docking day

[john middleton]

Docking days were always special, none more so than the one 63
years ago yesterday, the (old) Oriana had completed her maiden
voyage, I had joined at Barrow on October 24 1960 a long time
we were used to much shorter trips New York, Montreal etc, I was
26 newly wed (1957), so no one saw much or me for a few days
still happily married, people ask for the secret of a happy marriage
Pick the right one and go away to appreciate her, but not for too long

[happy daze john in oz]

Oh the days of such ships and shipping, now long gone like so many other things we knew.
But as to long being wed, it is easy just say yes when spoken to, say nothing and just keep paying the bills.
Mt wife has been married for 56 years now and still looks at me in wonderment.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
Hope she is not saying where the hell did I pick this one up.
Cheers DEs

[john middleton]

just browsing, still married but in seperate care homes, she needs
24 hours a day care which as I am now 90 cant manage , I visit two or three times a week
but it's a sad closure to 67 years of marriage, get by with memories a bottle of rum.

[Doc Vernon]

Oh the days of such ships and shipping, now long gone like so many other things we knew.
But as to long being wed, it is easy just say yes when spoken to, say nothing and just keep paying the bills.
Mt wife has been married for 56 years now and still looks at me in wonderment.

(Mt wife has been married for 56 years now and still looks at me in wonderment.)

Then how long have you been Married John! LOL

The poor LADY is wondering when you are going to ask her to get Married to you then! Ha! Ha!

We got two Years on you John at 58 Years now mate, and if you take my First one in that another 7 Yeras on Top, Oh Boy! making it 65 Years Total , Wow!! i cannot believe i am still around after all those wild Years!

[Doc Vernon]

Getting back to Docking Day, will always recall that first Docking Day , Entering the KG5 Dock at Tilbury, after coming through the Bay, and quite a wild ride too, also very Foggy, could hardly see the then to me known as the Famous White Cliffs!

Got to see a wee bit of them through the Fog though, not good at all.
Then the actual Docking with me having Run up on deck of the old Dunnottar Castle, and Wow! the sight i could see, although still pretty Foggy was amazing with so many Ships in Dock, the Hustle and Bustle of the Dockside Workers, the Cranes all in action, something i had not seen as much of in all my time ! Cape Town i had worked in as a Stevedore, and had seen lots of Ships and Workers , Cranes etc. but this sight in London was something else!

Then it was pay of Time , Wages given and signed for, a fair little Wad of Cash, and on top of that all the good Tips received from the Bloods in Envelopes, which to my amazement added up to almost three times what i go in wages! Boy! was i rich!! LOL

Then it was time to begin a three week break, and as i had met up with a nice Guy on my first trip, he had invited me to his Parents house for the Duration.

It was then down the Gangplank, hailing a Black Cab (Another First i had seen ) and what a lovely Cab. Lots of Room and the Glass partition between the Driver and us was really good.
We went all the way from KG5 to Putney, a good ride away, but cash was no problem.

Arriving at Putney yet another new sight the House! It was one of those that had those lovely Big Bay Windows, and the Stone Steps up towards the front entrance, gee it looked so good!

So then that was part of my Docking Day. There was of course lots more to tell, but would sit here for hours .
Cheers

The days we had everything!!!

[happy daze john in oz]

Then the train from Southampton to London.
Two problems there.
First the bar on the station, always had to wait for a trin.
Secon, a bar on the train.

Result, get to London and hope you have enough energy to stand just a little upright so you can leave the train.
Then try to navigate you way out of the station, worse still if you had to catch a train to other parts.

Then the risk of falling asleep and missing your station by half a dozen.
Get home and mum says I thought you would be back yesterday.
So did I was the rteply.

[Des Jenkins]

Hi John.
A funny thing that paying off, I only paid off once in my home port of Swansea, the rest was a scattering of ports all over the UK, from Grennock to Falmouth , Newcastle to Tilbury and all points away from home.
I think I spent more of my pay off money on trains that at home in the local.
Des

[Gerald Farr]

I will always remember my last docking to discharge cargo. It was also KG5, a cargo of grains from Vancouver, Canada and Portland, Oregon. Down the West Coast of Nth. America through Panama and homewards across the Atlantic. It would be fourteen months since I joined this vessel, standby at Swan Hunter's for completion of build and fitting out, then trials and then out on her Maiden voyage only to return 24 hours later with bearing overheating problems, sorted out within a few days. I only needed three weeks sea time to sit for Master's and was assured that the first trip would only be five weeks maximum, across to Philadelphia to load a cargo of coal for the Continent where I would be relieved. Well the cargo of coal was right, but the destination was wrong, we took it to Japan! From then on it was all over the Pacific, down to Australia a couple of times, up to China a couple of times (about the time that Third Mate was taken off the ship going up the Yangtse because he was making sketches of the local scenery). The memory is a bit hazy at times these days as to other Ports of Call but we did go to the Philippines with grain. Anyway we finally docked in London KG5, knowing that we would be going back to Swan Hunter's for the Guarantee Docking once the discharge was complete. Our Marine Super came on board and saw the Old Man and then came round to give us the good news about going on leave. When he got to me he said, Farr when you get to Newcastle you will be going straight on leave, I said Thank you Sir, and then he said on completion of the dry docking you will be taking her out again. My reply in astonishment was, but that will only be about a fortnight Sir, his reply was, we are hoping it will only be ten days. I know that I then said to him, my daughter was four weeks old when we left and she is now fourteen months old so no I will not be taking this vessel back out after dry dock. He then said to me, When you are on contract to this company you will do as you're bloody well told. My reply was, my contract is sitting right there in my desk and it has not been signed so when I walk down the gangway in Newcastle that is the last you will see of me, you have my resignation right here and now. I knew there was a reason that I didn't sign it and post it with the Company mail at Panama. There was a little bit more to this story but that may get told at a later date but I never went back to sea and may be that is why my wife and I are still happily married after 64years.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Ah! Docking Day! Didn't the Coppers on the gates love docking day, what a money spinner for them! even taking money off apprentices, deck boys and galley boys, wanted their ten bob folded into the gate-pass, even the taxi drivers called them barstewards, Liverpool was the worst, in London they only took half-a-crown of us lowliest. In those days 20-30 ships a day would be paying-off in the Royals.