Hamburg 1960

[James Curry]

Only time I went to see the man in Tollimache Rd for a checkup!! Goes into see the doc, okay John lets' have a look, Ah!!! at what?
your John Thomas, we have still to make eye contact!!! me names James!! You never been here before son? NO I HAVE NOT INDEED!!!!well you are here now so shut the -uck up and drop your pants.
Clean bill of health thankfully.

Some may know Tollimache Rd is in Birkenhead. Dead posh area now, but not back then.

[Peter Copley]

Hi Keith I remember visiting Hamburg, Bremen Harben and Nordenham around 1959 1960 I was only a kid at the time aged 16 or 17 but did visit the bars of St Pauli. I remember well the cigar smell and Lolita singing 'Seemann', deine Heimat ist das Meer' (Sailor, your home is the sea). Happy days and happy memories. PC.R710198.

[j.sabourn]

Was it the Wilkinstrasse or the winkinstrasse in Hamburg off SAN Pauli,? and of course the old famous beer hall. The Zillertal . JS

[Graham Payne]

Hi John,
we used to call it the "Winkelstrausse.
Once through the gates either side of the main walkway were the"10c" alleys. Well rough and heavy ladies of the night.

[Tony Taylor]

Joined my first ship in Hamburg, 67. Arrived with Ł3 in my pocket. Stayed in a small family run hotel near the bottom of Herbertstrasse (aka Winkelstrasse) for four days. The only place we could afford a beer was the bowling alley, and spend our time "window shopping".
We could get beer with our meals so had lunch and two dinners, one at 5 when the dining room opened and another at 9 before it closed.
I was a skinny 9 stone, and the German "hausfrau" used to rabbit away in German, but she was basically saying "where are they putting it all"; probably why the mate who was travelling with us didn't associate with us at all, apart from a remark about f---ing gannets every time he encountered us.

[Michael Black]

My first encounter with a toilet attendant was in the winkelstrausse had to pay a mark to get out. The old guy sat on his seat by the door with his cash box.
Do they still dip the ensign as you go up the Elbe, remember being on the wheel and the 2nd mate remembering just in time to send the cadet aft to do the honours.
Regards Michael

[Keith Tindell]

Remember that well Micheal, we called it bulls*** corner, every nationality ship was played their national anthem, and the flags were dipped, my very last trip to sea i paid off in Hamburg 1964, but cannot remember if that called for the ensign dip when we went up the river.

[happy daze john in oz]

The man, or lady by the toilet door.
Pay or pi5s your pants was all it was about.
Then get inside and find it was just a hole in the ground with marks where to stand.
Try finding the right spot when full as a boot.

[Alan Briggs]

Also had some good times in the Reeperbahn.

[Austin Carl Largan]

Ahh, the fighting Goggers…..