union castle.

[David Dunlop]

Hi There, Good memories. ie Delmonicos and the Light House, Do you remember the old Cape Brandy? Cheers.

[Doc Vernon]

David
There were quite a few good Cape Brandies,and many come to mind! Some were so strong too,had to be wary of how much you drank!

KWV
Klipdrift
Richelieu
Commando
Oude Meester
Napoleon
Mellow Wood
Van Ryn's
Vicroy!

Yes many good old memories of the places not only in Cape Town but all around the Coastal Ports there!
Here is a Link to a pic of the Green Point Lighthouse very old one before it was made Round!
Cheers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hilton-t/5418263651/

imagesCV58GKQI.jpg

The old Del with the Stars on the Ceiling! Great times in there,my late Mum used to sing there at times,with the Don Storer and Cherry Wainer Band!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl1-yYPQvk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvxfOvqCB6Y

[Maurice castles]

Was on most union castle ships out of Southampton in 59-64 Cape Town Darrel's night club delmonicos. Club navigators den the grand hotel I was aged 16-21 best years of my life beer and brandy and the girls were good to be with seems like yesterday Maurice castles

[Doc Vernon]

You were on the UCL Ships the same time as me Maurice! 1958 started with the old Dunnottar did her last trip to KG5 , also on other Mail Runs from Southampton!
I recall all that you mention above too!
Yes the best Years they were!
Cheers

[Captain Kong]

When I was flying with Court Helicopters, Green Point was our base.
.
Delmonicos has been gone for many years now. Lovely place. and the Navigators Den w as also very popular.
Cheers
Brian.

[happy daze john in oz]

The Cape Run, nothing quite like it Cape smoke at about $1 a bottle then. Remember when you had to sign the book in the bottle shop and yes the clubs were great. so were the shelias as I recall.
All good brandies Vernon but after the first two or three it mattered little which one you were on. A bottle a day on the coast was not unusual and it was with UCL that I became a professional drinker. I never touch brandy now, got the taste for Dr. Gordons instead, think those years on the coast killed it for me. But if we could turn the clock back even for a few days..........................................!!!! !!!!


Now long gone The Navigators Den ,burned down in a fire one night. manchester Hotle not far from the Grand, nopw gone. OK Bazars now gone, Tiki Hoc bars now gone, and all the ships gone as well, how sad it all sounds

[cappy]

all gone now yes john ....the same in all seaports the good bars gone from years ago the rivers almost empty .....the men who sailed theships all going the same way ......but didnt we have it all .....the world was young and so were we .....we took it by the tail and shook it as brian says the world will never see the likes again.......and we had it all ......and bloody loved it........regards cappy

[Captain Kong]

I have spent the last 17 years sailing round the planet to all the places we went to as seafarers.
I have only found one bar in all that time that was open in the 50s.
That was the Scandi Bar in Valparaiso, still open, with a bouncer on the door. BUT no Sailor Men.
tHE California Bar in Montevideo was closed and looking very neglected and Se Vende.
I was going to buy it for old times sake. SHE said NO. Two Swedes killed by the Vigies in there one night just because I could not speak Swedish.
Viente Cinco de Mayo , all gone, just shops and offices now., not one bar.
The whole of South America, both sides . All gone.
La Jungla Bar and Rosita in Barcelona, GONE.
Tombo Mary`s Gone.
Market Diner in New York , gone, now a strip joint.
Ma Gleasons Gone. the only ones left in all the world apart from a few in Liverpool , was on the OZ coast, in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle, BUT very Quiet now full of City and Office types not seafarers.
There are no Seafarers left now, ships are in and out same day, the crews do not bother going ashore as we did.
What a Miserable world it is now.
We have our memories of better days, the `Seafarers` of today will have No memories.
Brian.

[happy daze john in oz]

Thanks to our great captain Brian we can all enjoy this site.

Not sure how you guys feel but when i am reading posts or replying I do so thinking that we are still all young men. I know most of us have reached a degree of maturity and some are not in the best of health. But that matter little when we communicate, the feel of the sea, the places we saw, the comradeship we developed that still lives on today. All of that can never be lost as long as we all live, in our minds eye we still see the thing sof the past we loved so much. We had something many would never even understand as long as their fundemental orrifice pointed south. We can still go down to the dock that are left, sit and watch and within a very short space of time recall the places, the mates, the bars, the women....................yes we had it all, including sometimes presents from the ladies..

[Ivan Cloherty]

Guess I must have been lucky John, never got a 'present' from a lady, many a time worried if I had though!