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Thread: Events you incurred while in another country

  1. #31
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    Default Re: Events you incurred while in another country

    Quote Originally Posted by tubbs View Post
    I can't for the life of me think what could have delayed you ashore in Matarani. The only thing I found to do there on my 3 visits (1980-81), was a nice wander on top of the cliffs, looking down on the port. It was stunning scenery and thoroughly enjoyed.
    #25 was also on top of the cliff, but had a better experience than you apparently!

  2. #32
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    Default Re: Events you incurred while in another country

    Hi to you, well we must have met at some stage as I was on her from December 1958 for 3 trips to get my O/S rate and yes, I was in the messroom playing darts when we heard that news. The day the music died.
    Phil Hughes. R698842.

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  4. #33
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    Default Re: Events you incurred while in another country

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Cloherty View Post
    I was in Cuba 1954/55/56/57/58 all under Batista at the time, I was in Cuba in 2016 and it sure hadn't improved any, apartments/houses falling down, no infrastructure on a daily basis, lack of fuel and food, 2 months waiting list for internal flights, 1 weeks book in advance for a bus between major towns, so much poverty but the people were resigned to it. Travel permits required for residents to travel long distance The workers in the hotels didn't want cash tips as there was nothing to buy, we took a suitcase full of childrens clothes, childrens toothbrushes, toothpaste, pencils, pens and colouring books etc. There are two currencies, local and tourist, locals get fined for having tourist currency and vice versa, all foreign has to be declared both on entry and exit any discrepancies which are not covered by Exchange receipts and you are fined and any foreign exchange confiscated, they search you. sure as hell wasn't utopia for locals
    I was there in 2000 Ivan, much the same. I was on two week all inclusive holiday, very enjoyable, fantastic beach where if you saw half a dozen people it was busy. Bar staff would ignore you unless you tipped every drink but got round that with paracetamol tablets. I had a relative in the NHS who had been on some official trip to Cuba to look at their hospital system (very good apparently but had drug shortages), She told me that paracetamol was like gold dust and so it proved. Once the word got round I had a virtual stream of staff coming to me with a headache.
    I also had several conversations with a Cuban guy who was on a weeks holiday courtesy of the government. Apparently the government allocates unused rooms to workers who had a good work record, this chap was an airport fireman who had worked for years without a break so was rewarded by the state. During one of chats we were discussing various shortages and he started to laugh, he asked if I noticed the hallway light bulbs missing as it was standard practice for all these state "holiday makers" to nick the bulbs and anything else they could get away with when checking out.

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  6. #34
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    Default Re: Events you incurred while in another country

    Twas in 1954 that the RMS Balantia pulled into the much troubled Buenos Airies, some blokes were trying to oust Juan Peron, there were tanks in the streets, gunfire, and curfews to welcome us. Only supposed to be in BA for a couple of days but got extended to ten days cos everything got shut down including tug and pilot service. We had finished our mission to BA but were stuck there unable to leave because of the strife until skipper 'Ginger' Phillips said we are leaving without the use of tugs and had somehow managed to get a pilot aboard when we were underway. Twas only when I got home that I found out that my family had got a telegram from Royal Mail saying we were safe and well.
    We sailed under the Blue Ensign due to Captain Phillips connections.
    Balantia 2.jpg
    Last edited by Noel Kelly; 27th June 2023 at 04:10 PM.

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  8. #35
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    Default Re: Events you incurred while in another country

    #34 Noel , fate must have followed us around . I was also in BA in 1954. Eva Peron was not that long dead I assumed as her picture among all the other strife going on was still displayed on all the billboards. I partucular remember that trip as I was on the vessel recently discussed which used boiled oil in lieu of paint for deck maintainance and had recently been home for two days on the master making the mistake of paying me off in Purfleet and putting the one and only illegal discharge in my book for the next three and a half years. So received a telegram to rejoin in Cardiff where she was loading coal for South America. Anyhow we lay astern of the old Geneton one of Chapmans and one of the apprentices I knew a Charlie Briggs after visiting him on the Geneton I never complained about the ship I was on for a long time . Charlie I was told a number of years. ago on this site finished up as Harbour master at Blyth , I never bumped into him again . Your email did come on the private line thanks and passed on to the wife , but her memory is not good if she suddenly remembers I will pass on to you
    We spent quite a while in 1954 down the Plate , after a coal cargo and then loading grain doesn’t take minutes especially when had all the shifting boards and feeder boxes to erect., went up River to Villa Constituation , SAN Nicholas and Rosario , coming back down and topping off in B.A.came home to UK via Italy , New Zealand , Australia , Japan , back to Australia , Bombay, to Liverpool 11 months later , didn’t get home then the master after his first mistake didn’t make it again . Cheers JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 28th June 2023 at 01:48 AM.
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  9. #36
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    Default Re: Events you incurred while in another country

    Funny you should mention Eva Peron, on my first visit to BA there was a nearby town called Eva Peron but on my next visit it had been re-named La Plata.

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  11. #37
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    Default Re: Events you incurred while in another country

    #36.. In 1954 what I remember Noel , the rate of official exchange on the ship was 8 pesos or whatever they called the currency then , but ashore you could get 30 for one English pound. Your email on the old timers from Gateshead came and the wife says she can remember the girls names. Her house backed on to the school yard in Rawlings Road so she didn’t have far to go . They were friendly with the school caretakers
    A Mr. Doyle . He made her first bike for her from spare parts. They moved to Whitley Bay in 1956 and I met her in 1957 when finished my time and she was then 17. Got married in 1962 so was no speedy Gonzalo’s in those days.
    Had no idea what a man did in those days with money as regard a spouse so asked my dad his answer “ Son never let a woman know what you earn , take out of your wage packet what you need and give her the rest.” . Didn’t seem right to me so I asked my mum, she said “ well your Dad gives me 2 pounds 10 shillings a week “ , ended up doing what the wife told me to do and been like that for nigh on 62 years until now, as being somewhat absent minded am having to be more responsible for paying the bills and don’t like the job. With her being born in August she was 14 when left school but would have been 15 when went back after the summer holidays . Hope your still in good health and managing to get out ok , Take care , all the best . JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 2nd July 2023 at 01:22 AM.
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    Default Re: Events you incurred while in another country

    #37. Rawlings Road, Noel my wife’s mother had two flats left to her from her parents and they lived in the upper one. The bottom flat was let out to another family who were lifelong friends, he was a butcher so they had meat of some description during the war. Whenever she talks about those years she always brings in the big gun at Lobley Hill which used to make the house shake and was much in use during the air raids on the Tyne shipping , there were a lot of misses as think the Germans forgot about the bend in the River. Cheers JS
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    Default Re: Events you incurred while in another country

    I was never in a dangerous situation, but I did come as close as I ever want to. I was on the Megna in 1971 and we received orders to load crude in the Bonny river during the Biafra conflict. We had to go dark ship for 48 hours before arrival, when we were on the loading bouys and 24 hours after sailing.

    Either the first or second ship that loaded after us was hit by rockets from a light aircraft piloted by a Swede who was trying to help the Biafrans and I think one or more of the crew were killed or wounded.

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  15. #40
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    I was always lead to believe that the most dangerous time on any Tanker was when she was in ballast and not gas free. JS
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