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Thread: I killed the bosuns pet canary

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    Default I killed the bosuns pet canary

    First trip to sea after Vindicatrix was on the Sterling Castle South Africa and back 6 weeks voyage. I was the lowest of the low for first trip Peggy’s Peggy! toughest job on the ship. Second trip I was promoted to the bosun, chippy and lamptrimmers Peggy. After leaving Cape Town for home the Lampy gave me a new fangled invention called the Fumigating Aerosol and told me to close all portholes in each cabin spray and then close doors, job done I retired below to relax. Some time later an almighty roar from the top of the gangway Peggyeeeeee! Bosun holding his birdcage with his dead pet canary suffocated by the spray. That was my last Union Castle should.

    Michael
    Last edited by Michael Humby; 20th February 2019 at 11:07 AM.

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    Default Re: I killed the bosuns pet canary

    Sounds like the Lampy was not that happy with the bosun, What is commonly known as being "set up" Regards

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    Default Re: I killed the bosuns pet canary

    Have to hold my hand up to causing the death of a parrot on board, but the junior sparks has to bear some of the blame. It happened on the California star when I was doing a taster trip with blue star. The captain, along with the rest of the officers, was a peculiar fellow who only did coastal voyages yet still joined with a full steamer trunk full of every combination of uniforms plus a parrot. The parrot was immediately passed over to the senior cadet look after. His cabin looked out onto the boat deck and he hung the parrot in its cage by the open porthole. Sparks and me used to sit catching rays just by the cabin but the parrot was constantly squawking so one day we found a welding rod and poked it through the bars of the cage in an attempt to get it to shut up. The parrot thought this was great fun and chewed the end of the rod. This went on for a couple of days until the inevitable happened and the parrot died due to been poisoned by eating the welding rods. We kept stum and allowed the poncy senior cadet to take the blame for the parrots death.
    Rgds
    J.A.

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    Default Re: I killed the bosuns pet canary

    Hello Michael
    Nice little story there LOL
    What year would that have been on the Stirling Castle??
    I ask only as i served on that Ship,and found it a very good one on all her Trips.
    As asst stwd in Tourist Class a bit hectic and lots of work,but a happy lot in the Catering anyway.
    Cheers
    Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website

    R697530

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    Default Re: I killed the bosuns pet canary

    Just looked up my old discharge book and first trip set sail from Southampton 25th November 1953.

    Michael

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    Default Re: I killed the bosuns pet canary

    Hello again Michael
    Thank you for that,so you were a few Years before me ,as i was on her for a few trips in 1958/59.
    Just asked as i have Crew Lists and thought if you were on her at the time i was you would have been on the list!
    Cheers

    PS I am sure that the old Juniper Berry Pub,and the Checkpoint Café were there at your time as well Michael?? And the old Jellico Seamans Hostel.
    Last edited by Doc Vernon; 20th February 2019 at 07:12 PM.
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    Default Re: I killed the bosuns pet canary

    On on job, the bosun had a monkey which had free rein in crew alleyways. However, many of the crew got fed up with this poor creature as it had a nasty habit of going into their cabins, opening draws and relieving itself on the contents.
    I never found out what happened to it, as it vanished one day, and the bosun was everywhere asking, have you seen my monkey. I did hear gossip about it playing on the rails with a shackle, but no one heard or saw anything.

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    Default Re: I killed the bosuns pet canary

    Quote Originally Posted by Doc Vernon View Post
    Hello again Michael
    Thank you for that,so you were a few Years before me ,as i was on her for a few trips in 1958/59.
    Just asked as i have Crew Lists and thought if you were on her at the time i was you would have been on the list!
    Cheers

    PS I am sure that the old Juniper Berry Pub,and the Checkpoint Café were there at your time as well Michael?? And the old Jellico Seamans Hostel.
    Was talking to a guy a couple of weeks back from Southhampton about a few of the "Old haunts", he told me that the Juniper Berry is still there Doc lol

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    Default Re: I killed the bosuns pet canary

    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Taylor View Post
    On on job, the bosun had a monkey which had free rein in crew alleyways. However, many of the crew got fed up with this poor creature as it had a nasty habit of going into their cabins, opening draws and relieving itself on the contents.
    I never found out what happened to it, as it vanished one day, and the bosun was everywhere asking, have you seen my monkey. I did hear gossip about it playing on the rails with a shackle, but no one heard or saw anything.
    Sounds like a bit of a monkey puzzle Tony lol

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    Default Re: I killed the bosuns pet canary

    Hi Micheal
    And did you still have those little lumpy things between your legs at the end of the trip?
    Des

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