a box, he would leave them in the Left Luggage Office at Exchange Station for me.
Very handy.
Cheers Briian.
.

When I was in Hong Kong, there was always a lorry on the dock, on the back a big notice,
WANKEE, LEFT HAND DRIVE. it always caused a laugh.

[John Arton]

Not crew or passenger luggage as such but when the Empress's were running every time we docked in Liverpool there was a trail of taxis waiting to take the butchers and head bar keeps off up the road to deliver their goods to the pubs and butchers around the area. It was reckoned that a number of pubs and butchers in Liverpool hardly ever brought spirits or meat from the wholesalers as they were amply supplied by stuff care of C.P. pinched off the Empress boats.
When loading the stores in Liverpool the dockers just used to help themselves to any case of meat etc. that caught their eyes and no one ever dared stop them as they would have just down tools and walked off, preventing the ship from sailing.
God only knows how much it cost C.P. but it was certainly a significant amount.
rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)

[john sutton]

does anyone remember the taxis at las palmas thet used to line up by the passenger berth.they looked like cars out of gangster films.all were immaculate and today would be worth fortunes.I,m talking about 1950
john sutton

[Jim Brady]

John,with respect your post 4# does'nt ring true,none of us that sailed with CPR could believe that post.Forget the butcher and the head barman but as regards Liverpool dockers loading stores it just did'nt happen.CPR and Cunard had their own SHOREGANGS these shoregands were made up of the Company Catering Departments,guys that wanted to work by for a while for some reason or many that did not wish to go away to sea anymore,but Liverpool dockers never entered into the equation.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[John Gill]

Yes Jim--------- remember the Loot Boxes well------- cost a quid and the contents would usually last until the next one, I think Mr Daley and his crew had an arrangement with both the dock gate bobbies and customs.
gilly

[John Callon]

John,with respect your post 4# ..........

I agree with you there Jim. Both companies had their own shore gangs and as you say they were made up of members of the Catering Dept. I was on Cunards whilst I was waiting for a transfer to Southampton. In fact Bert Forrest wwho was the Cunard super for hiring crew used to tell you go and report to CPR and work on their shore gang whilst waiting for the next Cunard Liner to come in. Have to say it was bloody hard work spending all day doing beer carrys, hauling carcases of meat about, getting the clean laundry aboard and unloading pallets full of stores.
Would do it all over again though as we had some great laughs.
Regards
John

[Jim Brady]

John,I think the worst thing was the milk churns,ok where the alleyway was wide enough to walk side by side but walking single file was murder.the guy at the back put his hand on the guy in he fronts shoulder to keep them apart but the front guy took some terrible knocks to his heels.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[John Callon]

Jim we used to board the ship at the stage on Saturday morning
.The first thing was a baggage carry and then the dirty linen.
We had to get the milk churns off by 12 noon as she would moving round to the Huskisson just after that, and yes, one hell of a job. You were lucky to have any ankles left.
Regards
John