Montreal

Frank #7.people calling you an English bastd.I was walking down the St.Laurent Blvd, this guy was saying hello to people in English the calling them French bstd.He said hello to us (we were only kids,bellboys on the Britain) when we answered in English he was delighted and latched himself onto us.He was telling us that he was born in Liverpool and married some French bstd,you could tell he was alcoholic, he carried on walking with us down towards the ship.I was looking at him thinking I'm sure he is my uncle John.My uncle john emigrated to Canada, when the war came on he joined the Canadian army and came over here,he was at Dunkirk.We had a photograph of him in his army uniform in our house.Anyway we got be about the Rodeo I think and about 4 police cars screeched up,get going back to your ship boys this guy said and that was the last I seen of him.I was running to Montreal on and off over the years and always seen my other relations,I always asked about uncle John but nobody knew where he was.Anyway just before I left the sea I said to my uncle Frank all the years I have been coming here and I never got to meet uncle John.I'l take you to see him but you'll be sorry.We went to this tavern and lo and behold it was the same guy that I had met all those years before on the St.Laurent Blvd. so Frank knew where he was all those years but he didn't want me to get involved with him.He did become a bit of a pest and used tobe waiting at the gangway when we docked,I took my life in my hands every time I went ashore with him the way he used to speak to those big French barmen.
Regards.
Jim.B.

Any other part of Canada except Quebec is great though. I have a lot happy memories about that part of the world.

two of us went ashore off the Samaria in Quebec carrying roller skates and asked a couple of girls where the roller rink was. i'm sorry they said we can't speak English, speaking in English.

Hi shipmates, I was told in Montreal in war-time British Merchant seamen were looked after and giving the best treatment by the locals, My dad was given a poem in the local seaman misson saying how great the merchant seaman were, I have not to this day found another place in wartime, who did the same !!! But some french dont like the british this still happens in Paris today?

Quite honestly I travelled all over the place on the buses to my relations and out to fairgrounds etc in Montreal and never had a problem.I remember one time in Woolworths on the corner of the St.Laurent and St Catherine a shop assistant said "I don't speak English" my cousin (born in Montreal)said if we would've reported her she would've been fired as you have to be bilingual to work there.
Regards.
Jim.B.

Talking about being looked after by the locals, I remember being in Chicago during an American public holiday, the exact one escapes me. A bunch of locals showed up and asked to come aboard. Turns out they were bearing gifts for every member of the crew, boxed up and a greeting written on the package. All of them contained the necessities that most of us needed but usually didn't have much of like gloves, socks, woolen scarfs and hats etc. I always remembered that act of generosity from people that were total strangers but had the insight to realize that we were far from home, tired, cold and could use the friendly gesture. Even today, living in the U.S. I still recognize that warmth from the people that, at times, are ridiculed and berated by others around the world when, in fact, it's the American government that causes the stigma that most associate with the American people. I wonder if Nev and others that live here feel the same.

I spent three weeks touring the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2011 , what wonderful people I met , genuine , helpful , and a little annoying that they asked if I came from anywhere near London , when I said seventy miles , they would ask , if i knew so and so , who lives in London , I think they think London is a village

Every place i went to the locals were friendly and the women wow they were really friendly

There were the odd 1 or 2 over the years that were ignorant but hey you cant judge the whole town on 1 or 2 people i suppose it just depended which bar you happen to be in at the time

Went there a few times with Watts Watts, had my first Hamburger there in the Mission, Blueberry Pie and Cream after, great ! then Coffee with more Cream, was a good place to buy warm winter clothing, once we was there nearly froze to death, never seen so much snow ashore, ice in the River, wore a pullover down the Engine Room, Quebec and Three Rivers was worse for not speaking English. found most Canadians very friendly.

I don't know if any of you have been to Montreal since the container base is well out of town you don't go under the bridge now.I was there in 2000 and I was lucky enough to have my sons colleague from the office to come down to the ship and give me a run ashore.We went into town and went to a bar by the Notre Dame,it was a shipping bar every one in there was engaged in shipping one way or another,Mathew whom I was with was addressed as captain by all those that spoke to him.The manageress was from Cardiff,there was Irish,Scots,Italian and people from various parts of England,a great afternoon.Anyway Mathew had to go back to the office so I asked him to drop me off somewhere where I could get a pint.I ended up in a motel not having a clue where I was.I got talking to two guys at the bar the oldest of them could not genuinely speak English,if I would've approached him on his own I would've thought he was an ignorant French B.I called for two beers for them,my next question was how do I get back to the ship,no problem I will run you back to your ship which he did.The old French guy had been to the casino so he gave me a couple of decks of cards to take back to the ship,so they are not all bad.
Regards.
Jim.B.