Diaries

[John Arton]

I only started keeping a diary when I went Master. Now I wish I had kept one from first going to sea instead of having to rely on memory to recall the names of all those I have sailed with and dates and name's of ports visited. Many who I sailed with I can only recall by their nickname, such as the 4 th engineering always had a drink with on the Empress of Canada called" the mangy cat" or the engineer " wing nut" or the 2nd mate "beep beep".
Strangely enough though the bersterds I had the misfortune to sail with I can always recall name of and ship but the hundreds, possibly thousands, of other great guy's I sailed with are regretfully lost in the mists of time.
Rgds
J.A.

[Tony Taylor]

Likewise John, I once sailed with a deck cadet from Scotland, who was universally called WISNAE. Regardless of what happened he was always first to pipe up "it wisnae me"

[Keith Tindell]

I always advised the new recruiting the Fire Service to keep a diary, although i never did myself. After 30 years service there are some memorable moments, and really funny, am sure it would have sold if i had kept one. One of the funny ones, or maybe not, was having climbed up into a large fir tree to rescue a moggy, the grateful owner gave a cup of tea, and as we thanked him and drove off , the cat was under the back wheel, very sad really, kt

[robpage]

I sailed with "Old 97" a South African electrician , he thought it was due to his time with SAR&H and was a railway engine , it was left school at 16 apprenticeship and 10 years with SAR&H = 16 +10 = 26 , 10 years in the SA Army 26 + 10 =36 , driving trucks breaking sanctions to Rhodesia made him 48, gold mining = 68 , at sea with Safmarine , a mercenary in Angola, then Union Castle meant that his first trip as Chief Electrician with Clan Line he had to be 97