come aboard

[Brian Charles Williams]

Who out there can recall interesting people that came aboard that were passengers or just lookers.
I bring this up when recalling ``Bluebell Girls`` dance troupe coming aboard the Auk when in Saint Nazaire.
Did their arrival on board bring the blokes running to meet these beauty's ...like fly`s around a honey pot !
Another interesting person we had on a Port ship ,taking him to OZ was Sir Rowland Hill.
Another trip, we were off loading crates of car parts in Geelong when Lord Nuffield turned up on the dock I think for a photo opportunity for the local newspapers.
The only interesting people I was to meet on those trips and all the others was every man jack crew members I ever sailed with !..........Brian W.

[Ron B Manderson]

In aquaba we had King of Jordon.
Complete with a semi circle of Land rovers fitted with machine guns and men with bullet belts around the shoulders.
Seems we had 5 ton of gold coins to deliver

Nice Chap.
Also some princess in India.
British jockeys who told us who to bet on at the races next day.
Seems they took turns o0f winning .
Ron the batcave

[Ivan Cloherty]

Once did a trip on a 12 passenger ship to S.America, carried 11 nuns and 1 Mother Superior, we were not allowed on the passenger/promenade/boatdecks without shirts, talking to the MS she said her nuns didn't mind because they were all married to Christ, but of course she said you have to obey the captain. There were some lookers, so thought lucky bugger. When we changed into whites they all wore white habits. They were very good fun, they didn't try to convert us and seamen's language disappeared for four weeks whilst they were on board

[happy daze john in oz]

The Pendennis Castle, named by the press as the 'fun' ship. Obviously thye knew a thing o two, carried Norman Wisdom and Frankie Howerd on one voyage.
Top model Jean Clarke was also on one, and like most of you never heard of her.
In Suez 1964 we had to wait for clearnace to go through the canal as Krushchef and Nassar were on a naval ship at the head of the canal for a conference.

[Brian Charles Williams]

my brush with famous people came when in the wee small hours of the morning in then Bombay (Mumbai) airport while trying to kill time waiting for a connecting flight ,I was in an airport gift shop that was empty except for another customer ....Cliff Richard.
Who I WISHED `GOOD MORNING TOO`. Have to say even then and this was some years ago now, he looked as jet lagged as I was also certainly didn`t have Peter Pan looks !
On another occasion when in Auckland I went to a` crash up derby` just out of town and who was sitting next to me was Sterlin Moss. One celebrity I missed out on meeting, but my wife was introduced to , was Eric Morecombe ,she had quite a long chat with him and my wife was left with the impression of a very nice man.
Gotta say that also I have sat in the chair that the late Queen mother & Princess Margret sat in when they came aboard the Port Brisbane prior to her launching. It was a few years after that when I joined the Brisbane but I swear the seat was still warm !..........Regards Brian W.

[j.sabourn]

#3... Heard the old folklore about the superstition about carrying Nuns Ivan, you got to where you were going , so must be a fallacy. Cheers JS

[john sutton]

Did 5 trips on the Accra in early 50,s.Plenty African "chieftains?" with their new white brides heading back to meet the tribe.All travelling 2nd class

[cappy]

Did 5 trips on the Accra in early 50,s.Plenty African "chieftains?" with their new white brides heading back to meet the tribe.All travelling 2nd class

##yes very reminicent of cillas surprise surprise when they saw the place they were going to live in ...lol....cappy

[Evan Lewis]

Re.Post 7.
John , just wondering ,if you may have heard of it! It was either from the Accra or Apapa, Of E.D's early fifties .
That a young Q.M. Henry Owen Jones, Of N.Wales, went missing.We were in the same group at the Vindi.
Had read a small report ,in one of the papers. Apparently ,He was last seen sleeping on Deck. Though was not there , When called for His Watch .

[cappy]

##sad how often guys jump or fall over the wall ....a mate of mine who i sailed 9 months with ....came of the 4 to 8 sat on the ass end with a beer with 2 others ......talked normally then just said effit ive had enough crushed a beer can in his hand walked to the after rail and jumped up of the straits of hormuz ...by the time the tanker turned round he was gone .....had good times ashore with him in oz and fiji kiwi etc ......didnt find out till i went to see if he was at home or at sea and the next door neighbour told me ....RIP ...artie.........regards cappy