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Thread: First trip memories

  1. #11
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    Default Warwick Castle

    Hi Den,
    Talking about Italy,
    Yes indeed, we did miss each other by one trip.. slave ship, at least 22 bloods per table, floor scrubs every morning, beer lifts, afternoon teas, lucky to get finished by 8.30pm too nackered to bothergoing ashore, ass..le bloods that came all the way back to the ship via liberty boat not to miss ice tea and tab nabs. bloods doing a moonlight halfway trough meal at end of trip... no tip
    Italy..So different north and south, in Naples if you stopped any woman in the street and asked where the local brothel was, they'd tell you without a bat of the eye, but in Genoa do the same thing, On no.... very different . A couple of guys tried it thinking the response would be the same, the women yelled blue murder calling for the police, so When in Rome, you don't always do what the Romans do.
    There were only 2 queens on board that I came across, Bess & Babs.. do you remember them?
    Frank
    Last edited by Frank Ferri; 24th September 2009 at 07:27 PM.
    (SUNNY LEITH SCOTLAND)

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  3. #12
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    Remember Genoa on the way back from Oz in about 64. Went ashore one night and thought it was Christmas. Half the city turned out for a parade so we thought. What it was, was the young of the city going on a parade prior to taking their first communion at the cathederal. Must have been a couple of hundred kids all dressed up for the occasion. Did you bring any Genoa Blankets home?
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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  5. #13
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    Don't remember the Queens Frank.In fact as it was my first trip I wouldn't know what they were anyway.
    Den.

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    Default Union Castle

    When any of the boys used to step up in the world and join the "O" boats they would always look amazed at the the amount of overtime we were able to get. Naturally we would rib them about having lovely bronzies and no cash.In my department we had masses of o/t mainly because the machinery was S***t and we had to run to try and catch up. Luckily the o/t was paid out as just we arrived in Sydney plus our bloods paid up so we were well flushed. Regards, Alan.

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  8. #15
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    Hi Den.
    Come come now Den don't be shy, the queens were the ones wearing the tiara's.
    Cheers Des
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  10. #16
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    Default First trip

    How right you all are, that you can remember so vividly, your first voyage. I was deck Apprentice on Cunard's "Brescia", the only all-aft ship they ever had. She was an ex "Hickory " boat, built for the war in the USA. Ice water fountains in the alleyways, in 1957.
    I was immediately on wheel and lookout watches, on the 4 - 8, and turned to with the crew to learn my trade. I had no pre-sea training, so everything was thrown at me for the very first time. I had to learn quickly, as the Scouse crowd showed no mercy to a first trip "Middy". I broke my foot in November, and spent the next three months hobbling around on a single wooden crutch, made by Chippy. No flights home in those days. I still had to crawl up to the bridge and stand my watches. Apprentices in those days did not have leave, but served 4 years, indentured to Cunard, which meant they OWNED you! First year wages were £9 per month. YES per MONTH ! I joined as a boy and quickly became a good seaman and navigator, and the food was brilliant, with Cunard Chefs taking a break from passenger liners. I have recently been re-united with my Senior Apprentice from that ship, after 52 years. We both made it to Master, so we must have learned enough. Hard work but some happy times, and my first taste of "Foreign Parts", all around the Medi, and the Black Sea, behind the "Iron Curtain". The bosun was Charlie Stock, a very mean machine, who ruled the crew, but taught me first class seamanship and splicing, which always stood me in good stead in future years.

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  12. #17
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    Default First Trip.

    Greetings one & all,
    My first trip to sea was 8 months & 2 days on board the "SS Georgidore" sailed from Graythorpe near Middlesbrough on the 24th January 1958 paid off in Avonmouth 26th September 1958.
    Ports of call as follows:
    Halifax Nova Scotia - Gibraltar - Port Said/Suez through the canal - Aden - Kandla India - Murmagoa - Back through the Suez - Amsterdam - London - Antwerp - Rotterdam - Cape Verde Islands - Recife Brazil - Salvador - Santos - Monte Video - Buenos Aries - Rosario - Bahia Blanca set sail for home calling back at Recife & Cape Verde Islands on the way.

    Had my first experience of the channels a wonderfull experience I must add.
    I had some wonderfull experiences & a couple of not so nice ones but wish I could do it all over again, happy days.
    Just like to add that it was nice to hear from Bob & Tony ex shipmates from the Georgidore.
    Best wishes to all.
    John Aspin (R685343) Ormesby - Middlesbrough (ex Liverpool)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Des Taff Jenkins View Post
    Hi Den.
    Come come now Den don't be shy, the queens were the ones wearing the tiara's.
    Cheers Des
    So that's who those people were!!
    Den.

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    Thumbs up First trip

    G'day one and all, three things stick in my from my first trip.MV Andria Cunard cargo out of Vic Dock May 31 1955 :-

    1 Walking through the dock gate and along the wharf in full Vindi issue uniform to the hoots of laughter from the dockers and the strange looks of my new crew mates. I was proud of that uniform with all my badges for catering, lifeboat and trainee senior steward.What a bummer to find that no one wore it except for the blues and piss jackets.

    2 The first time I ever saw a man with an earing.Not even the diddycoys from Mitcham my home town wore them.Now they are everywhere.Plus I never became seasick, that came much later.

    3 Fire in Number #1 hold whilst discharging in New York no serious damage, and the run through the beautiful Chesapeake from Boltimore to Newport News .

    On a boy ratings pay 11- 7/6 I think it was, a month no presents or souveniers.Cheers Mort.
    R 627168 On all the Seas of all the World
    There passes to and fro
    Where the Ghostly Iceberg Travels
    Or the spicy trade winds blow
    A gaudy piece of bunting,a royal ruddy rag
    The blossom of the Ocean Lanes
    Great Britains Merchant Flag

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  18. #20
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    Hi Capt Gordon.
    What a clear picture considering it was taken in 1957. Yes they were great hard days. I was on 7 pounds a month as first trip deck boy in 49. I had at least done time at the Vindi, it must have been a harrowing expierence to begin without any training.
    My first trip on the Trevose, Hains of London, Cardiff to Galveston for wheat then Hamburg and back to Tilbury. From wet behind the ears to a [nearly] fully fledged seaman. I stayed for a further three trips altogether two years, before going for my ABs ticket. I was on a lot of ships but I will never forget that first trip which took me from boy into manhood. The old bosun [was he that old] probably early thirtys, ex German prisoner of war; gave me a thorugh grounding in seamanship that lasted me through my time at sea.
    Cheers Des
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