the suevic

[terry criddle]

gday mike,im not sure where dennis is in kiwi but barry lives and has lived for 30 years or more in a house just outside KGV dock.He proberbly still drinks in the new Kent arms.The old one burnt down.I was in the deck crew,the last cabin in the allyway with an irishman with an italian name.When he got home he found his had played up on him and it sent him into alchaholicism.Do you remember he never drank a drop all trip untill ST patricks day the day we left ST Johns,the lamptrimmer,John Flaxmansaid your too p.......ed to go on watch to which he replied DONT WORRY TERRY MY WATCHMATE he,ll take her out.Lovely guy.Do you remember the bosun and chippy having a fight on the same night?All over religeon.Bob was from belfast and the chippy from dublin.After we pulled them apart the bosun turned to me and drunkenly said ASK HIM ABOUT THE INQUISITION.I still dont get it,and over time it just get less important.Having fun in retirement and just bought myself a new car.Since the banks have taken the ATMs out of cematarys,might as well enjoy it.Peter Payne is also in kiwi,if i knew how to send photos on this site,Barry and peter were at my wedding.will trysoon,all the best terry

[mickeyJ]

Hi Terry, I have re-read your post and you were obviously not one of the deck boys. I can't remember who your cabin mate was, and I should do because I am half Irish, well three-quarters. I was born in England but grew up in Galway with my Grandparents. I will send you an email if it's ok with you.

[mickeyJ]

I remember the Bosun very well and I liked him a lot except when he started drinking, and that was only alongside. He was like a Jekyl and Hyde. As soon as he touched the booze he completely changed. No matter who you were he would tell you to f--k off or words to that effect. As for the Inquisition, it was a shameful part of the Catholic Church's history. If you weren't a Catholic they would burn you at the stake. Mostly in Europe during the Middle Ages. Very effective way to recruit newcomers Bob was obviously an Irish Protestant. I think I remember who your cabin mate was. He was one of the oldest in the crew, about thirty-two years old and very faithful to his wife. Never once did he succumb to temptation. You can email me the photos and look me up on Facebook. Best wishes Mike

[mickeyJ]

Hi Terry, I haven't been back to the Royal docks since I left the Suevic. I guess there is enough excitement there to keep Barry happy, though airports don't have the same atmosphere as drunken seamen trying to navigate their way back to their respective ships. The Kent (Bent) Arms was never dull. There was another pub closer to the docks if my memory serves me well. Was it called the Round House or Round table or something like that? I would go and have a look but I live in Durban now. I have been here for seven months. I like it here but if I knew some of the lads were still alive I am sure I would have gone to live in NZ. Now that you mention his name I do remember Peter. Looking back I can only think of one person I didn't like. He was an old steward with glasses and as ..... as a nine dollar note.
Do you have a son called Michael. I have just been looking at his facebook page? Best wishes Mike

[Louis the fly]

I wonder what it was about this particular ship , everyone who did a trip on her has stories to tell and memories of the voyage , mostly bad.
I was on her 1964 , logged so many times I lost count , missed the ship in Wellington and caught the ferry a few days later to Littleton to rejoin. Locked up twice in Mount Eden , came home D.B.S. on the Medic.

[cappy]

I wonder what it was about this particular ship , everyone who did a trip on her has stories to tell and memories of the voyage , mostly bad.
I was on her 1964 , logged so many times I lost count , missed the ship in Wellington and caught the ferry a few days later to Littleton to rejoin. Locked up twice in Mount Eden , came home D.B.S. on the Medic.

##happy days ....cappy

[mickeyJ]

I don't know Louis. We were a very young crew. The average would have been about twenty-one. The Captain was very easy-going, more of a loving Father than a Captain. Because of that he was not well-liked by his senior officers. He was later replaced by a sterner character, who had a little impact on us but not much. We also had a very good football team amongst us so we developed a great camaraderie which came to fruition when we returned to Lyttleton for the second time and spent Saturday evening in its one and only pub, The British. Unfortunately many Islanders had the same idea.
As the beer and whisky flowed, intelligence and understanding ceased. A massive brawl broke out between ourselves and the Islanders. Something on the order of a John Wayne western. The Police were called but there was only one Policeman on duty. A man of much experience and common sense.
Instead of entering the bar amid the flying bottles, glasses and chairs, he stood at the doorway and as each one came near him he grabbed them, threw them out and warned them not to return. Because of some quirk in my character I was actually enjoying the brawl but when I ended up at the feet of our Guardian he duly picked me and threw me out, much to my relief.
Though the bar was absolutely wrecked we returned the next day about lunchtime and to our amazement it was back in reasonable order. We could only purchase soft drinks and the owner and the cop thankfully and wisely decided not to press charges. Otherwise our stay in Lyttleton would have been extended. Not a good idea.
But I think the underlying factor in the Suevic being a very happy ship for us was that all three departments got on very well together.

[mickeyJ]

I think in nine times out of ten it's not the ship that's at fault, it's the Captain. He sets the tone and atmosphere of the ship. I sailed on the Southern Cross for a couple of years and the first trip to Australasia with ten pound immigrants was a misery for passengers and crew alike. We had a change of command and Captain Wheatley took over. Overnight that ship changed. Passengers and crew were upbeat and began to enjoy the trip. Oppressive rules were relaxed. The crew were trusted to behave themselves and they did.
Sure, there are other factors involved as well such as poor food, Middle East ports etc. but nevertheless the control and personality of the Captain (in my opinion) does have an enormous effect.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi MickeyJ.
After the earthquake in Lyttleton they found three old seamen from the Suvic drinking in the cellar of the British, they had been there since 1960.
Seriously though I think the pub went, along with most of Lyttleton during the earthquake. I spent many a day drinking there when I was on the Kiwi coast, Lyttleton was a seaman's port, one house there had a party running for about three years, as ships left others arrived and joined in.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Was - - - Updated - - -


Was last in Lyttleton on Boxing day 2010. Christchurch and a 4.9 quake that day and the buildings in Lyttleton with timbers etc to hold them up was somethig to see.
Local told me they were all able to be rebuilt and plans had been made to do so. the Town had suffered a quake some months earlier.

Then the big one came in 2011 and that was the end of much of the town, Christchurch is being rebuilt but not sure what is happening in Lyttleton. Maybe some of the lads living there may know.