Also sailed in the sheaf field ...sheaf steamship company i believe well know on the tyne cappy
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OK, we've heard the rest, now the BEST. Bank Line, the Numero Uno in Tramps. All vessel names simply ended in ..bank, probably because that's where the 1st Lord Inverforth took his money. And as the Poem goes, about our flag.........Blue for the sea we sail on, red for the blood we sweat, the thin grey line of starvation that makes us all forget.....the problems past and present, the hardships yet to come; You think you're a Merchant seaman, but you're only a Bank Line bum.
Blue Funnel ships were all named for Greek Mythology characters. Not sure why. However the founder Alfred Holt was known for his use and appreciation of his Chinese crews. He was also a Traditonalist. It was often said his famous last words were “ Feed my Chinamen and keep the funnels high”. Not currently politically correct but he was of another age
Another Geordie company, The Hudson steam ship company, Hudson Point ,Hudson Deep etc, I did a season on the Canadian Coast ,24 times up the St. laurence river .On the Hudson Point, a full Geordie crew ,a great time was had by all.
i Cappy.
You were lucky to have a board with the names of ships at your pool. I Swansea a little bloke in uniform used to come out then disappear behind a screen and come out and tell you a ships name, if you didn't like it you got two more, then it was either pick one or no dole. Mo sign of a board.
Des
#35 Did you get that one from the Newcastle pool Colin from a bloke called Sandy ? Think his proper name was Sanderson , a little martinet. After 5 years away on foreign flag , decided to try British ships again and knew I would have to run the gauntlet as was frowned upon in Shipping in those days the late 60s and early 70s so got my own job with John I Jacobs , but still had to get clearance from the pool. So went in and went straight at him saying before you start , may have put a few more adjectives to this, I am not here looking for a job , just clearance and where I have been has nothing whatsoever to do with you ,he just stood there mouth agape and signed the paper. Sometime attack as they say ,is the best form of defence . What a difference in the attitude a few years later when they were promoting foreign flag vessels . Cheers JS
#36. That must have been what happened to Aladdin the lamp trimmer Des , went behind the screen so you couldn’t see him rubbing his magic lamp. JS
That reminds me of the tale of the Geordies in the lifeboat, going around ships at the inner anchorage at Bandar Shapour....calling out "any Geordies on board?". Came to one boat and the Scouse bosun calls back..."Nah, all white crew!!!"