Gambling and Leisure at sea

[Jim Brady]

Four of us in the cabin played crib every chance we got,a four hander and we kept the same two on two for the trip.Most enjoyable with a few beers to pass a couple of hours away,no money involved.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[alf corbyn]

hi jim. that was what i meant by using the pot. in most schools if you had no money left you could borrow it from the pot. in this game you couldn't.
cappy. one of the lads in our pub won a snooker cue and was always boasting about how good he and his cue were. this stranger challenged him to a game for a fiver against his cue. the stranger won but john refused to part with his cue, they ended up outside and he came back in minus his cue and a badly re-arranged face.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates. Hi Jim Brady, your right they do not force you to play? but some people are not very clever? like that steel-worker most money he seen in his life ? and after a few drinks you are not in your right mind, every one makes mistakes' but no excuse, if your stupid its your fault? thats why many con artist/ bookies/ casinos are very rich...

[cappy]

Louis your right two many people make mistakes......but the problem is they take for granted some one else will clear up the mess they make of there lives......junkies alkys gamblers thieves all getting bukshee money from the people who get there heads down and try to do something with there lives.....we all have hard times but most of us just battle on I have been down but never out and nobody ever gave me out for nowt .....benefit to me is somethingyou earn but dontexpect for doing nothing most of your life

[Lou Barron]

As boys on the troopship D/Bedford my mate Johnny Mcnab and I use to make a big billy of tea and take it round the troops and sell it two pence a mug and one of the ABs wanted to sell a portable Gramaphone so Johnny and I it upon the idea of buying it (on appro)then we raffled it among the troops we did make a few quid for going ashore in Capetown

[happy daze john in oz]

hi jim. that was what i meant by using the pot. in most schools if you had no money left you could borrow it from the pot. in this game you couldn't.
cappy. one of the lads in our pub won a snooker cue and was always boasting about how good he and his cue were. this stranger challenged him to a game for a fiver against his cue. the stranger won but john refused to part with his cue, they ended up outside and he came back in minus his cue and a badly re-arranged face.

down snooker cues had their use. R. Cray never went anywhere without one inside his jacket in a pocket specialy made for it.

[leratty]

Dennis p6, I wonder why they give the Indians gambling etc licences when they have apparently a problem with drinking? We came across them in Arizona & New Mexico, they were certainly not as flash as the ones elsewhere but am sure they did good business. Have to say that free food was something to watch the average punter ho down, or should that be hog down into. Only place I saw anything similar as to their amazing eyes 'possibly' bigger than stomachs was in Aus in some of the clubs there. Just amazing what one person can get on their plate everything from entrée through to sweets with plate looking like Mt Everest. Wonder if they knew they could just keep going back....? Na that would be being too clever, anyway someone else might have eaten it all ((:
JohnA, a couple of ships I was on had a beaut snooker table, the only difference being the balls were like draughts flat so they did not roll when the ship did.
Darts were sure popular & most of us were pretty good though some very good.

[Keith Tindell]

On most of the trampers i was on, reading and cribbage was the only form of entertainment. Once we were out of range of radio and 6 cans of beer a day, we played crib, one game to win, one game to lose, anybody else play alternate games of crib?. Was always nice to start to receive Radio Luxenbourg on the tranny, then we knew we were on our way home. What a difference to today, just finished reading Fiddlers Green, about the demise of the MN, today there are DVD films to watch, internet wifi in all cabins, washing machines, tumble driers, micro waves etc. But of course they dont get to spend the time in port that we got. KT

[cappy]

morning kieth ....6 cans was good ....most I ever got was 3 per night.....but would save them up and have a good drink .......often if there was a carry on in port or any trouble they would just say no beer left only ciggies ......never came across any other bond sept beer and ciggies to buy....regards cappy

[Keith Tindell]

Hi Cappy, The issue did vary from ship to ship, i have posted on here before that on one tramper i was on we had a FREE rum issue once a week!!, but i cannot recall which ship. I know some tankers had a booze issue when cleaning tanks, but i was never on a tanker. KT