I did a few trips with Joe Shell in the mid to late 80s. Not a great outfit to have been with, but some good people i sailed with there. However, there were some odd and - i don't mind admitting - mad people on their books. One that meets the latter catagory was a Bosun named Ronnie Pickering, if he were alive today he would be in his 80s i'm sure. Never felt safe with him around! I was the only pool man on the ship when i sailed with him and he sort of singled me out as he was a Bristol man and me a Cardiff man, and the fact i wasn't contract gave him the green light to have a dig when he felt like it. I could always give him as good as with the patter, but i treaded carefully as he was a beast of a bloke. Does anyone on SN remember him? By all accounts he was a good seaman, but in my books one monster of a seafarer!
Some of the good shell contract men i remember apart from my good mate Gary Harrison now a Captain with Chevron: Captain Mike Geddis a real gentlemen;Chief Officer Bateman; Chief Officer Tom ? Natacina 1987;Engineer Andy keast; Sparky Trevor Bint; ABs: Fozzy bear aka tony hulland; Paul Hagan; Alex Wilson; dennis patton; Dave Bloomfield; Chris Furnish; Chris Patten; Peter daltry (what a guy); Mick Mcculloch (now RFA); Bob McGregor aka Maureen (now RFA) Paul Purvis; John Scott from Hull; Arthur prater; Paul Dillon; Eric Cordiner; Cooks: Tuesday weld aka Billy Cook (non contract like myself) Tricky Dicky aka Richard Roberts (now RFA); Jimmy Brymer; Dave Heron; Tommy Gollin; Bob Thomas; Denver Atkinson (a character) Stewards: Fred aka Phillip Lang (great guy); Peter Barnes aka Miss Barnes; Fiona aka John Williamson.
Numerous others i can remember faces and such but their names are now escaping me.
Anyway, i hope some members can remember some of these guys?
MickS
Some of the good shell contract men i remember apart from my good mate Gary Harrison now a Captain with Chevron: Captain Mike Geddis a real gentlemen;Chief Officer Bateman; Chief Officer Tom ? Natacina 1987;Engineer Andy keast; Sparky Trevor Bint; ABs: Fozzy bear aka tony hulland; Paul Hagan; Alex Wilson; dennis patton; Dave Bloomfield; Chris Furnish; Chris Patten; Peter daltry (what a guy); Mick Mcculloch (now RFA); Bob McGregor aka Maureen (now RFA) Paul Purvis; John Scott from Hull; Arthur prater; Paul Dillon; Eric Cordiner; Cooks: Tuesday weld aka Billy Cook (non contract like myself) Tricky Dicky aka Richard Roberts (now RFA); Jimmy Brymer; Dave Heron; Tommy Gollin; Bob Thomas; Denver Atkinson (a character) Stewards: Fred aka Phillip Lang (great guy); Peter Barnes aka Miss Barnes; Fiona aka John Williamson.
Numerous others i can remember faces and such but their names are now escaping me.
Anyway, i hope some members can remember some of these guys?
MickS