shawsaville line rms tamaroa

[lennon]

just looking at some of the shaw saville ships i was on the old Tamaroa from 3 7 53 till30 8 54 which was her last trip i believe did one trip waiting in the aft dinning room then i went back to the galley to a bit more sanity not much comfit in the Tamaroa but lots of laughs and smiles spent a week or more in the ships hospital on her three days in a coma because of the heat in the galley 'low deck head oil fires no air con in those days' i the second steward s name was gray the chief cook was a small Liverpool bloke and head waiter & veg cook where Polish blokes the where hard days but we had our share of laughs which is what British merchant seaman got by on cheers lennon

[alf corbyn]

hi lennon. i was on the mataroa in bluff with the tamaroa tied up by us. the first person i met when i visited her was linda, one of the assistant stewards, who i had known from another ship. i soon left haha. ii was at an antiques fair in london. and just missed buying a painting of the tamaroa someone beat me to it. alf

[jenny]

Good to see you back on deck Alf, hope it all went well for you. Not too good here EQ's and all that stuff. An epicentre right under my house the other day, felt as if I had been bombed. Some smart alex suggested that 'The earth had finally moved for me ' !Could be true too haaaaa. Done alot of crying I can tell you.

[Charlie Hannah]

I Joined S.S.Mataroa for the run job to the breakers.27Jan 56 paid off Feb3rd / 56.

[happy daze john in oz]

Good to see you back on deck Alf, hope it all went well for you. Not too good here EQ's and all that stuff. An epicentre right under my house the other day, felt as if I had been bombed. Some smart alex suggested that 'The earth had finally moved for me ' !Could be true too haaaaa. Done alot of crying I can tell you.

Having only experienced one shock back on Boxing day I have only a small idea of what you and the others have been going through. It must be hell on earth for you not knowing what is coming next, how do you cope with it is my first thought? Just hope you and your survive it all and get your life back.

[jenny]

Thanks John, it hasnt been easy I can tell you , I thought I had become used to them but when you get 27 biggens in one day your nerves begin to fray. To date we have had 7350 after-shocks since Sept, that must be some sort of record. I lost it yesterday and couldnt stop crying, dont know why as we have been spared the damage that others have incured, maybe it is 'surviver guilt' as there are so many people suffering through lack of action by council and government. I dont think they will ever raise the money to pay people out. Whole districts will have to be moved.Who was it said 'the end is nigh', seems like it to us.

[jenny]

Make that 7351, just had a huge one under my chair, nearly threw the computer off my desk...wish they would go away

[alf corbyn]

hi jenny. i am very sorry to hear you are still having all those shocks and tremors. i have only experienced the one in wellington, and i know we have them in the uk but not noticable except on graphs. unfortunatly the powers that be tend to help what they call the third world countries, and assume because we are white or of european descent that we can do without all the aid and help that these countries get. keep your chin up love and i wish you well. alf

[Glenn Baker]

Hi Jenny I was talking to an old shipmate of mine Joseph Lamb who is living in Christchurch too he was very frightened by that last big tremor. I can quite understand the tears, i realy can the stress factor and not knowing anything would be absolutely fearful. My very best to you. Glenn Baker Australia ex Port Line

[alf corbyn]

hi charles hannah. nice to have you on site, but did not like the sad news about an old and well loved ship going to its death. couldn't someone have a large cemetary somewhere with small plaques of all the ships we sailed on that are no more. i know its not possible but they all had some great memories for us all. alf