SS Brimsdown, Steevies Flattie.

[athinai]

Great memories of the Summer of 1964, running Tyne to Thames and under all the Bridges, Wonderful times, Great Shipmates. Unforgetable.

[ruud]

Ahoy Athinai,
Indeed must have been a great time passing under all those bridges,easy going.(Thumb)
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/6441/brimsdown1951mediumyh3.th.jpg (http://img294.imageshack.us/my.php?image=brimsdown1951mediumyh3.jpg)
Courtesy/© Iain Lovie
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1264/brimsdown1951mediumtk8.th.jpg (http://img294.imageshack.us/my.php?image=brimsdown1951mediumtk8.jpg)
Courtesy/© A.Duncan

[athinai]

Hi Ruud,

Just got the Fabulous pictures printed off, and they will take pride of place on the Wall in my Office (DEN). As Always, Many Thanks & Regards to you and yours.

[Burned Toast]

I think you use to get 2/6 for dropping the funnel to go under the bridges !!

Ray

[athinai]

Hi Ray, I did'nt know that, and was it for each Bridge ? That would come to some amount then., My main Job was keeping a picture on the TV and pointing it for best recepition as we moved up and down the coast., Had a Brilliant Idea, Got a Huge Bulb from the Lecky at one of the Power Stations and passed it to the Boatswain, It Was the Best TV Antenna we had., no more up and down the masts., Cheers.,

[athinai]

Ray, I just noticed my reply to your 2/6 for dropping the Funnel, and I am still laughing at my Question, '''Was it for each Bridge'' ?? Hi Hi

The old Grey matter is not so good anymore.

Cheers Ray.

[Burned Toast]

What about the North Thames Gas Board ships have we not got any photos of

SS Firelight - Fireglow - Firebeam to name but a few that used to run into South Docks S'land Local pub Regale Tavern.

Ray R700934

[ruud]

Ahoy Ray R700934,
Ray wrote:What about the North Thames Gas Board ships have we not got any photos of

SS Firelight - Fireglow - Firebeam to name but a few that used to run into South Docks S'land Local pub Regale Tavern.
Here to post a few,more colliers/flatirons,which I provided, can be viewed at:
http://www.merchant-navy.net/Pictures/colliers%20A-Z.html (http://www.merchant-navy.net/Pictures/colliers%20A-Z.html)

[Burned Toast]

Thanks Ruud

Some of the older lads wanted some photos of their ships

Ray

[athinai]

Burned Toast, just a Little Question ?

Can you remember ? How Many Pints would you get for the ''2S 6d ''to Lower the Funnel ? ( going under the Bridges ??)

Say about 1963 or thereabouts ?

Ray I'm Just thinking, would you get 1 and a Half ?

[Burned Toast]

Dock Hotel just up the bank from South Dock 11pence a pint Trumans Best Bitter 1960

Ray

[athinai]

Ray,

How things and prices have Changed so much,

Best Regards/

[trotterdotpom]

I agree with Burnt Toast, approx a 1/6d (the olden days way of writing one shilling and sixpence) a pint in the mid '60s. Of course, that wasn't a tiny overpriced bottle of Mexican lager with a wedge of lemon in it and the label pointing outwards.

John T.

PS Somewhere on the site there is a description of the kids spitting on the pilot of Harry Richardson as she passed under Tower Bridge.

[Ron Stringer]

I agree with Burnt Toast, approx a 1/6d (the olden days way of writing one shilling and sixpence) a pint in the mid '60s. John T.

Not so sure about that, John. Best bitter was 1s. 6d. a pint in 1959 when I was still training as a Sparks in Manchester. For that reason we used to drink draught cider, which was only 1s. 3d. As keen followers of the 'more bangs for your buck' principle, we couldn't afford to pay 20% more for a lesser 'bang'.

[trotterdotpom]

Ron, maybe I'm looking at the world through barley coloured glasses - you seem so confident, I'll defer to your better memory. I just thought I could remember paying 9d (nine old pence) for half a pint of Courage in Bristol in about '65 - I was only beginning the onslaught on my brain cells at that time.

Talk about 'bangs for your buck', I do remember haggling the price for a bag off in Las Palmas down to the peseta equivalent of a shilling (emphasis on 'hag') - I would have taken it too but there were to many big mouth familiar faces around and I was worried about my image - from today's perspective, I'm not sure why I was bothered.

For the uninitiated, a shilling (12 old pence or 12d or 1s ) eventually became five new pence (5p). Nice to bring back the memories of the old money, I think it's sad that we've lost marks, francs, pesetas, etc and everything's become the boring Euro. Wonder how long the pound will hold out.

John T.

[Ron Stringer]

John,

We could both have been right since beer prices then (and now) did vary widely around the country. It always used to be dearer 'Down South' than 'Up North' but earlier this year I was in Keighley, W. Yorks where they were extorting £2-35 a pint. In the Wetherspoons in Chelmsford, Essex I can get good bitter for £1-59. A long way from the 1s/6d for bitter, 1s/4d for mild and 1s/3d for draught rough cider charged in Moss Side, Manchester in 1958/59.

The cider was a pleasant drink with a somewhat higher alcohol content than the bitter, but over-indulgence produced worse effects than a hangover and which proved to be good training for later, when I was on the Indian Coast and learned about Delhi Belly.

[Burned Toast]

You can still get a pint of Stones or John Smiths for £1.10p in the North East.

Ray

[Ron Stringer]

You can still get a pint of Stones or John Smiths for £1.10p in the North East.

Ray

Ray, if it is that John Smith's Smooth, then they would have to pay me to drink it.

[Burned Toast]

Tast better than Tusker Ron in the Sunshine Bar Monbasa, but yes it's John Smiths Smooth.

Ray

[athinai]

Any Chance of the UK Going over to the Euro ????
Will there be a Referendum ?

Regards/

[jim heslop]

Burnt Toast
I was on the Alexander Kenndy a Flat Iron That used to go under the Bridges and the only person that received any money was the man on the wheel and that was from the pilot
jim heslop

[ruud]

Ahoy Jim,
Here your SIR ALEXANDER KENNEDY
http://img12.myimg.de/SirAlexanderKennedyMedi73110_thumb.jpg (http://www.myimg.de/?img=SirAlexanderKennedyMedi73110.jpg)

[athinai]

hi Jim,
I spent many a Good evening on Your old Flattie ''Sir Alexander Kennedy'' as a friend of mine worked on her., Great times in London and up North.,

[Warmy]

Hi All,
I'm looking for any information about my grandad who served on this ship. His name was Wiliam (billy) Warmington. It would be great to hear from anybody who remembers him or served with him.

Please get in touch.


Regards

Stu

[frank fish]

I did a boiler service visit in Blyth to the Brimsdown in 1972 and believe at that time she was the last of the coal burners on the East coast. She had one very large Scotch Boiler and a vertical donkey boiler which I was told was never used

[B.Nicholson]

Burnt Toast
I was on the Alexander Kenndy a Flat Iron That used to go under the Bridges and the only person that received any money was the man on the wheel and that was from the pilot
jim heslop

I was on the Kennedy in the winter of 62. We were never paid a penny for dropping the funnel. Maybe Captain Dukes did something worthy with it??? Shud have got danger money though, Cause Steve the Greek was straddled the funnel one night shackling the stays on when the winch slipped and parted the the funnel wire. Steve the Greek was shot through the air for about 30ft and landed in the Jolly boat. Not a scratch on him
Bob.

[7woodlane]

Not always a pleasant experience passing under the bridges. Blackfriars ( I think) was the worst when heading for Battersea or Fulham. In the then era of the Teddy Boys it was a hazard at night because of what they discharged as you went through below them. Otherwise I enjoyed my time on the Blackwall Point.