Drink

[j.sabourn]

I grew up in a family on my fathers side who were all drinkers, and on my mothers side were more or less teetotal. It seems to have passed on to the next generation as I drink and my wife is teetotal . It has caused a bit of strife at times, not that I drank to excess in front of her , my father was never a house drinker and didn’t even like drink in the house. It was the pub way of life for him and the company. Myself would just as well have a drink in the house, I am not a heavy drinker and was never near to being an alcoholic , there was one time in my life I wished I was , and tried to drink to excess to drown out certain memories , but couldn’t even do that, as my system would not take it and just threw it all back. We are all made different when it comes to alcohol , however saying that I have never been afraid of the demon drink. To double up on my sins I was a compulsive smoker from an early age , but stopped in my middle fourtys , but have had the occasional cigar about 10 years ago. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

My father being in charge of a Guiness brewery did like a drop or two.
His mother, my grandmother could drink anyone under the table.
My step father was a one pot screamer.

But it is interesting at this time of crisis and Virus, bottle shops here in Oz were kept open as considered to be a n essential service.
Fine, but sales are up some 20% whilst the sale of Corona beer has come to a standstill.

There is now concern that in about 20 years time we will have a society of useless people, all home taught, with the schools closed, by a bunch of alcoholics.

[j.sabourn]

It’s probably just me , but the way I see all the noise that is made about drug addicts and people feeling sorry for, I fail to have much sympathy for..I was a compulsive smoker and was well and truly addicted to tobacco. I still stopped after over 30 years of smoking. Not because of health reasons but simply couldn’t afford them anymore. Today the present day of druggies lie and steal to get money to buy, and get their wrists slapped. There is very little moral fibre existing today when it comes to the lack of backbone that seems to be in every walk of life. I don’t blame the drugs I blame the poor specimens using them to enhance their sorely lacking remnants of decency they may once have had. Going back to the old post of sayings , they have made their own bed , now lie in it. JS
PS As to drink it has been with us for centuries , I drink and hopefully always will, as long as it doesn’t hurt others , I will eat drink and be merry. Anyhow I got the last round in , it’s your shout. jS

[Red Lead Ted]

John, I think we all have a blow out from time to time as did most seaman, But like yourself its knowing your limits and wen enough is enough, And if it starts effecting your family life and i don't count yours or my wife in that because my wife could quite happily never pick up a glass of wine again in her life. I mean the kids and of course we all want to be around to see our grand children grow up. Regards John. Terry.

[John Gill]

The experience I had with out of control drinking happened aboard a ship many years ago and of which many here may have been familiar. I had just been promoted to tourist pantryman on the (old) Queen Elizabeth. I had a team of six, four ok, the other two dodgy. I had been promoted from the ranks which isn't always a good idea- one day mates next day boss. I had the expected trouble with the "dodgy two" who were usually late for shift the worse for wear. After covering them for a while, read the riot act which seemed to work. I later discovered that after drinking all evening in the pig they would take two pints each back to their cabin, sup one, put the other under the bunk. 6am next morning after the glory hole steward woke them,would down their ale, dust and flies as well. The above maybe illustrates how people with a drink problem aboard ships,from master to deck boy can continue to operate while others turn a blind eye through either misplaced loyalty or perhaps let sleeping drunks lie and cover for them. As pointed out by another post, there is less opportunity to access booze in the modern MN aboard ship or ashore, which might save a lot of health problems.,( happy to say, by the time the Lizzie had passed the Ambrose Light all the pantry staff had turned to).
Gilly

[happy daze john in oz]

There were many at sea in our days who had a drink problem.

One Chief engineer on the Windsor, a gentleman of Scottish descent consumed most days a bottle of Vodka.

I have seen guys who made their own from various ingredients including one who made something from Prunes and surgical spirit!!

Then there was the first class winger, gay as they come, he drank and all he wanted was to be happy drunk and Mary.

[John Gill]

Mary Merry or both?

[j.sabourn]

There was one outstanding difference between alcoholism in the RN and MN. I was told by certain people who had fallen by the wayside in the RN, that the Navy took the attitude if you are in such a medical condition then you must have come by the habit whilst serving your country under our command. They had their own drying out clinic somewhere outside Portsmouth and was supposed tobeoneof the best. If you fell by the wayside a third time you were dismissed the service with all loss of pension rights..
If in the merchant service you were sacked and passed on elsewhere.
The navy finished with the rum ration I think sometime in the 70s. However the naval people I served with were allowed their small bar run by the POs. If you were invited you felt it was a privilege , I never saw it abused.Even the naval officer in charge of the naval party. Had to have an invite if he was feeling thirsty. JS.

[Red Lead Ted]

The first ship i was in John that had a bar was Harrisons Linguist very modern in 1973, We all had draught lager on the pump and to be honest if the bar was open and you fancied a pint you simply pulled one and signed the book, Which was then added to your bond bill, I done 3 trips in her around the Caribbean and West Indies great times, But one trip and you always get one aboard after a stock take by the Chief Steward someone was drinking and not putting it in the book. We all had an idea who it was he had a problem with the booze, And would always volunteer to keep the bar keys and lock up once we all turned in, The steward entered the bar one morning and true to form there he was asleep on a sofa in the bar the steward took a look in the book and he had signed for two pints. That was that the bar was in lock down until someone was prepared to take charge behind the bar and make sure everyone signed for what they drank. I new this guy a scouser and i also know he was dead before he was 50 years old. Instead of him confronting his demons he drank himself to death and to be honest he was absolutely bloody useless on deck to the point know one would share a painting stage with him or do anything along side him. He was paid of after one trip and never sailed with Harrisons again. Many went down the same road as him but although a nice enough guy he let the booze ruin him as both a seaman and a ship mate. Just not worth it Regards Terry.

[John Arton]

In C.P. there were a number of alcoholics and when the new medical regulations came in with stcw, if you were classed as alcoholic then they put you through a drying out course at a clinic somewhere down the south of England. Depending upon who you knew in head office, you could get up to three goes at beating alcoholism before they sacked you.
Rgds
J.A.