Prisons

[John Arton]

On the empress of Canada we had a padded cell. Used it one trip where a passenger who previously let all the animals out of the kennels and later had been found in another passengers cabin and had then attacked the nurse when he had been taken to the doctor to be examined. I used to have to check him when doing night rounds at 02:00 but he was happy as Larry locked in, never wanted to come out for any exercise. In Quebec two male nurses came onboard, put him in a straight jacket and took him off, put him on a plane and escorted him back to the u.k.
Rgds
J.A

[John Cassels]

#8 Think I got the better deal, Caribbean or West Africa?? We used to do Haiti, Jamacia US virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and several Central American ports.
It was Northern Marine that did the manning for Stena in those days not sure if they still do , but forsure they will not be manned by Brits now.
Did your ever come across Davy Bone he was Old man sailed with him a few times, also the engine super a Ginger fella Rab Houston I am sure that was his name.
Enjoyed my time with them but was offered better money elsewhere so moved on.

Sailed with Rab Houston way back in 1976 , J/E on the box boats.

[Bill Morrison]

Could be Louis if was a military prison and was under interrogation , “ we haf ways of macking yu tark “ and could give you the water treatment , by blindfolding you and getting a sadistic one to pizz on your head . Cheers JS
Your old saying however often used to think of that when working out of Peterhead with the towering prison overlooking the harbour. Especially in winter would have felt happier exchanging habitations with its occupants. JS

Hi John. Peterhead prison was the only convict prison in Scotland, you were sentence to hard labour breaking rock at a quarry about a mile and a half from the prison served by a narrow gauge railway. The prison officers carried rifles and I think a machinegun was mounted at the quarry. The prisoners were used in the construction of the south breakwater and other projects around the bay of refuge. It closed about 2013 and is now a museum. A new prison was built near by more like a holiday camp than a prison.
My brother in law when he left merchant navy was a warder there for around twenty years till transferred to Aberdeen Craiginches prison now demolished and transferred to the new Peterhead holiday camp.
Found this postcard of the prison about the early 1900's I think.
Bill.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Bill
I worked on building one of the toughest prisons in Aus, Parklea in Western Sydney, had cages outside four of the cells for the hardest ones, who weren't allowed into the yard for exercise, we had quite a confrontation with some prison reformers during the build, I made enough money in the fourteen months there to start building a new house.
Des