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Stephenson Clarke Vessels

141K views 270 replies 96 participants last post by  IBlenkinsopp 
#1 ·
i can recall seeing a number of S/C ships in Blyth years ago and wondered what happened to them? i vividly remember the ASHINGTON, i remember this one cos i used to live there. and the STORRINGTON. can anyone help?
 
#30 ·
SCS were regular visitors to Alcan at Blyth until Arklow got the contract some years ago. I did one trip with Stevies as 2nd Mate. My one and only off the pool. Right up my street I was told. The Ashington loading coal at Dunston. I joined her with visions of the NE Coast run and ended up with a grand tour of Europe. Mo I Rana, Ventspils, Bilbao, El Ferrol, Venice, Caen, Lubeck as well as the usual Dutch and German ports. Great fun. I seem to recall that during a brief dry dock at Middle Docks her name was changed to Arlington as the new Ashington had been built, Can anyone confirm this and does anyone know what happened to her.

Peter.
 
#31 ·
Hello Peter
Have tracked down some history on ASHINGTON/ARLINGTON, also under its previous name TENNYSON, and under its later names. Below there are also particulars of the vessel and example voyages extracted from Lloyd’s Shipping Index (various issues 1957-84). The other data are from Lloyd’s Register, Lloyd’s Confidential Index, and Marine News. Hope that this is of interest.

Particulars
Official number 187534
Signal letters GVGX
3894 tons gross, 2176 tons net, 5630 tons deadweight (these remained the same throughout her career)
Length overall 356 ft 7 in, breadth 50 ft 6 in, draught 21 ft 9.75 in, depth 26 ft 6 in
2 holds (length 106 ft, 108 ft)
4 hatches, each 36.5 ft x 28 ft
Fitted with Sulzer 5-cylinder diesel engine, 2000 bhp
Service speed 11 knots

History
20.11.56 launched by Henry Robb Ltd, Leith (ship number 449) for Chine Shipping Co Ltd, London, as TENNYSON
2.57 delivered
1968 sold to Stephenson Clarke Shipping Ltd, London, renamed ASHINGTON
1978 renamed ARLINGTON
1980 sold to Gianna A Shipping Co Ltd, Piraeus (manager Apollonia Shipping Co Ltd, Piraeus), renamed GIANNA A (Greek flag)
1983 sold to Grenada Shipping Co Ltd, Valletta, Malta, renamed CHRYS (Maltese flag)
1984 sold to Pakistani breakers, and arrived at Gadani Beach prior to 13.8.84 for scrapping

Example voyages
TENNYSON
23.3.57 sd Hampton Roads for Cagliari, ar 13.4.57
30.9.58 sd Montreal for Little Narrows
7.4.59 sd Middlesbrough for Casablanca
8.3.60 sd Middlesbrough for Casablanca
16.4.61 sd Middlesbrough for Casablanca
23.7.62 sd Genoa for Casablanca, ar 1.8.62
4.5.63 sd Middlesbrough for Spezia, ar Immingham 5.5.63
28.8.63 sd Middlesbrough for Casablanca
8.2.64 sd Middlesbrough for Dakar
17.10.63 sd Comeau Bay for Calais
31.12.64 sd Portishead for Dakar
3.5.65 sd River Tyne for Antwerp, ar 5.5.65
15.10.65 sd Comeau Bay for Rouen
22.2.66 sd Rotterdam for Trieste
5.9.66 sd Dakar for Middlesbrough, ar 16.9.66
15.1.67 sd Dakar for Middlesbrough, ar 27.1.67
5.6.67 sd Dakar for Belfast
ASHINGTON
15.7.68 sd Middlesbrough for Dakar
26.11.68 sd Szczecin for Sluiskil, ar Amsterdam in tow – had been in collision (28-29.11.68) and also aground
5.3.69 sd Immingham for Kiel
11.11.69 sd Lubeck for Szczecin, ar 13.11.69
15.2.70 sd Port Talbot for Immingham
19.8.70 sd Immingham for Kiel
5.11.70 sd Emden for River Tyne, ar 7.11.70
11.3.71 sd Gdynia for Bilbao
7.12.71 sd Immingham for Lubeck
14.5.72 sd London for Amsterdam
5.11.72 sd Immingham for Farge, ar 7.11.72
19.2.73 sd Ventspils for Immingham
3.2.74 sd Gdansk for Bilbao
1.3.75 sd Swansea for Rotterdam
9.10.75 sd Rotterdam for Sagunto, sd Barcelona 28.10.75
23.9.76 sd River Tyne for Szczecin, ar 26.9.76
15.10.77 sd Bremen for Algiers, pd Gibraltar 21.10.77
ASHINGTON
(Sorry: nothing on my files)
GIANNA A
12.8.81 sd Chioggia for Tripoli
21.1.82 sd Taranto for Volos
12.12.82 pd Istanbul on voyage from Constantza to Algiers
14.6.83 sd Manfredonia for Piraeus, ar 16.6.83, laid up
CHRYS (never traded commercially under this name)
6.6.84 sd Piraeus for Gadani Beach to be broken up, and arrived Karachi prior to 13.8.84

Regards
Roger
 
#32 ·
Hudson Light

Did anyone see the programme, "The Way We Were" on ITV a couple of weeks ago, which showed film footage of a reporters journey aboard the Hudson Light from Blyth to London.
There were great shots of Blyth in the 60's one good one of the tug Francis-Batey swinging her and some of the Golden Fleece pub in her Hay-Day which all you old Stevie-Clarks guys will no doubt have sampled her hospitality while loading at Bates staithes.

Peter.
 
#34 ·
Hello Roger,

Thanks for the info on the Ashington, great research. The voyages show what hard working little ships they were.The Ashington/Arlington was showing her age when I was on her I'm surprised she carried on for so long. Ex Stevies might like to know that the 'Fleece' was demolished earlier this year. I often call down that way to see whats on the Battleship Wharf. Blyth Harbour Commision have a good website that shows whats due and whats in. There is talk at the moment of the Blyth/Cambois ferry being resurrected as part of the N1 cycle route. Ex coastal lads will remeber the old ferry.

Regards Peter.
 
#35 ·
I remember the 'Fleece'! I was R/O on the Dallington and the Donnington and spent a considerable time running between Immingham/Blythe and the Thames. Took one of them (I'll have to check my discharge book) deep sea from Barry to Rio de Janeiro, Takoradi and back to South Shields. Not a bad trip for a "coaster"!
 
#36 ·
Hi G4UMW,

I stand to be corrected but I think that the Dallington and Donnington would be the biggest of SC ships that came into Blyth in the early '80s, I know that there was not much room to spare when they were swung up West and onto the Bates Berth I think they would be pretty new then as they were always nice and clean.
There was even less room with the Alcan ships, Cape Race, Baron Belhaven and Polytrader, it was always a 4 tug job with them.

Interesting deep sea run you mentioned there, it is exactly the same as my late father used to make when he was sailing for Stricks during the war years, sometimes he did the other convoys going the other way, Barry or Liverpool, Newfoundland, Iceland then Murmansk.

Peter.
 
#37 ·
i still wander down the quay side at blyth down by where the dun cow was where i often sailed from as a young man when ships were lying three abrest all the waiting berths full the middle jetty at import dock it brings tears to your eyes its so quiet and empty but it brings back memories that i will always cherrish albert.s.i
 
#38 · (Edited)
Hi Peter,

Having dug out my DB and checked dates, I was on the Donnington 15-3-76 until 14-8-76 - this included the trip to Rio previously mentioned and several runs Rouen to Civitaveccia with grain, returning via Melilla (Spanish Morocco) to load iron ore for Dagenham Dock. We also did several runs to Lubeck and one each to Norway and that delightful spot, Murmansk. My next ship was the Dallington, from 25-11-76 until 23-3-77. That time was mostly spent "CEGB Trading" - Immingham or Blyth to the Thames and Medway power stations (although we did end up in the Med for a while).

Rob
 
#43 ·
I can remember both the Ashington and Storrington when I was at SC in 74-5. The Captain I can most remember on them both was George Cyril Joyce, and at Tyne Dunston Staithes it was fairly common for an ordinary household ladder to be put out instead of a gangway- apparently due to the rise and fall of tides and awkward staithes-although it didn't make it any easier getting on and off with a briefcase of shipping do***ents!
The fleet at that time as best as I can remember (cos I used to duplicate the Position Lists which were sent out to all SC offices daily) was- Ashington, Beeding,Birling,Climping,Dallington,Donnington,Ferring,Fletching,Jevington,
Keynes,Lancing,Malling,Portslade,Pulborough,Rogate,Steyning, Storrington, Wadhurst,Washington, Wilmington and the newly arrived Northumbrian Water, plus all the CEGB vessels, quite a few of which had been sold off, so my memory is more shaky on these, but I recall- Battersea, Charles H Merz, Dame Caroline Haslett, Sir Johnstone Wright, Sir William Walker.
Apologies if I have missed any, but it is over 30 years since I worked at SC Newcastle, and for the first time since I worked there I have just looked at the SC website, and feel like weeping when I see how much the fleet has shrunk since then- at that time I just felt like weeping because of the poor wages for lower status office staff (which is why I left).
 
#44 ·
I knew I'd missed one or two from my list-there was also the James Rowan from the CEGB fleet, and the Tarring from the SC fleet. Apologies for that,
but after 30 years it is amazing what you can still remember from then, if you concentrate hard enough.
I am also starting to remember some of the shore based staff at the Newcastle Collingwood Street office at that time-
The M.D.- Mr H W Turner,
Senior Admin Ms. Lillian Ward and Ms. Doreen Wright,
Senior Accountant Mr. Crozier,
Insurance Mr.Ramshaw,
Agency Ken Gilholm and Alan Morton,
Ship Management Captain Rochester,
Superintendents Bob Bunn and others,
Accounts office Mr. Lear,
Chartering (cargo) Mr. Ross and Allan Waters.
Chartering (vessels) Mr Geoff Willey and his boss.
and many others whose names I cannot remember in Personnel, Stores and Victualling, Typists, Computing departments, plus the assistants in these departments,and lowly clerks like me, plus the tealady and commissionaire receptionist.
The office moved to Eldon Square shortly after I had left.
 
#45 ·
i quite enjoyed this post about stevie clarks ships which reminded me of the ones i sailed with the 1st was the ss borde 1956 the hayling 1957, the henfield 1960 i think he was agent for the CC SHIPS coastwise colliers i sailed ss colwyn ss coldstream 1948 ah the memories cheers albert.s.i
 
#46 ·
Further to earlier posts (and quickly before I go to work)- there was also the tanker Ashurst (as well as Wadhurst mentioned earlier) and the Midhurst as well- but I cannot remember if that was a tanker or bulk carrier- perhaps someone can remember? Also, SC managed the fly ash hopper barges for the CEGB- mentioned elsewhere on here- Bessie Surtees,David Marley and Sir Fon
-Apologies once again if I have still missed any.
 
#51 ·
I spent 16 years as an engineer with stevies,started with the maplehurst,midhurst,ashurst,portslade,pulborough,donnington,dallington,ashington,aldrington,gem and finally emerald,left in 1989 due to motorbike crash.It was a good company,I enjoyed it. Regards to all
George
 
#181 ·
WellWellWell,George I found you at last,How are you keeping?.I heard you had a bad crash on your bike,I am working and living in Baku Azerbaijan now and have been here 13Years,We had some good laughs when the new cadets joined the Ashington and the Aldrington,Famous saying was (does your mammy know you are here)Keep in touch.Bill *3Rd
 
#53 ·
Hi following a sea going career I was employed as a ship repair manager with Mid Tyne Shiprepair Company (then part of the Anglo Swedish Group). We did running repairs at Dunston, Jarrow, etc Normally grab damage and normally out of hours, the sup't I remember was Alex Costello

Regards
Bob
 
#55 ·
Some interesting names and memories jogged by the list of office staff.

I joined the Stephenson Clarke office staff in 1962 and spent 5 years with them. I joined the Blyth office under the management of Ronnie Campbell where I started as a general agency assistant. Spent a considerable time on the river looking after the owned, managed and agency vessels. Got to know many of the masters.

After a couple of years I was moved to the agency department in Newcastle office who were then under the management of Arthur Coates and Ken Cowey. Also filled in from time to time in the shipmanagement department. I remember their records were in a mess at that time. Made some trips on the Ballyrory during my time with the company. During my time in Newcastle the company was becoming involved in the North Sea oil industry and were running Total's operations out of Jackson Dock, West Hartlepool. I moved to Aberdeen for three months whilst Total drilled a well in the Moray Firth returning to Newcastle before deciding to seek opportunities elsewhere. Eventually returned to Aberdeen where I was a major shareholder in a shipbroking company. Now semi retired.
 
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