joining age

[j.sabourn]

#9.. Steve you will be a lot more knowledgeable than myself and a few more of the older ones , as you will be of the generation of Middle Trade and the certificates master 1 2 3 4 and even 5. Although have a general idea of them as am in possession of all the 1s . British and Australian . The others such as Cayman Islands , Panama, Liberian, etc etc. and all the different flags sailed under have still what was considered was masters. Do most of the foreign flags still retain their own rules and regulations and still give out under their own laws and examination principles. ? Or do they print a copy of the likes of the Commonwealth. ?. Cheers JS.

[j.sabourn]

#11 For example the Liberian certificate is a large glossed foolscap type of document with photograph on and Liberian Coat of Arms and the Republic of Liberia in fancy lettering .
And says without searching for it and copying out. “ The bearer of this Certificate is licensed to sail as Master on any foreign going vessel of any gross tonnage.” This was supposed to be displayed in a focal point in the accomodation. Think it is in one of my cases somewhere , where it has resided for many years. The Cayman Islands was similar find one in my luggage and may find the others , although the Panamanian one never reached me in time , so hope whoever got to use it didn’t sully my name. Maybe if they have changed the design some lucky museum may like for posterity , not prosperity. Cheers JS.

[John Swan]

I left school at 15 1/2 and went to South Shields Marine School. Signed as apprentice with Common Bros 16/03/53 joined ship 24/03/53, promoted AB 16/03/57 ( out of apprenticeship) and passed 2nd Mate 06/07/59. Two years spent mainly on the piss and getting to know my future wife, and trying to study inbetween. Happy days 😜

[j.sabourn]

Did you go to the Prince Edward Road school John the brief week you were there I was there as well as was there from 1952 until June 1953. roughly about 8 months in total . However went to Nellists for 2 mate and Mate , then they had both to die , both brothers in a short time of each other. So had to go to Shields for the last one. Spent most time there sitting in the library going through old exam papers , put papers in went and got, went and told the lecturer I wouldn’t be in the following week , his words to me was Who are you ? Cheers JS
PS have you got your dates right ? Capt. Bill Moore was head of dept. and Capt Atkinson was one of the lecturers at the pre- sea school. JS…..
May have read your post wrong , when did you start at pre sea school .? JS

[John Arton]

With my father having been in blue star line they offered me the chance to have a cadetship with them, the only problem was that at 14 years I would have to to Southampton to study for o levels and if successful would then attend the nautical college there. As it was feeling paying my mother, dad had died at sea some years previously, could not afford the fees, so I stayed at home, took my o levels and at 17 years old got a cadetship with the Canadian Pacific.
Over the years in addition to my master's foreign going, issued at soth shields, I had a Norwegian discharge book and. Asters certificates and also a Cayman islands one, both issued without having to attend or take any further exams, both issued on the back of my U.K master's.
Rgds
J.A

[John Swan]

Did you go to the Prince Edward Road school John the brief week you were there I was there as well as was there from 1952 until June 1953. roughly about 8 months in total . However went to Nellists for 2 mate and Mate , then they had both to die , both brothers in a short time of each other. So had to go to Shields for the last one. Spent most time there sitting in the library going through old exam papers , put papers in went and got, went and told the lecturer I wouldn’t be in the following week , his words to me was Who are you ? Cheers JS
PS have you got your dates right ? Capt. Bill Moore was head of dept. and Capt Atkinson was one of the lecturers at the pre- sea school. JS…..
May have read your post wrong , when did you start at pre sea school .? JS

Can,t remember exact dates but must have stated at Shields about June/July 52. Prince Edward Rd was the huts on legs, right. I think we have had this conversation before, but Ken Langton was head cadet, he was later to be my line manager in Shell in a later life. I started 2nd Mates at Boulevard in Hull, parents had moved there, got orals in Hull then went back to Newcastle, lived at the girl friends in Gosforth and eventually passed writtens there after help from Nellists bros. and an extra trip back to sea. I found too many distractions when studying. In Hull 3 of us living in the same area agreed to study till 9.30pm then meet up in the pub, that time was gradually erased till we were going in about 8.00pm. The other 2 were Ray Stillings (Huntings ) and Steve Cook ( Ellermans ) he went to New Zealand on the inter island ferries. Main memories of Nellists, apart from ramshackle house, was Saturday morning signals, followed by Saturday afternoon upstairs in the Cumberland Arms, opposite the Empire. I must have been at Nellists early 59 as I got my 2nd Mates 06/07/59. Got married Aug 59, son born July 60 and that was that, wife on the doorstep cradling infant son and crying her eyes out whilst I got taxi to airport to join what was to be my last ship Kazimah in Rotterdam. Then found out what a 2nd Mates ticket was worth ashore, nowt! However on looking back really wouldn’t,t want to change a thing.

[j.sabourn]

Sorry just noticed your answer. You must have been with the same crowd at pre sea as me and started at same time. Did you sit the entrance exam at Ocean Road . Don’t think anyone failed. Even a little bloke wearing thick horn rimmed glasses. He sat the wrong exam but passed as well think he was looking for the engineers dept. nobody picked up on his myopia. Names I can remember Ken Langton didn’t know they had a head cadet though
Craig Walwyn, Carl Davison , Atkins and Atkinson, big Charlie Briggs from Sunderland and a few more . Mostly we all got the bus from the market place to King Edward’s Rd. All my expenses apart from that bus fare was paid by Northumberland County Council plus the fees plus an allowance for books , I also had a job at home at the weekends and night if I got home in time. Thinking back I was well off , maybe should have stayed just doing that.
I was at Nellists 1957 then again in 1959 . It’s a small world . My future wife worked right opposite the Empire in Myers the wholesale shop , myers being the good Jew he was Friday was a day off, it was also dole day for me and a few others , that 30/- went a long way , even after paying Billy Nellist 1 pound for his weekly fees. Cheers JS

[Julian Norman]

I was of a similar age as you starting a cadetship in 1977 at age 18. I did a HND in Nautical science where most of us were 18. The problem I had was on my last trip as a Cadet prior to returning to college for 2nd Mates exams I was 21and some of the old timers on my last ship Port Chalmers were trying to tell me I shouldn't be drinking in the bar late at night as a Cadet even though I was 21!

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Julian
Many years ago on this site we had a Captain who had passed his exams in Cardiff I think around your time,, when on this site he was Captain on the liners out of Florida, also had bought a restaurant there, can't for the life of me remember his name, maybe someone else on site may.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Captain Birds Eye Des ? Just joking of course. JS