Stirling Castle

Stein

Not much life because the STIRLING CASTLE is at the Union Castle Line loading berth at berths 38/39 at Southampton Eastern Docks. She is probably loading cargo bound for South Africa at the time so no passengers on-board.

Prior to 1954 Union Castle Line used berths 35/36 in the Port of Southampton Eastern Docks for discharging passengers and cargo.

Arrivals would have been on the Monday morning, then after six days in port the Union Castle Line vessels would move to to the adjacent berths 38/39 to load cargo for South African port's plus passengers on the final day for a departure on the Thursday at 16.00 bound for Cape Town via Las Palmas.

From 1954 the Union Castle Line moved their operations in the Port of Southampton to the port's Western Docks to a new purpose built facility at berth 102 for discharging passengers and cargo and moving to berth 104 for loading cargo and passengers bound for South Africa.

Just out of curiousity but you seem to have an interest in the Union Castle Line vessels and in particular the CAPETOWN CASTLE and STIRLING CASTLE, is there any reason for this?

My father used to work for the Union Castle Line aboard several of their vessel's in the fifties and early sixties including the ATHLONE CASTLE, CAPETOWN CASTLE, PRETORIA CASTLE, STIRLING CASTLE and WARWICK CASTLE.

The Union Castle Line is one of my all time favourite shipping company's from the past and I have very fond memories of them here in the Port of Southampton.

I continuously dream of seeing their splendid livery and great names once again 🤗

Sean

No, my interest in three Union Castle ships is grounded mainly in an ongoing discussion on the question: Which of those three (today reduced to two) is the one photograpphed in a by me uploaded picture. Though I have heard it claimed, and tend to believe it to be true, that you create an interest in anything just by learning about it. And there is an engagement extenal to the precise theme possible in the historical detective work often going on here, and as exemplified with this discussion of which Union Castle ship is really pictured in this photo. This includes the ways and means by which the facts are revealed, and your explanation of the emptiness in above picture therefore comes under this heading. And finally, enthusiasm is obviously to a degree contageous.

Good morning Sean and Stein,

Quite possible this is a PR photo shoot and just before the maiden voyage. I believe the photo came from Harland & Wolff photo people or from Union Castle. "Shoot the scene before some people get in the way."

Stephen

The old Union Castle deck plans for Edinburgh Castle, Pendennis Castle and Windsor Castle (plus the Safmarine vessels) show very nicely appointed cabins and public areas, especially in the first class. The deck plans with photos are in colour and one can see nice cabin furnishings with flower themes, etc.

Similar deck plans for P&O for the same period of time with vessels like Oronsay, Himalaya with sisters up to Oriana and Canberra are black and white in colour and hardly tell anything definite about the cabins (at least not with colour photos).

I wonder if the nice style of Union Castle was their own style or was it a broader British "liner style" of the period. Did P&O use similar interior style or did they have something different?

Stein

My question regarding your interest in the Union Castle Line vessels was an honest one as I was curious, I wasn't judging you!

Obviously I totally agree with your comments. But don't take my question as being demeaning.

Sean

Every Thursday at 4pm! When about aged 10 my Dad took me on an excursion to the Isle of Wight. Over by paddle steamer from Portsmouth; steam train on the island railway to Cowes, Red Funnel back to Southampton. He timed it just right. Off Calshot a great ship came into view : lavender hull; white upperworks; red funnel with black top: "Capetown" Castle" looming large swept by, passing port-to port outward bound.

canberra97
I just wanted to clear things up as regards my limited knowledge. It has regrettably happened more than a few times here that I have been speaking out of ignorance while expressing myself with great assurance. And even more regrettable, it has happened that people have been convinced by my assurance and have accorded me expertize that I in no way possess. I can find where Wikipedia has some information on a nautical subject, I also have a few books on antiquated watercraft, and I can quote an edited text from both.

I made yesterday some comments on the interior design of Union Casle vessels. I did look in web and found some information: Union Castle had, as I understood, a slightly more pronounced tendency for floral decorations of cabins and for a certain "more conservative" approach of design at least in the areas of the first class. One finds names of famous interior designers responsibile for these interiors and discussion with comparisons made to P&O and Cunard.

One finds many colour photos of liner interiors (period 1930s to 1950s) in web. For instance a website dedicated to Liverpool ships has nice colour photos of, for instance, Empress of Scotland and Britannic. Both vessels have very nice interiors.

How about P&O? The deck plans have only black and white photos with the exception of Canberra and Oriana, of which there are some colour interior photos in old brochures. When I look for the P&O in web, I find only black and white interior photos for the period of 1930s to 1950s. It's hard to get a general impression about interiors, when looking at the black and white photos. In written sources I have found information that Orient Line had a rather "modern" design already for their pre-war Orion. So, all the 1950s P&O liners might have had a more "modern" approach and they were then not necessarily similar to Union Castle. There are also interesting interior photos for Royal Mail vessels, like the Spanish-South American inspired interiors of the Reina del Pacifico.

good morning all and thank you for the comments expressed - my own knowledge of union castle goes back 55 odd years - not as a sailor or crew member - although my folks did on or three coastal voyages on them - no mine is more on the history of the line - and i have amassed all the literature written on this remarkable shipping line bar one book - as for the deck plans - union castle had some fantastic pull out brochures with deck arrangements for the various classes as well as occupying images - i do not believe they followed any other company in their design on the latter ships - i have also collected all sepia postcards of the line plus bits and pieces - i would recommend 2 books on the line - namely union castle chronicles -marschall murray - and union castle line - a fleet history - peter newall - one thing i have learnt through the years - despite all the knowledge i have gathered from various sources - public forums and shipping sites over the last 55 years - i still happily learn something new every day - regards B