anniversary

[Richard Quartermaine]

Skipper's Tiger on the Gothic. Big dock strike in NZ. We were at anchor in Hauraki Gulf, Auckland for weeks. The Corinthic (I think it was or was it the Ceramic?) had been selected by the Admiralty to take the King and Queen on the 1952 world tour. We were late and so then also was the Corinthic so we got the job. Repainted white, into Auckland, troops broke the strike, discharge cargo, load freezers with lamb in Wellington, New Plymouth, Lyttelton and Port Chalmers. Back to London and then Cammell Lairds on the Mersey. Given the job of Chief Steward's steward on the immigrant ex Monarch of Bermuda then New Australia - S'hampton to Sydney via Suez, Colombo, Fremantle, Melbourne. G'day Mum and Dad, back to Southampton with Aden and Ceuta thrown in. Two months, a week and a day. Back to Cammell Lairds as skipper's tiger and after shake down back to S'hamton and off on the royal tour that was aborted in Mombasa.
Phew!
Richard

[happy daze john in oz]

June 1949 first trip on Stirling Castle.The dreaded "Swiveleye" Lloyd was Chief Mate. Did a year on her.Then I joined Winchester Castle.Jim (Lardy) Perry was Bosun. An unforgettable character. A good Bosun and a fine seaman.If he taught you something you never forgot it. I finally realised big ships weren't for me plus I'd seen enough of South African Ports and wanted a change. Then followed a succession of Tankers including being Shanghaid by Joe Shell. PO Box 148 Singapore was my address for a year. Finished up on Home Trade. That was great,in the Pub nearly every night. That was good fun,should have done it from the start.(not really) Home Trade was the only time I had single berth Cabin.A Stevie Clarke Collier MV Hayling.I was the only non Geordie on her.Took me a while to understand their "Foreign"language.They were a good crowd as Geordies often seem to be. I enjoyed the Year I spent on that Ship.

Swivell eye Lloyd, it is said he could see more out of one eye than most of us out of two. Must have been good at it though as he made it to skipper and by all accounts was hard but fair.

[Keith Tindell]

The three trips i did on the Stirling Castle the skipper was Annie Oakley. The only true passenger ship i was on, then off on trampers, never served on tankers, KT

[Colin Hawken]

That is true John. He was hard but he was fair.

[John Gill]

today 64 years ago I signed on for my first trip to sea on the capetown castle.

Did three trips on her in 1962, made some good friends aboard her.(mostly heterosexual).

[happy daze john in oz]

The three trips i did on the Stirling Castle the skipper was Annie Oakley. The only true passenger ship i was on, then off on trampers, never served on tankers, KT

Annie Oakley, skipper on the Windsoe when I did my first voyage, first skipper to log me thougfh he did it with a smile but he was a very fair and honest man and the crew all had a liking for him.