Liverpool Turnaround Terminal.

[John Callon]

British Rail Bar, British Rail Sandwiches, and British Rail Porters

Just as I remember it Graham. We sailed from there on 22nd December on the first post war Christmas cruise that P & O had done . What a depressing place it was to start the Christmas festivities. God knows what the passengers thought about it. This was on the Iberia. We arrived back there 2 weeks later and most the crew had at least one day off as they all lived down south, me coming from the Liverpool had to work by until we sailed on the next voyage. So I got to know The Tilbury Cruise Terminal quite well!!!
Regards
John

[happy daze john in oz]

British Rail Bar, British Rail Sandwiches, and British Rail Porters

What memmoreis of British Rail, flat beer, curly sandwiches and porters out for a smoke when you wanted one. What wonderful times they were.

[Capt Bill Davies]

Do any of the members remember the way the welt operated. Destroyed trust in Liverpool dockers from which they never recovered.

Bill

[John Pruden]

allso the nuget sat/sun night.JP

[Chris Allman]

Do any of the members remember the way the welt operated. Destroyed trust in Liverpool dockers from which they never recovered.

Bill

Half the gang worked while the other half went to the pub, then they swopped over. Providing the work required of the gang was done nobody said a word. It meant the half gang working had to do two mens' jobs.

[Kenneth Kenny]

Hi Captain,don't you like working class people,you have not got a good word for the Liverpool docket,I bet you were looking over the hatch all day never done hard day's work in your Life never got dirty hands,alway dress like a male model.what about all the dirty cargo's had to be man handled, every piece of cargo and rats running around you,could you see yourself doing that, not on your nelly.I was a Liverpool Docker for over 25 years and I done that.If I was you say know more.From Ken.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Captain,don't you like working class people,you have not got a good word for the Liverpool docket,I bet you were looking over the hatch all day never done hard day's work in your Life never got dirty hands,alway dress like a male model.what about all the dirty cargo's had to be man handled, every piece of cargo and rats running around you,could you see yourself doing that, not on your nelly.I was a Liverpool Docker for over 25 years and I done that.If I was you say know more.From Ken.

Kenneth, a little bit out of order there, anyone who has reached the rank of Master in our MN has been through the mill. A lot on this site came from the foc'le and worked bluddy hard physically and mentally to reach the positions they did, and those who came up from cadetships also worked bluddy hard and were treated like sh-te and got the dirtiest jobs that could be conceived and not on the wages dockers were on. You didn't stop getting your hands dirty because you occasionally wore a uniform, try washing out OBO and Ore carriers or general cargo ships after a cargo of lamp black, or digging out hundreds of tons of wet grain which smells like decomposing bodies, and I've experienced both. Also we didn't get to go home every night we were being tossed around in hurricanes whilst you were tucked up in bed. Also how many dockers were attacked by pirates, also you don't have to tell seamen about rats we've seen them all, big buggers too in the far east and Middle East, along with cockroaches big enough to carry a sandwich plus mosquitoes that tore the blood out of you down in West Africa.

I don't know who your missive was aimed at and I'm sure they can defend themselves adequately but you should never judge a book by its cover sometimes it's best to stop and think before hastening into print

Regards Ivan

[Chris Allman]

Yes Kenneth all the above is well said by Ivan and very true. We always did a fair full days work too, not half of one working the welt. I think you should also remember that without seamen, including the officers too, you would not have had a job to go to.

Chris.

[Jim Brady]

The days of the WELT were in the days of " give a lot a little" just like when we had 50 crew on the average cargo boat.The amount of men that were hired would've been in each others way.When you think about it you had a new set of hands after four hours with nobody flagging towards the end of the day.It was a well organised thing and anyone that was known as a "BIRCHER" would find it difficult to find a partner to work opposite,if you went on first there was no guarantee that he would come and relieve you so you would end up having todo the full day,so it was known as being "BIRCHED".Imagine doing that on wet hides.It is no wonder when you think about it that Liverpool always held the record for the most tonnage turned around in any year.I dont know if any of you ever ended up in the afternoon in the "Irish Club" in Bootle after the pubs shut at 3pm.I seen a couple of dockers who had been " BIRCHED" comming in there looking for their "make up" and one hell of a fight breaking out.
Regards.
Jim.B

[Jim Brady]

Ivan and Chris,with respect can you not read between the lines I'm surprised that you replied to Kens post.I've had a pint with Ken and he is passionate about Liverpool and the Liverpool dockers,he is a very nice guy and maybe he does get carried away a bit if he thinks Liverpool dockers are being picked on and he will take a stance on that matter.
Regards.
Jim.B