Abuse at Sharpness Seamans mission

[j.sabourn]

#34... That's what gets me Neil all these people ashore going back to that era of time and only now claiming to have been traumatised. Appears to others as they are using the goose that laid the golden egg for gaining notoriety and hopefully financial gain. Maybe they liked it and don't like admitting it. Most I believe to be a bunch of posers and don't care whose lives they wreck. I can remember punching someone on the nose in a cinema when I was 14 sitting next to a man that tried it on. Some of these claimants are either very naïve or slow learners. Probably fairies themselves and trying to blame someone else for the way they are. Cheers JWS

[happy daze john in oz]

The problem lies in how the law is used.
Back in our time if you put your arm around a young lady and asked her for a date that was acceptable.
Do that now and you may well end up on an assault or sexual harassment charge.
But persons of that age are now coming forward claiming sexual harassment for what happened then but using the law of today.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I was at the Vindi in 1952, March till June,
I remember the Padre at the Mission, Mark Allen, he played the piano a lot, and gave us all a bible. He was certainly a strange character , and seemed to be very effeminate. Never touched me. never heard of anyone being touched by him so do not know if anything else happened.
I had a very nice girl friend in Sharpness so had no need of a Vicar.

Brian

Hi Brian.
Hope it wasn't the girl we were told about, the instructors were always telling us that there was a girl called Poxy Stella in Sharpness and to give all the girls there a wide berth, now obviously I know it was a ruse to keep us away from the local girls it probably worked on most of us impressionable young Du's.
Cheers Des

[Captain Kong]

It was Poxy Pam when I was there we had to steer clear of, unfortunately I never found her,
.
I had another one from the village, a beautiful green eyed blond girl, and I used to stay at her home after when on leave from my ships.
Her Dad was a Chief Engineer so I had to behave myself.
it lasted for about three years after leaving the Vindi then she married a local lad who eventually became a multi millionaire and she lived in a big Mansion. in Gloucestershire. She last phoned me in 1995 when I was staying at a hotel near Berkeley for the Vindy Weekend, and she sent me birthday cards and Christmas cards for a while after, then they stopped, So do not know if she is still alive of not, she would be 82 years oild in October. So from 16 to 82 that has really flown over. Happy memories.
Brian

[Dennis McGuckin]

Hi Brian,
I still get daily emails from a girl friend I used to go with back in my sea days.
Must be something about us old Merch.

[Bob Dunkley]

Lewis in 43 years at sea you only saw two gays or trannies ,I had 15 years and sailed with hundreds of them , from fireman to cooks and even a gay captain. Could I ask what ships did you sail on??? that you only saw 2 in 43 years. You couldn't have been naïve that long.

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi Brian,
I still get daily emails from a girl friend I used to go with back in my sea days.
Must be something about us old Merch.

Now Den tell the truth, she wants that diamond ring you promised here back then. LOL

- - - Updated - - -

Lewis in 43 years at sea you only saw two gays or trannies ,I had 15 years and sailed with hundreds of them , from fireman to cooks and even a gay captain. Could I ask what ships did you sail on??? that you only saw 2 in 43 years. You couldn't have been naïve that long.

Should have gone to Spec Savers maybe?????

[Mike Hall]

I never heard of any abuse at the vindi or at the Mission,I never went to the mission much.
My first ship was interesting,the catering staff numbered 8.of those the second steward and the two assistant
stewards were gay,I was a pantry boy on that ship,and i was never approached by either of them.
The only time i needed help they were there for me,i was walking around new york(as we did) and a yank approached me for robberery,i was trying to
fight him off when two women approached the yank and beat the hell out of him,they grabbed me and bundled me into
a taxi and the driver sped away so we were not caught by the police.when out of the way and near the ship they revealed
who they were,they were my work mates the assistant stewards,they saw what was happening to me.
They had even left their pulling partners for the evening just to save me.
I was never more gratefull for their intervention.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Bob.
I'm with Lewis, I don't think I was naive but I only sailed with two that i knew of in my 16 years at sea. In those days I think that they used to stick with their own type of company, nowadays they flaunt it everywhere, now they even try to bring up kids who know nothing of life up in their own image.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi Bob.
I'm with Lewis, I don't think I was naive but I only sailed with two that i knew of in my 16 years at sea. In those days I think that they used to stick with their own type of company, nowadays they flaunt it everywhere, now they even try to bring up kids who know nothing of life up in their own image.
Cheers Des

Des today they almost wear it as some form of upper market symbol.