Seamens `Pool` Liverpool. [Shipping Federation]

[Jim Brady]

Hi Peter,That was some time at sea,what was that nearly 50 years? Did you spend all your time in Blue Flu.
If you were in B.F all that time maybe you came across John Rimmer (Big R)on this site he was Chief Cook with B.F. for many years ,and in fact his son was Chief Cook in recent years.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Peter Trodden]

Hi Jim,
I only did a few years with the Blue Flue,then I went the Pool. I was a young Lad who wanted to see the world.I sailed with many companies out of L-Pool and did various jobs offshore.Please give my Profile and Photos a few clicks, its nearly all there,My working life.
ttfn.(ta ta for now) Peter.

[jimmys]

Hi Peter,

I was on the Cyclops on the coast around 1963 a bit later than you. I served my apprenticeship ashore. The sailors all lived in the sailors house aft of the no4 hatch. I was an engineer and I had pride of place right outside the engineers bog on the prom deck. To move along the alleyway a bit took a few years to get up to fourth engineer. The P.O's were just below us. Nice ships.
Double acting engines it was not all good.
There was no sign of the railway when I got to Liverpool.

regards
jimmy

[Jim Gibson]

The Pool was a single storey building on corner of Canning Place across the road from the seamans union, the Pool building still stands but is looking worse for wear.

Regards
Jim

[Captain Kong]

Hi Jim,
The Pool was a single storey building on corner of Canning Place across the road from the seamans union, the Pool building still stands but is looking worse for wear.

Sorry Jim,
"it was in the old Sailors Home in Canning Place, the `New`Pool was built about in 1957, 300 yards away opposite the bottom of James Street and Kingston House. a single story building , demolished about three years ago and now a big new building stands on the site.

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.."

[Neville Roberts]

I went away too sea in 1955 and the only pool I went too was in Mann island,so it must have been built before that,although I did stay at the old seamans home a couple of times I dont remember the pool that was there, just Dr rosses around te corner, bad memories of that place.

[Jim Brady]

Hi.Neville,I went for my Medical and interview to the old Pool about Sept 56,went to the Sea School Dec 56,returnedd from the Sea School Jan57 and had to report to the "New Pool" at Mann Island.Therefore Mann Island must've opened end of 56.If you went away in 55 you must've gone to the old Pool.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Gordon Whittaker]

I stepped off the train at James Street station in Septemeber 1957, joining my first ship with Cunard, as an Indentured Apprentice. I struggled down to Pierhead with my suitcases and was immediately accosted by a willing "Helper" who offered to assist me with my baggage. He then made off in the wrong diirection and was only stopped by a helpful Liverpool Docker who rescued all of my possessions and set me in the right direction. At Cornhill I was issued with my Discharge Book No. R 681197, and fingerprinted, like a criminal. for my green I/D card. Kingston House became a favourite, in the near future, as Cunard cargo shiops did not feed in port. I was allowed 7/6d per day to buy food, and that fed me well! We drank in the Sandon Lion, at 1 shilling per pint and 6 old pennies for a cheese and onion "butty". When dressed in Cunard Apprentice Uniform, we were looked after by tthe hundreds of Dockers and Stevedores, who protected us from the many predators. I have fond memories of those people, and those days, early in my career, and I now pay them thanks for my blanket of protection as a youngster. Liverpool was truly a place of consumate Seafaring men, and a pearl of a Port for shoregoing seafarers. Bless them all!

[Jim Brady]

Hi Cpt.Gordon,a good yarn that and I'm delighted that you enjoyed your time in Liverpool,who would'nt!!!
It's a long time since you have posted,lets have some more of your experiences, I'm sure you have many a good yarn to tell!!
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Neville Roberts]

anyone remember the gunnery school in one of the south end dock sheds, I went too the pool one time and they asked abunch of us did we want too take a gunnery course and collect a bit of cash ,I think it was 2 weeks , very interesting course , on 36 pounders and boffers in a dome that had a platform that moved like the deck of a ship at sea , an image of a plane would appear and you tried too shoot it down strapped in too the boffer gun , very realistic forthose days as the gun shook like the devil.