Seamens Clubs & Missions

[John Arton]

If anyone was the Sunderland episode of Sea Cities you would have seen the nun that runs the mission from a porta cabin on the docks.
The mission in Shields is still going strong but I don't think they have reopened the bar there but the chapel is well worth a visit.
The padre from the Birkenhead mission, again just a porta cabin by the bridge between the east and west floats, was a smashing chap and a regular visitor to which ever berth we were on when in the MSC in his bright yellow little Hyundai. In Rotterdam the mission in Pernis was a good visit if we were on layby waiting to load or discharge though both that one and the larger one nearer Europort are now closed. The excellent seaman's hotel in the centre of Rotterdam near Westerlaan is still going as is the Skandia bar around the corner, Which was where we found our Norwegian captain hoped up with two ladies of the night and the contents of the ships safe.
When deep sea I recall a great mission in Doula that had a swimming pool and served a great steak and the Houston mission where the padre would act as match maker at the Friday night dances, I have fond memories of getting pizzed in Kingston house in Liverpool and anchor house in canning town.
These days with the provision of internet facility on board ships coupled with the short in port stays, visits to the mission I guess are becoming much less. Hopefully there can be some way found to ensure funding to enable the remaining missions world wide to remain open and flourish as despite the huge changes we have seen in shipping I believe there is still a important place for them in todays shipping industry.
Rgds.
J.A.

[Red Lead Ted]

This is worth a view, But if you fast forward it to 13 mins you will get my drift on how some guys would hang around the pool all day. Terry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOmjNkRL7Fw

[cappy]

many years since i was in the shields mission ...but seem to recall a wall of plaques in brass with the name of ships lost and seamens names also it was very sad to see .....dont know if they are still there or not ......but seem to recall some disaster fire or flood there a few years ago....an old seaman who passed a couple of years ago said the fish and chips were good on a friday cappy

[Jim Brady]

The Liverpool Seafarers Centre have opened a hub located at Queen Elizabeth 11 Dock at Eastham.This branch is not manned and is open 24/7 I don't know what range of stock they have on hand but I am told that there is an honesty box for seaman making a purchase to deposit their money.
Regards.
Jim.B.

https://www.polarismedia.co.uk/2017/...0-eastham-hub/

[happy daze john in oz]

There is now some doubt about the possible merger of the Australian Maratine union with the others.
Fair work commission is concerned that merging with the Construction, Forestry, Mining Electrical Union could see a situation where such a union could bring the country to a standstill as they cover so many aspects of daily life.
Only around 150,000 members but with too much clout.

[Evan Lewis]

Evan Kingston House was close to the Pier Head on the corner of James Street.I'm not sure if there was a bar in there in 1961 and from what I saw of the accommodation (my son stayed there on his cadet induction course) it was pretty basic.Maybe you stayed at Atlantic House which had a bar and had many hostesses for their regular dances,a bit further away from the Pier Head,I didn't see the accommodation there but I heard it was quite good.
Regards.
Jim.B.

Correct Jim. It was Atlantic House.
Thanks!

[Evan Lewis]

Heard today of another aspect of the Australian Merchant Navy, what there is of it.
The Maratine union of Australia is to amalgamate with two other unions to create one with some 150,000 members.
Though the number of seamen in such will be very few.

Think you may be alluding to this John.

All members of the Unity BanK

Change at the Credit Union - Maritime Union of Australia

www.mua.org.au/change_at_the_credit_union




Nov 5, 2010 - MUA represents 16000 Australian stevedores, seafarers, and other maritime workers and is an affiliate of the 4.5 million-member International Transport Workers' Federation.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Barry Sailors Rest

British Sailors Society
Diamond Jubilee 1891 - 1951

Barry Docks was built as a rival to Cardiff to export coal from the Welsh coalmines. But as the coal industry declined, so did the docks and, as the docks declined, the need for a Rest declined. In the 1950’s, the Sailors’ Rest was still fairly active but the decline had already started.

http://www.pwsts.org.uk/Barry1891-1951/index.htm

[happy daze john in oz]

Think you may be alluding to this John.

All members of the Unity BanK

Change at the Credit Union - Maritime Union of Australia

www.mua.org.au/change_at_the_credit_union




Nov 5, 2010 - MUA represents 16000 Australian stevedores, seafarers, and other maritime workers and is an affiliate of the 4.5 million-member International Transport Workers' Federation.

No Evan , this is the seaman's union here in Oz.
Union membership is down and there are now very few Australian seamen, it was a case of amalgamate or go under.

[John Arton]

In 1985 I did a second trip to to Tianjin in China. The previous year we had been there discharge amongst other cargo,caprolactum and three huge brewing vessels for the tsingtao brewery. There was a seaman's mission there with a Barber shop, a small freedom store selling silk clothing and musical instruments. There was also a bar which consisted of a room with a dartboard and a large fridge where you could buy a large bottle of beer for 1 yuan.there was a buries mark's ship, the Brierfield, in port with us and we would do ship visits with them when the mission closed, mainly on our ship as we were closer to the mission. The mission organised a mini bus to take us on a day trip to the Great wall of China, which was an incredible sight. After visiting the wall and having lunch, we were taken into Beijing to visit the forbidden city but we got there too late to go round it all before it closed so we were taken to the Winter Palace, which again was an incredible place to visit. After we went to Tiaman square to view Mao's tomb and then onto a restaurant for a Peking duck meal and great wall red wine, the whole day including meals and drinks cost about $40 each and, apart from the very basic toilet facilities, was a great day out. The locals were curious about us but would not talk to us, even by using hand gestures. The agent asked the captain what we thought about the mission and how it compares to other missions around the world and he said most missions would have a Friday night dance, blow me next Friday there was a dance with some Chinese girls acting as chaperoned partners.
Twelve months later we were back in the same port and what a change, the barbers shop had gone, the freedom store had been hugely extended to something akin to an M&S store and as for the bar it had been turned into a nightclub with disco lighting, a DJ and hostesses in thigh high slit skirks. The price of the beer had quadrupled and you could even get fancy cocktails. The worst part was if we had wanted to do the sight seeing trip again it was something like $90 per head. Even the locals had changed with the tallyman calling me a bad man as I had not plied him with beer and cigarettes.
In twelve months the country seemed to have changed completely.
Rgds
J.A.