HMS Edinburgh Decommissioning trip

[cappy]

the avonmoor should never have been at sea in 59 roncimans must have been negotiating to sell her for a long time when you chipped lumps of metalflew all over .....trying to rememthe 2nd mates name as haveasked john s if he new but cant recollecthis name he was a top man the shipwasthe only one I ever thought was not safe if she had been in typhoon nancy.....who knows but suppose with dozens of Chinese aboard they could have plugged the leaks with same

[j.sabourn]

Pleased to see by Bill Camerons post that the Navy has not dehumanised their ships by making them completely dry like the merchant service vessels have been for a number of years. During the early 80s the vessel I was on the Navy POs had their own bar and was considered an honour to be invited into. Most ship fines that were considered appropriate usually consisted of supplying a case or two of beer to other members of the crew. I don't know how things went on, on regular naval vessels as working with divers and bomb disposal types may have been a bit unusual, but there was always good team work among themselves. John Sabourn

[robpage]

The ferry service consisted of a huge drinking culture , I would have said the Free Enterprise was predictable . I had left before that tragic day , but the booze was often bought from the Duty Free shop ashore and smuggled on , or from the shop on board . The quick change of crews led to 24 hour drinking sessions on some occasions . I would hate dry ships now ,. but we , especially the Ferry Crews got what we deserved

[j.sabourn]

Cappy re. Avonmoor It wasn't Jimmy Jewel was it, or Tiddler Martin. Have met and sailed with that many people, and never had a good memory for names. Just faces. In 59 I was 2nd. Mate on the Exmoor if I remember correctly, but would have to look up my first discharge book, or that may have been 1960. In which case I was 3rd mate on the Glenmoor. If the 2nd mate you mention was a companies man I would no doubt have known him as everyone in Runcimans knew everyone else if not by sight by reputation. Coming from South Shields you should have gone into Binns Tearooms where a lot of the wives used to meet I am told and apparently they knew everyone sailing out of the Tyne and where they stood on the promotion ladder. When I joined Daggies in 64 the Ch. Stwd. said he knew me, I told him I had never sailed with him, he told me about the Shields wives meeting in the tearooms where apparently my name cropped up. They even knew that one of the other mates wife who was a barmaid in the Jungle would never get promoted because of this. You could have had them these days for wife discrimination. Thinking back again in 59 was 3rd. Mate on the Hazelmoor and for a short time on the Brocklymoor and in 60, 2nd. mate on the Jedmoor. In 64 Mate on the Pennyworth (Dalgliesh"s) Cheers John Sabourn.

[cappy]

some rack of runcimans there john ....seem to remember the jedmoor was one of if not the newest ....could be wrong but think she was in 1960 ...if you were in her then you must have been a blue eye.....the names I cannot remember....but the faces still.....old hoggy must have had a hard time during the war losing 3 ships and yet others saw very little...that second mate askedif I would stay aboard after reaching shields to help put thespare prop ashore this was a great honour to me as a 18 year old .....yes I remember binns as had a girlfriend there atone time and an auntie who worked there there were some bonny lasses worked in binns and also allens at laygate .....happy days..pat was a typist in the burndept factory whichwas just upriver from the pilot jetty as was .....on the south side of the tyne and whenever I sailed there would be always girls waving at the ship,,,,,,contrary to what a certain person stated about shields girls mine wasn't big and rough but out of over at least a hundred plus girlswon the beauty contest lucky cappy.....but then said person coming from the sheep area wold have had a hard time getting a decent shields girl as we didn't have many looking like sheep and you cant pull the wool over a Geordie girls eyes easily weather here warming up now but still not of the best I am of south for a few days back end of the week and only hope the weather is warmer regards cappy

[j.sabourn]

Wasn't flogging it was he Cappy. If remember right was Phosperous Bronze worth a fortune, and replaced with an iron one. Although should imagine the office would have been into any hanky panky first. Thinking back one inhuman mate tried to get us to polish it at one time. If Runcimans hadn't gone to the wall would have been there brainwashed till I was 65. When they went up to Glasgow was offered a job but no contract as none were being signed, took this as an omen that things weren't right. Went other places and then with John I Jacobs. When they went bust was approached by Runciman shipping as was then known, and Chapmans. Runciman got to me first and joined a newer Exmoor, however you cant go back in time and face did not fit as were all different people by this time. So went on wander again. Have managed to stay employed at sea the full term but some of the ships years ago would never have joined as even made the Avonmoor look good. My wife is from your side of the river Gateshead. The hardest women I ever saw were from Hood Haggies, if ever a crowd of them on a bus used to wait for he next one. Cheers John Sabourn

[Bill Cameron]

Punch Taverns have now apologised to the crew of HMS Edinburgh and are matching the £1500.00 donation that the Crew of Hms Edinburgh donated to their sponsored charity the Sick kids hospital baby unit. Well done Punch Taverns

Punch Tavern say military uniforms welcome at Edinburgh pub Ensign Ewart | News | Edinburgh | STV

[Bill Cameron]

a little amendment to my last message....It has been "suggested "to Punch Taverns to equal Hms Edinburgh's donation to the baby unit nothing more has been heard