Gravesend sea school 1965 memories are made of this

[DaveHeff]

Arrived with others on the 25th Jan 1965, it was freezing. None of us had been away from home before (although I had spent a week away at HMS Ganges when I was 13, hence the photo in sailors uniform) I think there were 25 in the class, which halved within three days. I can´t remember how soon we were issued with our uniform but possibly the second day. It was not very flattering. Then it was haircut time. carried out by a sadist.

I cannot remember how many were in the dormitory, poss 350 plus. It must be what prison is like without the doors. I think I had a window but it was on the top floor, My cell mate was Wally Lavery from Ireland. Brilliant lad & hard as nails.

The heads, outside in the yard in a row, no doors either!. No one would go but By Thursday all embarrasement went in the rush!.

To make us all feel better we were told that it was made this bad, so that anything we would face in the future, would be an improvement. They were right.

Not allowed out of the school until Thursday and then on strict instructions. Worse no Home leave for 2 weeks and only 5 bob a week to spend. Then there was the food!.

Being in catering in our last week we had to get up earlier than anyone else to get the "food" prepared. I am sure everyone blamed us!.

Made some good friends both among those in catering and on the deck side, the camaraderie was something else. We had some good instructors as well. The responsibilty of looking after us must have been tremendous, as none of us were angels.

Only allowed out in threes and the highlight was the cafe near the ferry terminal (anyone remember the name?) .Top of the hit parade was "you´ve lost that loving feeling" which kept being played. And the waitress, oh the waitress, she had a tattoo at the top of her thigh and would show it to those on their final week. Happy days!

I can remember looking across at the docks at night seeing all the lights on the ships and being in awe. I couldnt wait to get on one for real. It seemed an eternity to the end of the course.

[Roger Debbage]

R700724 Was there in 1958 cold o so cold. i must have been late back cant realy rember .on a charg for something . i had to cleane the dorms or decks as thay were cauled with a polishing mop with a big meal ball on the end of a broom handle. first time i had been away from home ,well what an eye opener .it did not do me any long turme damage made me stronger .i think thay did it to harden you up. living on IOW most of my life i needed to .did you ever hear the rumer it started as a womes prison or borstel .i think it thay would not have to change things mutch lol ROGER DEBBAGE getting the gray matter working.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi David. Hi Roger,I was there at that time JUNE 1965 till Sept 1965 the weather was hot then I dont remember much about it the food was bad ,had a few fights in boxing ring two K.Os, one draw would not punch him he was welsh. we won the cake for 8 weeks out of 12 a record??? for the cleanest dorm} gumpition, the leading hand was from london short hair { ginger } natural leader a nice bloke , I wonder what happen to him? he left two weeks before me. Did you go up the thames in the wooden boat? I was the chief engineer, my first and last job in the engine room. my uniform and black beret is near some old railway tracks, a few miles outside of gravesend station threw it out the window.

[Roger Debbage]

Hi David its a small world my unform' thinking back . went also out of the train window some where between. Graves End and Southampton on the way home .I think i rember going on boat i think this was a old life boat. thincking about it i dont think thay trusted stuards, on any thing like that .but for abandoning ship if we ever had to. was all good fun as i rember .this has got the old brain working . Roger

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Roger,you must have done life boat drill with the wooden boat, every one had too ,I was a deckboy then .The boat I was on about was a wooden cynet or lobster/ crab fishing boat which was moored on they jetty, As a deck boy we were taken for trips up the thames on her and we did the work on it, Paint and clean all the barnacals off the bottom of the boat and clean the brass work? I was in the engine room so did nothing{ easy job} What ships were you on when you were at sea? where did you go ? keep your grey matter working you will remember loads more Nice to talk to someone who was there The Sea School about the same time as me.

[Geoff Anderson]

Hi Louis.
You were the lucky one, we had to row, no race a 4 ton lifeboat up and down the East dock, Racing the apprentices from Reardon Smiths collage. Boy if we lost we were in the sh-- for the rest of the week with our instructor. The worst part we were only 5 strong, 4 rowing ,1 on the tiller. Whilst Smiths rowed a small whaler. Needless to say we never lost.
Geoff, still with the blisters

[Louis the Amigo]

HI Geoff ,As i said many times' on this forum I am lucky I seem to miss all the bad times' food ships times never raced any one in a boat, I never had very bad or hard times' at sea had a great time on most of them it was to me like one long holiday. Geoff the east dock london boat ticket place ? do you remember "HEADS A PENNY" seems like a few weeks ago but that was 39 years ago . How time flys' when your haveing fun.

[Bill Cameron]

DaveHeff, many thanks you have summed up what the Sea School was like in the '50's so well, your post brought back so many memories, some good some bad. who remembers the VD lectures 3 in my class fainted.
I lost my priveliged job of being the Instructors Steward and collecting their dry stores from the Galley, unlimited access to sugar , by being caught chatting to a local lass who was on the slipway next to the boat deck.

[Geoff Anderson]

Hi Louis.
East dock, Cardiff Docks.Our boat station was at the top end of the dock, and our school was at the top end of the West dock. Next to Englands the potato emporters.
I wouldnt say it was a bad experience, but it was hard work, once you got the boat moving it was just a case of keeping up the momentum. The Reardon Smith boys would go flat out and they would soon run out of steam. That dock was 1 mile long, which made it a 2 mile race. We would be let home early that day.
geoff

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Geoff. sorry mate I was not thinking Cardiff Docks, but in London where I done my boat ticket on a life boat. I think it is now the Thames Hotel as coxs' of the boat you steered ,it under the bridge and shouted , { HEADS A PENNY} Never hear that term before, or after only there on east dock in a life boat. Hope you are keeping well I am out tomorrow for a quick half of brains? but no Clarkies' pies' My Mrs said I getting fat .