Of fond Memories

[Doc Vernon]

Those who remember the Lavender Hulled Union Castle Mailships with their Black topped,brilliant Vermilion funnels cannot but reflect with deep nostalgia upon a way f life that will never return.

Testimony to the pleasure those recollections bring,is the amazing quantity of memorabilia and souvenirs
that are still today treasured in many South African and English homes.
Each item bringing back some fond memory.
Such as Crossing the Line Ceremonies, The Captains Cocktail Parties, Fancy dress Competitions, Deck Sports and the Bumper farewell Dinner.
There were the Diving Boys at Madeira, and the buffeting in the notorious Bay of Biscay.

Sailing day from Southampton provided its own special atmosphere,heralded by the "Boat Train" from
Waterloo Station.
At Berth 104 anxious and excited,and sometimes bewildered passengers would hasten to keep pace with the porters who skilfully worked their ways through crowds in the Quay Sheds with all kinds of people bustling about!

Once on Board passengers were greeted by well trained staff who checked Passenger tickets etc.
They then were escorted to their various Cabins that would be their Home from Home for the next two weeks. Some even longer!

Prior to sailing those travelling Cabin (Tourist Class) queued in their Saloon for place allocations for first or second sitting/
Naturally those travelling 1sy Class had their seating arrangements planned for them,while only a few special passengers were invited by the Captain (with the occasional prompt from the Head Office) tio share his Table.

At 16:00 precisely with hatches battened down and everything secure,moorings were slipped ,and to much waving,calling and cheering,the liner would draw slowly away from the Quay to move sedately down Southampton Waters.

The Pilot customarily disembarked off the Needles,or if the Weather was bad,near the Nab Tower under the Lee of the Isle of Wight.

Then with the Engine room telegraph, at "Full Ahead" a slight tremble would run through the Ship as the Giant engines gradually picked up speed to the 21 Knots required for the Voyage of 5978 Nautical Miles to Cape Town.

Oh such great memories as said at the start never to be repeated! An end of a great Era indeed!
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

Vernon you forgot to mention Rob going around the E.R. with his oil can squirting the squeeky bits. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

It was an age now long gone, but an age of it's own peculiar beauty. A time when people had the time to travel with some degree of class. A time I doubt the world will ever see again, one filled with nostalgia, fantastic memories and a time when real freindships were established, friendships that in many cases still exist today. I have the book, "every thursday at Four o'clock" the story of UCl and on many occasions I look through it and recall some wonderous times. I some times think of Robben Island and them robbing barstewards in Cape Town, but all in all a fantastic era.

[Chris Isaac]

I have read this somewhere else very recently.
Some inaccuracies:
In the days when the ships sailed at 1600 the the speed required was only 18 knots rather than 21.
The distance to Cape Town via Madeira is 6008 miles

But I am being pedantic, great memories.

[Doc Vernon]

Well that is quite possible and the accuracy of stories differ a bit!
But its not too far off the mark ! What a few Knots and Nautical Miles LOL
Its the nostalgia that I was after!
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

Chris... Allowances for distance steamed over the land and distance steamed through the water. We used to call it slip. Covered a multitude of sins including bad steering, currents etc. Worked out once a 5 degree snake ( steering ) on a 10 knot ship, put extra distance on of about 20 miles a day. over 8 per cent. slip. Hence you had Engineers like Rob who always reckoned they got to the next port a couple of days before everyone else. Cheers John S

[robpage]

I remember the distance as 6008 , but we always stopped at Madeira outbound . I remember the daily gamble on the distance , where I had seen vast amounts of money laid down on the noon to noon distances , Which I think were set at the Captain's estimate + or - 10 nautical miles . Bored passengers throwing money around , including an emigrant who gambled a large amount of his stake money from the family , set up a new home fund , and lost

[Jim Brady]

Rob I dont know how it worked in UCL but in Cunard and CPR you certainly could'nt lose vast amounts of money,well you could but it would be a fruitless exercise.It worked like this,a board was placed on the Promenade Deck each day it had on it the estimated mileage and then maybe 20 numbers either way up and down.The cost was £1 per ticket and you guessed what the mileage would be.It was a tote system,as a ticket was bought a tick was put against the mileage guessed,so say the distance was 560 miles a tick would go against that number.When the mileage was read out at noon the number of passengers on the correct number shared the pot.
Total taken £100, 560 correct mileage,10 people on 560 each receive £10 each.The deck stewards used to take the board into the pantry before noon, when the figure came over they would put two chalk marks against the correct figure thus giving them 2 shares of the pot.Where ever there is money there is a fiddle.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[vic mcclymont]

We always stopped Las Palmas outward & homeward with occasional calls at Madera.
When the schedule was reduced to 11.5 days the sailing time was changed to Friday at 13:00.
Discharging the wine from the tanks always took place during the weekend after docking under the eagle eyes of customs.
If there was particularly good (not many) customs officer, he would leave a few jars for the returning engineering staff- potent stuff.

[robpage]

I've been on the working by crew Vic , those pumps had to be bled regularly , hic ! Hic !

The daily rate , as far as I understood attracted side bets , I honestly have not a clue how it worked , but I believe there was an auction for the numbers ,maybe Doc or HDJinA could recall