ships sailed on

[Doc Vernon]

Helo John B
Yes i am sure there are some here that sailed on the Arundel Castle,and with time someone will post about it i am certain,as so many on this site had connections with UCL!
The Arundel had a Sister ship in her days too and here is a nice little site that you may like to raed! Well thats if you havent allready!
Cheers

Those older ones to me were the best!

http://smmlonline.com/articles/arund...delcastle.html

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/UnionCast...l#anchor599634

http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/arundelcastle2.html

[Gary Bradley]

Castle boats, that was all i heard about on my first trip to sea, there was an old steward from liverpool on there, an old passy boat queen as he called himself (no, before you all get up in arms about this, I am not homophobic, met a lot of decent blokes during my time at sea, quite a few who were gay, some of the funny stories they used to come out with!!) his favourite saying was "ooh when I was on the Pendennis Castle with ....", the guy's name was/is Les Craig. This was dec 1981, we joined the Scottish Lion off limits in brixham bay, most of the crew changed, the bosun was another character, a south african bloke, Charlie Hood, and the chief cook a big bloke, cant remember his name, his opening statement to the new galley boy , who i shared a cabin with for the 5 month trip, went something like "Hi, I'm the cook and I will tell you before they all do - I'm gay!!" Frightened the **** out of young Tim, but they were some of the best blokes i had the pleasure of sailing with. The cook gave tim the nickname "John Sebastion tregorran" as that was the name of his first galley boy and the name stuck. Les, Charlie and the cook were probably well into their fifties or early sixties (or so i seem to remember, given that I was only a 17 year old deck boy myself) which was 35 years ago so they are probably all deceased by now. Does anyone on here remember them? There must be some old passy boat stewards left kicking about, they were right characters, people like that kinda stick in your mind. Another bloke I remember well was a bosun from the falklands called Ronnie Hanson. Had a right reputation for being a terror, a right nasty piece of work when he wanted to be, but I found him to be one of the kindest blokes i worked for, gave me a chance to learn my trade properly, I have always loved rope and wire work and he got another of the "old hands" an AB called Kenny Grindrod,( who I sailed with twice, once on the Edinburgh Universal and again on the Scottish Eagle down the falklands) to take me under his wing and change all the wire strops and cables on both lifeboats, hard eye splices , wormed and parcelled, the full shooting match. What I didn't know was that Ronnie had said to Ken, watch him do the first one then if you think he can manage, leave it to him. I will never forget that trust he showed in me, wish more of the bosuns I sailed with had been like that.
If any of the names ring any bells please let me know.

[Ken Trehearne]

Hi Alf.

I was on the Edinburgh Castle as QM 2/11/55 to 6/4/56. Great ship and crew. Also on Dunnottar Castle 22/10/53 to 28/12/53. Met present/only/sole wife in East London. She later went to UK on her big OE though never went back. Wise enough to marry me instead.

Been at Auckland since 1964 though lived in Plympton for 17 months 1986/7 then hurried back to down-under to remain for life.
KenT

[Doc Vernon]

Two good Ships there (well I found all my UCL ones good) Edinburgh my late Brother was on in 59/60 and I was on the old Dunnottar in 58 doing her last trip (my first) to KG5 a memorable trip that was!
Cheers

[gray_marian]

#63, Sorry Ken have to say, Alf a dear member sadly missed, died in October last year. Marian.

[john walker]

#62 Hi Gary I sailed with Ronnie Hanson in the late 60's. If it is the same bosun (It probably is as there can not be to many bosun's with that name from the Falkland's)It was either on the Tintagel Castle or the King Arthur I can not remember which I was in catering. Both of those ships belonged to British & Commonwealth and Ronnie was a companies man. I have vague recollections that He had started as a young man on ships after getting a pier head jump on a whaler that had stopped over in the Falklands The ship he was on was one of the Hector Whaling fleet which was managed eventually by British & Commonwealth which is how he became a company man . Any way as you say He was a good bloke.

[happy daze john in oz]

UCL, some of the happiest and gayest crew you could ever sail with. A good company to work for I found with most of the gay guys as first class wingers.
Very popular with the bloods to the extent hat they would swap perfumes, clothing ideas and other such female concepts.

Good company and put on some great show in the pig for the crew, to the extent that on one voyage the skipper, Patey, had them put it on for the bloods.