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Gravesend sea school

259K views 627 replies 327 participants last post by  256565 
#1 ·
Anyone out there go to Gravesend sea school? (the peanut factory!!!).I had some good laughs there, I was there December '80 till April '81, (X class). I belive the place has just about closed down now.
 
#365 ·
hi all i was at gravesend sea school in jan 75 to march 75 catering left there and joined the pendennis castle for 3 trips then la loma sugar trader anco sovereign and ss laconica i would like to find a friend of mine who is the only one i remember from sea school we served on the pendennis together then he joined the QE 2 on the maiden trip, the thing i remember from sea school is going to the flying angel club mr mogoran was our life boat instructor and mr little was our instructor for catering the chap i am looking for is kevin dunn he came from south shields if anyone knows him would love to hear from him
 
#367 ·
I attended Gravesend Sea School July/August 1957 I remeber Cpt. McKeller. Messers Plum and Fish....Instructors.
I had the dubious pleasure (forced) to be Class Leader, on account of I'd been in the Cadets and it was on my c.v.
Starved yes... food parcels from home kept us alive...But I wouldn't have missed for the world !
 
#368 ·
coincidence



Hiya Bill we must have been there at the same time.I was a decky so had to do 10 weeks you must have been on the steward's course 6 weeks. remember Mckeller even so i had him down as mc'gregger,glad you put me right. The two instructors you mentioned,i cannot recall i'd think they would be on the catering side.I can recall a deck instructer on the deck side called Faulkner,great bloke, think he was a New Zealander.Coincidence we both decided to join this forum on the same day.I don't expect you would remember a team of lads coming up from the Vindy to try and give us a boxing lesson, which they didn't quite manage,but that aside we had all had a great day,and they were all great days,great memories to have, and the same as you Bill...wouldn't have missed it for the world.hope to hear from you, all the best; Danny Rafferty
 
#374 ·
Gravesend Sea School

Gravesend eh/ I was there in 1955, when it was in an ex-prison, as someone else remarked. There were some real hard cases there when I was, an innocent from Suffolk. Luckily, I teamed up with a bunch of super Scots lads.Got some photos somewhere. I was sent food parcels from home, which we shared out out. More like a Stalag than a training school. One instructor was named Kitchener, if I remember correctly after all these years, ex-RN. Left 21-10-55, joined SS "Cape Sable" lying at Charlton Buoys on 2-11-55, bound for Bombay as deckboy. Other deckboy was Dereck Hough from Kent, at least, that's how I remember him!
John Fulcher
 

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#376 ·
Gravesend eh/ I was there in 1955, when it was in an ex-prison, as someone else remarked. There were some real hard cases there when I was, an innocent from Suffolk. Luckily, I teamed up with a bunch of super Scots lads.Got some photos somewhere. I was sent food parcels from home, which we shared out out. More like a Stalag than a training school. One instructor was named Kitchener, if I remember correctly after all these years, ex-RN. Left 21-10-55, joined SS "Cape Sable" lying at Charlton Buoys on 2-11-55, bound for Bombay as deckboy. Other deckboy was Dereck Hough from Kent, at least, that's how I remember him!
John Fulcher
You were there the year before me John but I would imagine it wouldn't have changed a deal in that time. I also remember Woodbridge well I spent nearly a year there during the 84/85 miners strike. I was one of four Notts miners sent down there to raise funds to keep the strike going and we had a good response in the whole of suffolk. Might have bumped into you at that time. Danny Rafferty
 
#384 ·
HMPS "Triton"

I hesitate to butt in on your fascinating stories of life at Gravesend Sea School, but can any of you hairy-assed old ex-trainees help with the following please.

Trying to get information on Her Majesty's Paddle Steamer (HMPS) "Triton", which (when I was a cadet at King Ted's London 1957/89) was berthed at top of West India Dock. I believe she was then being used as a training hulk platform for BoT EDH and/or Lifeboat 'tickets. On the internet I found a reference to her having been once used by Gravesend Sea School?

She was a rathre nice looking old vessel with a tall funnel and masts and several deck houses and was painted dark grey. I think she was built for the RN at Poplar in 1882.

Jim Martin
 
#387 ·
I hesitate to butt in on your fascinating stories of life at Gravesend Sea School, but can any of you hairy-assed old ex-trainees help with the following please.

Trying to get information on Her Majesty's Paddle Steamer (HMPS) "Triton", which (when I was a cadet at King Ted's London 1957/89) was berthed at top of West India Dock. I believe she was then being used as a training hulk platform for BoT EDH and/or Lifeboat 'tickets. On the internet I found a reference to her having been once used by Gravesend Sea School?

She was a rathre nice looking old vessel with a tall funnel and masts and several deck houses and was painted dark grey. I think she was built for the RN at Poplar in 1882.

Jim Martin
Was interested to read your query Jim. Just surfing really as I was at the TOUGH school Vindicatrix in 1947.
I wonder if the ship you are querying was the one used for some of the training photographs in The Ships Captains Medical Guide, under directions of a Mate seaman were using the old wraparound stretcher which was standard equipment way back then. Think it was certainly in the docks there
Stuart
 
#386 · (Edited)
hi all i was there november 72 to febuary 73,remember mighty mouse,fire fighting instructer was a guy called mcguiness i think,dentist at that time was an animal.locals hated peanuts,ive been told the police have the school now,
served on the BP tanker BRITISH PATROL, BA STAR twice,lpg tankers FARADAY and CAVENDISH,and the HARDWICKE GRANGE,
 
#418 ·
hi all i was there november 72 to febuary 73,remember mighty mouse,fire fighting instructer was a guy called mcguiness i think,dentist at that time was an animal.locals hated peanuts,ive been told the police have the school now,
served on the BP tanker BRITISH PATROL, BA STAR twice,lpg tankers FARADAY and CAVENDISH,and the HARDWICKE GRANGE,[/QUOTE

Iwas there from 1st week december until february ,enjoyed it .I was in E class, remember Captain Adlams daughter coming to Friday disco, ***** teasing tart
 
#391 ·
David Brooks Here ,i Was At Gravesend Sea School Nov.28th 1960 To Jan 6th 1961. One Of 12 Bell Boys Trained For Queen Of Bermuda Which I Sailed On From Falmouth My 1st Trip Jan 11th , I Was 16, Came Back To Belfast Oct 6th. Anybody Has A Group Picture Of That Class ,would Be Great,for My Kids, Although I Dont Remember Ever Having Pics Taken. Thanks Dave
 
#392 ·
gravesend school

hi dave, i would say you were there when i was, i was there nov,60 to jan 1961, i have a photo on here taken at gravesend on the life on board--- i suggest you take a look you might be on it,i remember at the time there was a lot of mention of bell boys,and the queen of bermuda,hope this may help.
regards mike.
 
#393 ·
thoughts

I was there from Jan 74, I can remember having to row up river to that pub, no fun that time of year, fire training, I remember being kicked up the A**e by a mad sod with a big black beard and told to get closer to the fire, it was in a bunker by the river?, in my class there was a very tall american ***** from Brooklyn and a lad who had just missed out on becoming the "Milky bar kid" as a kid, listening to "Port of Amsterdam" on the juke box in the flying angel is another memory that has stuck.
 
#396 ·
I remember Mr McGoran, Captain Adlams and 'embassy' Scott he collected embassy cigarette coupons and if you wanted to get on his good side you would pass them on to him. I also remember 'shore leave' in Gravesend and the 'grudge fights every Monday night. I cornered the market for coat hangers and superman comics, I made more money there than I did on my first trip to sea.
 
#401 ·
Thanks Kevjacko,Was reading some of the earlier posts again and noticed that it seemed to be the guys that enroled in the early 60's that attended the course for about 2 months. Did we have more to learn?...i doubt it!! It was more than likely a money making racket keeping pupils enroled longer than needed but it did us no harm!!
 
#405 ·
Hi gordi here .All the talk about.Peanut boys, went toThe Vindicatrix,in 1954 left there and joined ship inTilbury.As you know opposite Gravesend.Met a girl there she ask me if i was a peanut boy?( because of my uniform) when i said no. she said they call them that because they ,Only earn peanuts for wages cheers Gordi
 
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