National Sea Training school Gravesend 1974

[Roger Wolfe]

G'Day Jan, Mr Phillips was very strict but fair, I got top of the class Oct 1959 through sheer hard work, It showed in the final exam....never came first in enything before, it showed what a good teacher can do.
Pity that sort of man has gone.
Cheers, Roger

[Lewis]

Hi,
I have a couple Gravesend pics from early 1960,

Click Here

Memories, there some ship pics with more to come.
Lewis

[Alex Salmond]

I was at Gravesend in 1970 and still have a couple of clear memories of the place ,i think one scarred me for life,just kidding, it was the first day there and you had to walk down this long road passed all the dorms,and all the kids were hanging out the windows hissing PEANUTS at you all the way down,peanuts were newbies obviously but it was really freaky of course the next week we were all doing the same to the next lot coming in.The other memory is of an old guy named Paddy McGorran who use to do your lifeboat ticket,you had to take the lifeboat out and down to the jetty of this pub where Paddy used to have his lunchtime bevvy and row him back up to school half pissed (him not us) and you had passed your lifeboat ticket,brilliant,
Alex.

[Colin Hawken]

I was at the Vindi March-June 1949. Sounds as though much the same thing went on at both places. When arriving as newbies you were greeted with cries of" you've got a lifetime,Charlie." The main difference seems to have been,we were on a Ship,A ship that had a long chequered career long before any of us were born.

[Jim Brady]

David Cook,I see you have just signed on,welcome aboard.I tried to reply to your list of ships postings but for some reason I got the message that I could nor access that .
The reason I am contacting you is my Dis.Book No. R668251 yours being R668231,mine was issued 20 after yours.Which makes me ask,were you at Gravesend Dec56/Jan 57,if you were we would've been in the same class.
Regards.
J.m.B.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates I was at the Sea school in gravesend 1968 as a deck boy but was at sea on The Westward ho p & a Campbell a non pool non unoin paddle steamer? day trips around the coast in 1966, before I when deepsea my job in the shop- selling soft drinks to school children or at sea in the saloon was mopping the deck it had a few rivets missing so the sea could get in a nightmare. buckets of water all the time My question Does' anyone know the names of the groups, who would play every weekend at the dances'? in the sea- school Can't find out about them who were they? we had a diffirent one every weekend? some were very good. someone must have some information?

[brian rees]

Hi shipmates I was at the Sea school in gravesend 1968 as a deck boy but was at sea on The Westward ho p & a Campbell a non pool non unoin paddle steamer? day trips around the coast in 1966, before I when deepsea my job in the shop- selling soft drinks to school children or at sea in the saloon was mopping the deck it had a few rivets missing so the sea could get in a nightmare. buckets of water all the time My question Does' anyone know the names of the groups, who would play every weekend at the dances'? in the sea- school Can't find out about them who were they? we had a diffirent one every weekend? some were very good. someone must have some information?

Hi, Louis my name is Brian Rees, I was at Gravesend Dec' 67 to Feb' 68 taking the catering course. I remember it was possible then to have grudge fights in the boxing ring on Monday evenings. When were you there in 1968?
Regrds , Brian.

[John Gill]

don't know why i remembered this song from 1955, but we all used to sing it to make us feel less homesick.

So we're saying goodbye to 'em all
the long and the short and the tall
bless all the Scousers and bless all the Jocks
thats why the girls on the prom wear white socks
so we're saying goodbye to them all
the long and the short and the tall
so we won't be mastered by no sea school bastard
so cheer up my lads bless them all.

[STEVE IRELAND]

Hi Aex,
just joined site and saw your post , could have written it myself, remember it exactly the same, peanuts and Paddy etc.
I was there in the summer of 70 and whenever I hear chirpy chirpy cheep cheep by Middle of the Road it takes me back there .Remember a nasty little ---- from Glasgow think he was called Lillee or something like that and he was kicked out of the school for causing havoc and fighting everyone .

[Red Lead Ted]

Cant remember anyone fighting outside the boxing ring? anyone else remember if you had a beef with anyone you would both put your name forward and box it out in the ring on a Monday night. Gr8 entertainment for the instructors anyone remember the best guy there late 60s early 70s MR Gillette made me leading hand after getting my boat ticket also remember the guy who took you for steering when you would blacken the room and had to steer the wheel mounted on a box sighting white/red/green/ lights etc... 123 of the port or starboard bow, Anyone remember his name ????? Also remember my dorm was called port charlmers MR Ttcum one bad dood Regards {PEANUTS} And dont forget your first duty get your hair cut by sweeny todd or take the little blue bus back home Terry.