RMS Windsor Castle

[Alex Steel]

Couple of days ago, for some reason I Googled Windsor Castle and was saddened to see a video of her being scrapped.
It led me to do a bit more searching and realised the domain RMS Windsor Castle was available.

I promptly purchased it and intend to host a Blog site where we can post not only comments but stories, phosts and anything of interest from Those who sailed with her either as a passenger or shipmate.
I sailed in her 1974-76 as Junior/4th Engineer/Junior.

I will, with the webmaster's permission here I hope, post an update when RMS Windsor Castle is up and running.

Alex Steel

[English Margaret]

251613_135193099890071_125465007529547_239936_558828_n.jpg heres another pic of the Windsor castle

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Alex
Now that is a good thing you are doing,it will hopefully get a lot of hits when up and running,and hopefully you could also include some other UCL Liners in the Blog!
As there are so many that have been sent to the Scrapyards,(Ships i maen haha!) i know it could be a very interesting Site!
Good luck@
Cheers

[Graham Evans]

I first saw the Windsor Castle in the late 70s tied up in Dubai Creek and used as a "night club"! I believe she was kicked out for un-islamic activities on board. Later, she was in Jeddah being used as accommodation for greeks who were constucting Jeddah Oil Refinery, don't know what happened after that. I went on board for something and remember thinking what a beautiful old ship she was.!

[happy daze john in oz]

There was until not long ago a site for all UCL ships including the Windsor. It contained stories from ex crew among other things. Last time I attempted to access it I found it unavailable. But a site on here dedicated to her and all UCl ships would I think bring forth some great stories. I spent about three years on her from voyage two, sometime as officers steward but before your time. Who wasa cheif engineer in your time? Was Abercrombie still there?

[George]

Done the maiden voyage on the Windsor, and couldn't wait to get off it, thanks to a Dutch head waiter. That said she was a fine ship and one that had I not been so determined to leave, I would have stayed on for a longer duration. There was a group that was trying to save her from the scrap yard, with the intentions of turning it into a hotel/confrrence centre and floating musium, as she was vertualy unalterd, from when she left the builders. If my memory serves me right they were within a wisker of saving the ship.
George
in Southampton

[happy daze john in oz]

George I do remember the head waiter, 'Barkhosen' or some such name, he was a terror. His assistant Tony Talavera was a great guy and only for him a lot more would have left. Think he worked closely with the second steward to see we had as few stores as possible. It was through a stupid idea of his that I got to make the first of several trips to face the skipper Annie Oakley.

[George]

Hi John, you got him, a real nausty piece of work. Most of the wigers wanted to fill him in, sorry all the wingers would have done it, but he had a little Scots seconed, (by the name of Jimmy Gibb, or Gibbs I think it was), who would keep the piece, and shield the Dutch barsteward, from the rest of us. I did hear tell some time after I had left, that the wingers attacked his cabin with the intentions of thowing him overboard. knowing what he was like I could well emagin that happening, certainly can't comfirm the story though.
George
in Southampton

[Ivan Cloherty]

what goes around, comes around!

My mother used to say "Never do unto others what they have done unto you " with the added proviso "If they have upset you, they will also have upset someone bigger than you, let the big guy beat the crap out of them, it will hurt more"

[happy daze john in oz]

He was not the only bad case though. There was a head chef by the name of Alves, just as nasty. Had a violent hatered of the gays on board. He would actualy do physical harm to them but in manner that would not see him in trouble. Couple of his tricks, pour hot sauce over the hand of a gay winger when handing a silver salver to him, saying sorry did not see your hand there. Or put a salver under the salamander and get one end so hot that it was almost melting and make sure the winger picked it up from that end. Would burn through the waiters cloth, so hot.
But one day he did do something real stupid. He picked up a large roasting tray and threw it at my mate MIck, roast cook,saying is this yours, then look after it a bit better, misjudged the throw and hit him saying it had slipped from his hand. He did get a bit of a beating one night ashore in Cape Town but never told who did it.
The story about the Dutchman getting sorted was around for some time, think a lot of it is true.