[Graham the pipe]

Did a 6 month course there from, seem to remember, Jan ~ June '57. Know the year's correct but not sure of the months. Was definitely there in May because a Polish Countess was murdered in Gloucester Road tube station, just over the road from our digs.

I know we never stopped working, day and late evenings, seven days a week. Half of what we did - including being taught how to kill with no weapon - would certainly not be PC in these changed times. Thoroughly enjoyed my time there which set me up for a very memorable apprenticeship and future career with EDs.

[grahamwilliams]

Hello all, I was also there in 1948/9.Also a great time.
Then joined SS Coulbeg of Lambert Bros for four years.
Great Time at sea. Taught me so much, when I came ashore did my National Service in the Military Police in the 193 Ports Company dealing with troopships at Liverpool, Southampton and Harwich.

[Hainman]

I was there 2 years after you, by that time they had stopped the nurses dance. However the young ladies from the ballet school house were a great comfort.

[msalter]

I have posted a detailed account of time at the college when a 'short term' course boarder from Sept to Dec 1959. Anyone interested will find an illustrated documents plus a diary of when I joined my first ship belonging to Strick Line Ltd.
This is posted on the website of www.benjidog.co.uk/Recollections

[Mike_from_Shell]

I was at KE VII on a three months' pre-sea course, sent there by Shell, January to April 1957. I remember one of the Sunday activities to pass the time was to buy a single-stop underground ticket and then record how many underground stations you could visit during the course of the day without getting trapped or caught. There was great competition between groups.
The finale of the course was a trip from St Katherines Dock down to Southend and back on the Wendorian.
I returned to KE VII for my 2nd Mates, staying in the hostel over the road from the college (Jack's Palace?).
Three months pre-sea was probably enough, I think, although there were boys on a full year's course, too.
From KE VII I was sent off the Aberdovey Outward Bound for a month, a fairly brutal regime at that time, and freezing cold, and then went to sea as apprentice on the Capsa.

Mike Offord

[George Bis]

I was there from Jan. to March/April 1969 and enjoyed it. The time in the "Coopers Arms" went well too.!

[David Menzies]

I too was at King Teds in the late early 1960s, with Houlder Lines .
However the reason I am doing this is the launch Sir John Cass which was used for radar courses & based at Woolwich. Now I am Secretary of the Bedford Branch of the World Ship Society & a shot turned up of her passing Greenwich with the foot tunnel in the background. Has anyone got her history please/
David Menzies

[borderreiver]

Did my radar obs course as well aslo on the mfv used on the river. later when doing mates we went on the new john cass for ship handling.

[Cwatcher]

Originally Posted by David Menzies

I too was at King Teds in the late early 1960s, with Houlder Lines .
However the reason I am doing this is the launch Sir John Cass which was used for radar courses & based at Woolwich. Now I am Secretary of the Bedford Branch of the World Ship Society & a shot turned up of her passing Greenwich with the foot tunnel in the background. Has anyone got her history please/
David Menzies

I also sat my radar observer's ticket on the Sir John Cass in 1962. Could you post the photo you have of her on here please?

Kind regards.

[Waighty]

Originally Posted by callpor

That brings back some memories. I was on MAR 2 at King Teds in autumn 1964 and then back there for Second Mates late summer 65. Bulwark is so right about the Coopers Arms and other well known local hostelries convenient to the "Stack of Bricks". That fine hostel on the corner of, if I recall, Salmon Lane - which at the time was location of London's smartest Chinese resturant - the cheaper take-aways were down West India Dock Road. You wouldn't recognise the place driving around there today ? Rgds, Chris Allport

The Chinese restaurant that was famed for its authentic cuisine was called The Good Friends and was on Salmon Lane a little way up from Cooper's Arms on the same side. All gone now of course but we used to go there long after MAR days.

[knighta]

Originally Posted by P. Barker

I spent a short time there around 1966/7 (I think?) Capt Farquhar and Capt Ted Coolen (?spellings) were there. I shared a room with Dean, Dicken and Costalis, first names included Peter and Richard but can't remember who had which one!

Anyone one remember me? - Peter Barker

It was Peter Costalis. I met him at Plymouth during Second Mate's, 1971. He was a member of our car-rally group. Peter went into ship management and ran a chemical tanker "pool". He is semi-retired in Devon.

[david freeman]

back in 1959, i was in my finial school year in harrogate tech, scouring the then world of prospective shipping companies, for a position as a trainee eng cadet. ONe company i stumbles accroos the tanker world, and the shells, and BP's of this world. My first interview, subject to me obtaining the required gce's, was with BP at Britanic House in Finsbury Circus. My interview was early mid morning, so BP arranged an overnight stay at King TEDS. I travelled down on the previous night to KIng Teds from Leeds. Checked in, and then because if memory serves me King Teds was on the western end of the circle line- [west ken?], not being a townee i bought a tube ticket/ great excitement, and rode the cirlce line, to determine if i rode, northabout or sothabout form [King teds] to moorgate, so i coudls assess my travelling time next day to the interview. I made a balls of the timings, I still am not sure, but I was not too late and I did come to learn to read the underground map, and appreciate the distances between certain stations, and that stop on the cicrcle line between Liverpool street and tower hill were the tube rests or they have a change og crew.
So I just know King Teds for board and lodgings.

[Colin P Wood]

I was at King Teds from August 1952 to July 1953. We were based off Whitechapel High street for instructions and to Poplar tech for engineering and tech drawing and only saw 680 on our way to W I Dock for sailing on the whaleboats Sumner & Lecky. Best part was our week each term on Wendorian with Captain White and the mate Mr Drage. on the voyages down river I always managed to get in the ER and kept warm.
Some of my class mates were Jack Aalem, Alec Armitage, Ted Fallowfield, Peter Spencer, John White, ? Johnson (who beat the **** out of me in a boxing match). I was the one who burnt Jack Fyfields exam papers in the class room.
Last term living in at Cromwell road we gave Gulliver a time. On sunny evenings John White and I would sit on the roof drinking and watching for Gulliver or his assistant on the street below. We were the mob who had a wind up gramophone and would form a scrum round it to board the tube, playing the latest records.

[John Adamson]

Originally Posted by mpkk

That's the Glen Strathallan - scuttled off Plymouth at the end of her days.

For those members that read Ships Monthly, in the December issue is a nice article on the Glen Strathallan, brought back many happy memories steaming around the Thames Estuary back in the summer of 68 on MAR course.

[George Bis]

Was she a former fishing vessel? If so I was on her during my Jan. 1969 M.A.R.
I have memory of Southend anchorage and half a dozen of us loaded into an inflatable rubber raft dressed in only lifejackets and underpants Supprisingly warm inside when zipped up.
Can't remember much else about this epic voyage!

[mpkk]

Hi George,
Glen Strathallan was originally built as a trawler but never completed. Bought by a Robert Cubbin and converted as his private yacht. He eventually donated the Glen to serve as a training vessel and I believe he required that the Glen was not to be scrapped at the end of her usefullness. The Glen was scuttled off Plymouth to be used for diver training but later dispersed using explosives.
More on Wikipedia and there is a short film of the scuttling on You Tube.
Jon

[Zig Golding]

Hi all
I did the pre-sea short course from Sept to December 1956. This was followed up by a month at Aberdovey in January 1957. I think this was the standard for all Shell Deck Apprentices as there were a few in my class. I also did the 2nd Mate's in April/May 1961.
Regards, David (Zig) Golding

[Huntsman]

Hi Peter
This is a very belated reply but I was at King Ted’s 66/67. I do remember your name and the surnames of your colleagues. In the first term I shared a room with Peter Blake, John De Vere and Roger Lawson (who I understand unfortunately died young). From term 2 onwards I shared a room with Jim Grahame from Glasgow and Tony Wilkins from Folkestone.
Capt Farquhar was indeed the House Manager assisted by Capt Edward(Ted) Coolen whom I met many times at Port Lines reunions thereafter. Unfortunately he passed on about a year ago.
The master of the Glen Strathallan was Capt. Louis Mann and the Mate was Peter Jackson.
Happy days.
Regards.

Steve Hunt

[lebiffo]

Hello there, I attended King Ted's on the 3 month short course Jan - March 1961 and again at 680 Commercial Road for 2nd Mates Revision in Oct/Nov 1964. I arrived a fortnight after term started in Jan '61 but must have caught up by the half term exams as I was then made Cadet Captain (Port) at Gloucester Road with the privilege of my own single cabin! Joined B&C on leaving and spent my first voyage on the Rothesay Castle.

Roger Underwood

[Paxos]

I was at King Teds in 1955 for second mates and was a regular at the Prospect of Whitby on a Friday night the the Hawaiian band played fond memories I was with the Hain ss co and remained with them for 1st Mates before joining Palm Line

[Graham the pipe]

You were six years ahead of me as I did second mates at Ted's in '61. Preferred the '56 Badagry to the '79. Who knows we may have 'passed' up the Niger Creeks half a century plus ago. http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/B-Sh...Palm2-1956.jpg

[nickwilson89]

Sept 55 to Jan 56 for second mates. I remember Messrs. Duncan and Scholes as our lecturers for nearly all subjects. For the first time in my life I had teachers who treated their students as equals so different from my days at school a scant three years or so earlier. They were both a joy to learn from and I needed to learn because I had not opened a book in three years at sea.!