A memorable day, at Camden Pool.

[John F Collier]

The recent Ships Funnels thread brought back these memories: After leaving TS Vindicatrix 7th July 1955 aged sixteen, I was
summoned to the Shipping Federation office at Londons royal group of docks, I travelled by bus and tube to Plaistow east London,
from the underground station I caught a bus to Silvertown. As a first time visit I had to rely on directions from station staff and was
sent the long way round to my destination, it took over two hours for me to reach the docks. I got off the Trolley bus at Silvertown
and walked to Custom House, Custom House ran alongside the Royal Victoria dock, it was a lovely sunny morning, as I was on the
other side of the road from the dock wall I could see the top half of all the ships superstructures, with the sun shining down on the
glistening paint work and colorful funnels was for me, a fascinating sight to behold. I walked the whole length of the Victoria dock,
the ships stretched from one end to the other berthed bow to stern, at the end of the road was a large pub, The Connaught with
a group of dockers pint in hand having laugh, across the roa was the royal Albert dock gates, the gate copper pointed the way to
the camden pool building which was situated central to the KGV, Victoria and Albert dicks. For the first time I saw the ships up close
and all of the activity of the docks, the sights, sounds and smells, what a wonderful experience that was for me as a "First timer".
At the pool I was shown to a room and given a rudimentary medical, from tere I went into the main room that had a long counter
looking a bit like a Post Office counter, I was given a a brief explanation of proceedings and offered my first ship, not knowing any
better, I grabbed it with both hands {as luck would have it, it was a good move} I was directed to the NZSCo office in the Albert dock,
the NZSCo's office was a stand alone yellow brick building with two floor, an iron stairway on the outside wall with a notice board
giving instructions for people such as myself, the office at the top of the stairs was empty apart from a couple of chairs and a desk, a
young lady sitting behind the desk gave me instructions to join MV Orari at the Gladstone dock Liverpool and a railway warrant to Lime Street station, I returned home a very excited kid indeed.
It's all history now, the ships are gone the docks are unrecognisable to those that knew them in their heyday, a ride past them on the
DLR {Docklands light railway} is a very sad sight, the old Victoria dock with the huge Excel exhibition building where they hold the
boat show etc also the ugly high rise apartment buildings, the Albert dock has the same high ise monstrosities whilst the KGV now
is home to the London Airport. A little further down river is the old port of Tilbury, although no longer recognisable as how we knew it to be, is still a thriving dock, a part of the huge London Gateway compex with the largest container ships in the world as regular visitors; cheers.

[Doc Vernon]

Thanks for this JFC a nice little remembrance of your time on the Road to better days (Or should i say Ship) LOL

Yes i guess many here would hold very similar memories of their first days before joining and off to wonder the Great Oceans, a real Eye Opener for us Lads of not very many Years in age!

I did a few Years back on Holiday go and walk around the old Areas you mention, and must say that it is all so different, i hardly recognised any of the places as they looked so different.

What a pity that was, as in a way it dampened my old Memories that i though i might see once more before parting this old World. LOL Silly Me!

Its great when Threads like this are started , and gives us old Timers a bit of Pick me Up, especially in these times we now survive in.
Again many thanks
Take Care

[John F Collier]

Yeah 66 years ago but seems like yesterday, strange how you remember these times of so long ago, "Don't ask what I had for lunch", I'd like to
return to NZ before "Times up" but is that because of my love for the country or a search for lost youth? but after seeing photos of the
Auckland waterfront, with the Hilton hotel built on Princeces Wharf where we berthed and at times I sat there fishing for kahawai, lovely
memories from there, would go up like a puff of smoke if I saw it today, best left alone I think and remember as it once was, cheers.

[happy daze john in oz]

Going back to London after an absence of some 18 years I was told we would be flying from London airport.
Imagine my shock when I saw where it is, that was the bloody docks I told my brother in law.
Not any more he said, now we fly from there.

Then we went to Canary wharf, might have been many years ago but now just a financial center.

[Louis the fly]

John Collier is right, going back to places where you had happy times always leads to an anti-climax. You cannot recapture the past.
Better to keep memories as they were.

[John F Collier]

Going back to London after an absence of some 18 years I was told we would be flying from London airport.
Imagine my shock when I saw where it is, that was the bloody docks I told my brother in law.
Not any more he said, now we fly from there.

Then we went to Canary wharf, might have been many years ago but now just a financial center.

People who haven't been to sea, would have no understanding of how we think about the docks John, signing on for a new voyage with no telling what
was to come, or signing off after months away and looking forward to some home time with your folks , all the docks held memories for us of the shore
time we had in their particular towns, so many people fly in and out of the London Airport without a thought of it's history, cheers.

[Doc Vernon]

Yes all too true, the old times and places all gone and changed, no more Virtual Memories just in the Windmills of the mind! So sad it is , and we will never really get over it all will we!



Then we went to Canary wharf, might have been many years ago but now just a financial center.

Reminds me of the Comedy Only Fools and Horses, Canary Wharf! LOL well that amongst other things of long gone times!

[happy daze john in oz]

I still travel by sea as much as I can, been a bit off the last two years, and go to ports I had been to during my time at sea.

Very few look anything like they did back then.
Southampton has not changed that much apart from the lack of liners and general cargo ships there.
In NZ not too much change, Lytellton before the last quake had not changed that much but now no doubt is very different now, may find out next time we are there should be at the end of 2022.
The Thames down to Greenwhich has not altered too much, few new buildings but the river is still the same.
Taking a river trip down as far as the Thames barrier brings back great memories, but that is all.
Still some good pubs there though.

[Doc Vernon]

Southampton ! It has changed a lot John, when i was therefor the small Reunion things were a lot different to what i recall.
Even the Dock Area not the same. Only place that looked exactly the same was funnily the Juniper Berry and the Surrounding Area.

The City Centre is all changed a lot , i could not find places that i recall at all!

But still its a nice place and would go there again given the chance!
Cheers

London Dock Area ! Well now thats really changed and i could not believe what i saw! The lovely Dock Area that we knew all vanished! Almost as if they had sunk it somewhere. Oh how sad!

[Bill Morrison]

#1 John, Judging by the other posts we still hanker for those days now long gone. Every now and then when the mood takes me I dig out my SNOWBOW DVD's and 'am back to a time and places now forgotten. For you John "The Great Port of London" would be a must. I think there are more than 20+ DVD's and a lot of shipping companies are covered so one may find ships you sailed on and place's visited. Memory lane, all that's left.
Bill