Seamens `Pool` Liverpool. [Shipping Federation]

[jimmys]

There was a big sort of Landing craft ship there but I cant remember much about it. I could not have told you what it was.
I get mixed up a bit on Liverpool now. The last ship I left there was in mid 1980's and was a bulker in Canada dock.

regards
jimmy

[happy daze john in oz]

Think it was there I went for my first interview prior to joining and going to the Vindi. Vaugley remember going through a gateway with some sort of security guard on it. He told me to be wary of the guy who did the interviews and when I came out he asked me what I thought of him. Bit young then so not sure if he was gay witha liking for young guys,or just a bit odd.

[Trampshipman]

Hi to all,
My thanks to you all for your `posts` re` the actual location of the `Pool`.[ Whether it was in its OWN seperate building in Canning Place, or whether it was in fact part of the old `Sailors Home`]. I first went on the `Pool` in 1949, and it seems that so far there is no one who remembers it that far back.
My memory remains as vague as ever !

Regards,
Ken.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Ken,
In 1949 the `Pool` was on the ground floor of the old SAILORS HOME, in Canning Place, if you stood facing the main Door of the Home the entrance the Pool was on the left hand side of the building, taking you into the Unestablished Seafarers room. The door to the Established Seafarers was further up the left side of the building. So the whole ground floor was the `POOL`.
Next to the Pool was a bomb site that we used for meetings in the 1955 and 1960 Seamens Strikes, then next to that was the Union building for the NUS.
The Home faced the bomb site of the old Custom House, bombed by the Germans.
On the wall surrounding it was a grafiti ," £28 a month for all Seamen"
This was from the 1947 Seamens Strike organised by Billy Hart..

[Trampshipman]

Hello again Captain Kong,
Thanks for your most recent on the `Pool`. You explained things pretty well I`d say, because as I read through it everything just `clicked into place`, and I could see it all again just as if I was there. Much obliged to you mate !

Ken.

[Peter Trodden]

Capt,Kong.
You're correct on the location and the area around the Sailors Home,one place you missed out that was importent to us,Whitfields the ships outfitters.We Cracked our advance notes there(2/6 in the Pound) it was facing the NUS Office.In 1960 I was a member of the National Seamens Reform Movement and was on that Bomb site every meeting. (Paddy Neary,Barney Flynn ect,) So I may have stood next to you there.
ttfn.Pete.

[Captain Kong]

Cheers Peter, I forgot about Whitfield, he took £2. 10s out of every ten in commission, he was mugged a few times and I heard that he was the only man in Liverpool licenced to carry a gun.

Yes we could have stood next to each other, I carried a banner on one of the marches around town and it was on TV news so I got all the kids in our street to come in to watch, very few people had TVs then, so I was a kind of hero to the kids.

[Jim Brady]

I remember Whiitfield,thank god I never had to use him!!He was always there on signing on day accepting "Advance Notes" deducting half a crown in the pound.I was never in the situation to need an "Advance Note" maybe I was lucky.Imagiine we were'nt on good money but you had say £5.00 deducted from your money before you earned a penny.I often wander if you bailed out before the ship sailed did he send the "Heavies" around to your house?.For those of you that dont know you could get an "Advance Note " on signing on to give to your dependant or whatever whilst they waited on their allotment. The "A.N" could not be cashed until (I think 4 days after the ship sailed).
On a more pleasant note,talking about the old Pool nobody has mentioned the "Overhead Railway".
I think that I am right in saying it was the first overhead electric railway in the World.It stretched from Dingle to Seaforth stopping at every dock along the way,8 miles of docks!!!It closed down Christmas Eve 1956 although it was'nt demolished for some years .It ran right across the front of the Pool at Mann Island,we used to stand under it and discuss"What's going through boys"
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Neville Roberts]

I only remember the pool at mann island but stayed in the seamans home a couple of times when I got tossed out of the house for various misdemeanors, alsothe bomb site that we met at during the 60,s strike next to the home, it was a reliefe to get the Oriana fter the strike and a few bob in our pocket again

[Peter Trodden]

Hellow Lads,
Jim,I remember the Overhead, I was a 16yr old deck boy going to join my first ship(11/3/55) at Gladstone Dock. I'm from Birkenhead,so not familiar with traveling around Liverpool (at that time) I had a note of directions from my Boss Mr Greenwood(Blue Funnel) Get off train at James St, Go Overhead Station,Pier Head,Go North to Gladstone Dock.Ask Bobby at the gate Where mv Cyclops is berthed? Report to Bosun. Short and Sweet That was the start of a good life,I left my last ship 12/1/2004 in the Alex,L-Pool,and still miss the life.:
ttfn.Pete.