MV Haparangi

[Fouro]

I'm sure you know all about the British class system Brian, but let's remember it was Tony Blair who famously ended it by proclaiming "We're all Middle Class now". Unfortunately, nobody told the employers who carried on hiring and sacking working class people. Also the nation's ruling elite behaved as before sending their children to private schools, hogging the best universities and dominating the well-paid professions and government. Under New Labour, social mobility virtually seized up, which meant the haves continued to lord it over the have-nots. I stand by what I said in my thread # 38.
Apart from sailing from Glasgow to Rothesay in the original Queen Mary when mum took us on holiday in the late 1940's, I had never set foot on a ship until I joined my first ship as a Junior Engineer in the mid 1950's. Although I had never worked on a ship, I was employed on a Company Contract.

FOURO.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Apart from sailing from Glasgow to Rothesay in the original Queen Mary when mum took us on holiday in the late 1940's,

FOURO.

Guess you must have been very middle class then, we thought it was great when we went on a 30 mile trip to the seaside on a worn out bus once a year, guess I must have been very working class. Can never understand what people have against 'employers' without employers working class would not have a living, employers have to make a profit to expand to employ more people to make goods that all the classes need.

[Jim Brady]

I would say it's a joint venture Ivan,they both need each other.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

I still do not understand what this Class thing is, you are what you want to be,
I was brought up in the 30s when we had NOWT, not even a toilet, hot water , just an open fire where we had to go to the tip to scrabble for clinker dumped there from the mills to burn on the fire place. Where we kids had to stand at the table and sit on the stone floor, because the Man from the Parish made Dad sell chairs apart from two for adults, before any money came from the Parish.
The Toilet was a midden in the yard where we scattered the ashes from the fire place after a crap, One cold water tap in the house and only one gas mantle to light the front kitchen the other rooms a candle. Three kids to one bed.

We were very fortunate that Adolf decided to Target our house and demolish it, so we then got a Council house.
No school during WW2 so I never got an education, I couldn't read or write by the age of 11. I started in a Coal mine, no bronzy, then worked in a Cotton Mill while waiting a place at the Vindicatrix, then from Deck Boy I worked my way up,
Now if that aint working Class I do not know what is.
I got married, had two sons.
I paid a School Head master that I knew to educate my two lads in the evenings so they could pass exams to go to Grammar School, then Sixth Form College, then to University. So now they are in good financial positions, One a Consultant Hepetologist, known across the world, and one in a, " `job` in NATO", that is highly sensitive.
Are they still not Working Class lads.?? One has just bought a house in Hampshire for £1,000,000, am I supposed to Resent that.??
Their mates from our street are all in dead end jobs. I took the trouble to get them out of that trap.
You are what you want to be, if you don't like it then you get out. the choice is yours.
So all this Class thing is a load of twollop.
Brian

[Ivan Cloherty]

I would say it's a joint venture Ivan,they both need each other.
Regards.
Jim.B.

Totally agree Jim, but why is the employer always the baddy in some peoples minds. There are two sides to a coin, some employees have by their actions closed down companies with their impractical demands, thereby cutting their own throats and no one wins. Having been an employee and an employer I know which situation caused me less worry and aggravation even though 90% of my lads were great

[cappy]

fouro i dont know whetherb you have employed people for your own company in the past for yourself or never employed people at all ......all i can say is it is one ofthe most demanding jobs to have to take on ......but fistly let me say as for class distinction ...i do not understand this title at all......the only way it seems to me is in there own minds they believe because of accent education or money they ...in a strange sort of way believe each one of the aforementioned gives them a superiority .......well if you are daft enough to believe that so be it......i am interested to know when in a mans life he goes from working class to middle class to upper class .....is a galley boy working class....does that mean the captain is middle class and the man who owns the vessel upper class......what a load of leftist rubbish ......i am a free man there is no class above me or below me......each of us in this country is born a free man .......class is a hijacked word .......if a man works is he not working class weather he pilots a jumbo ......sweeps a factory floor.... works as a doctor many many hours is he... not working class....if he succeeds in life to an extent does he change class no .....each man is born free .......if you feel you are of a class i think that is a sad outlook to have .......ps never had a holiday in my life as a youngster but was taken to sea at 10 year old on a collier ......what class did that make me ...my own class thats what.... none better class than me ......none lower class than me.......how sad to rate yourself in a class ......jeez i have more to do with my time........cappy

[Fouro]

Re #38.
This thread has been blown up out of all proportion as I can't see any reason for the unnecessary overreacting response dished out for such an innocent and trivial post.

FOURO.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Re #38.
This thread has been blown up out of all proportion as I can't see any reason for the unnecessary overreacting response dished out for such an innocent and trivial post.

FOURO.

It's what we do Fouro, divert from the original question, change course and get lost in the Sargosso sea, then we see a break and head for the horizon, just lively discussions without any malice, the wind will change tomorrow and calmer seas will follow

[Evan Lewis]

Apart from sailing from Glasgow to Rothesay in the original Queen Mary when mum took us on holiday in the late 1940's,

FOURO.

Our Paths may well have crossed.Did my first little voyage on a Loch Lomond.Trip.
Early Summer ,Glasgow,1940 .With my Mother (Her Hometown) and elder brother.
Train from Glasgow, to Embarking Pier.Once on-board ,was enthralled. That was my Baptism. Couldn't understand ,Why everyone else .On hearing it announced ."Tea ,was available ,"(though just a little Chill wind obtained) The Upper Deck emptied. I was there ,fully ,Across and Back.

On returning to Birmingham,from Central Station. The Train Was packed ,with Troops. They Placed me on the rack ,To make another seat available. Not long after leaving, the Train passes close to some of the Docks. Recall Seeing ,Mules being swung ashore ,from a vessel. In latter years,have learned ,that they were all , part of the Evacuation ,from Norway.

P.s. The Heid's ."Steady As She Goes!"

[Fouro]

Evan,
In contrast to your well worded thread above, I remember working parties of German POW coming to our village to do various tasks of manual work. One job I remember them doing was erecting large telegraph poles. The prisoners were very friendly towards us kids and they used to give us little gifts as souvenirs. This was in 1942, quite a difference to the experiences you witnessed in 1940, don't you think?. It's good that we are able to remember all these happenings which took place over 75 years ago.
As for "Keeping the Heid",- thats water under the bridge.

FOURO.