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Stephenson Clarke Vessels

140K 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?
 
#241 ·
Storrington

Which O.M. took the Storrington out on its maiden voyage?
I joined as mate in August 1982, the OM was Neil Ramsay, loaded three grades of sand for North Shields, there after mainly Ming Ming to R'dam/Esbjerg. Malcolm Burke was chief, but I think Bill Dowie was there for a while, Capt. Adair relieved Ramsay at some point. Peter Hewit was the guy who followed me. I did a few more trips on the Storrington, with Mel Arkley and I think Don McCloud, mainly CEGB runs but a couple of trips to Portugal and North Spain. I was on the Durrington with Ramsay when we went astern over mooring buoy in R'dam, two weeks dry dock after that, a pleasent break from 5 and 5 about.

Ian B.
 
#243 ·
Chief Engineer Rob/Bob Hultgren

Should have said that he was on Gilsland, Amberley, Midhurst, Sho reham, Minster and Lancing (as well as Storrington) from 1961 to 1968. Not sure if they were all Stephenson Clarke. He died in 1982 and we are trying to put together some info for his descendants. Any help and advice would be appreciated,. We have his DB but no real info about cargo shipmates etc.
 
#244 ·
Welcome to SN, Michael.

I sailed on Amberley ('69/'70) and Storrington ('71) but not when your father-in-law was there of course. I think there are photos of both ships in the SN Gallery.

At that time Amberley was mainly carrying coal from Swansea to Amsterdam and backloading grain for various UK ports. A great little ship. Sadly she sank in 1973 off Wells-next-the Sea in Norfolk during a storm while en route from Goole to Shoreham. Luckily everyone was rescued. She is still there and is an official dive site if you're interested in scuba diving.

Storrington was on a regular route - loading coal at Immingham for Luebeck and then up the Baltic to places like Riga and Klaipeda to load for Rotterdam, then back to Immingham. A three week round trip, more or less. Another good ship.
She was eventually sold to a Greek company and I heard she sank in the Red Sea after an explosion but not sure of the details (renamed Milos II).

All of the ships you mentioned were Stephenson Clarke ships. Stevy Clarkes (as they were known) finally wound up in 2012 and were the oldest British shipping company still in operation at that time.\

Sorry I have no info about Bob, but hope this is of interest.

Regards. John T
 
#249 ·
Yes, had some happy times on the Ashington as 2/mate and mate, mainly with Capt Joe Johnston RIP. Mate was Jack Ray who later was skipper on Blyth Dredger. Went down to RSA during miner's strike with Capt Pirie (Spelling?) ex Sugar Line and Ch Eng Roly Sisterson, George Todd donkeyman. After having been on charter to Fred Olsen, with a pleasant trip down the Med.
Lasting memory however was going under Tyne Bridges to Dunston in 1980, must have been one of the last ships to load there.

All the Best Eddie Blenkinsopp
 
#266 ·
Capt Barry Standerline

For those who met or knew of him.

A mutual friend has just informed me that Barry has crossed the bar within recent weeks.

A real gentleman with whom I last spoke late last year.
I've just joined the Forum and whilst browsing the Stevie Clarke's section came across your old post. I was shocked to see Barry Standerline's name mentioned. Is he the guy from S****horpe, took up a VTS job in Aberdeen? If it is, I sailed with Barry many times on the Dallington, I was C/E there for donkey's years. He couldn't have been very old when he passed on. Very sad, nice guy.
 
#250 ·
I well remember the 1975 voyage of Ashington in which Simon was 2nd. Mate. I was the Mate and Edgar Morris was the Master. We had a load of coal from Swansea to Tunis and that lot took 10 days to discharge with the assistance (?) of some ancient steam driven crane. It was very hot in Tunis and the fridges broke down as well. I had been left in charge in Glasgow and shipped 100 cases of beer which was as much as the Customs would allow for a Home Trade ship. A relief Master took the ship to Swansea where we lay idle for a few days before getting orders to load for Tunis. By the time Edgar Morris was sent to the ship (at short notice) there was no time left to do anything about getting more beer.The result was that we ran out of beer to everyone's disgruntlement, and there was certainly none to be had in Tunis. In a previous debacle the ship had been forced to use fresh water tanks as ballast tanks in order to get back down the Manchester Ship Canal. A great deal of my time prior to loading had been spent trying to get the tanks sufficiently clean to ship enough fresh water for the trip.
The voyage to Tunis happened at very short notice and Stevie's failed to find a 3rd. Mate for the F.G. trip. The result was that we both enjoyed 50% of our own wages as shorthand money. Even after returning to UK and resuming the usual Home Trade/Middle Trade trips it took a couple of weeks before the office wakened up the fact that we were still on F.G. Articles. Needless to say we were in no hurry to enlighten anyone.
I had only been with the company for a few weeks at that stage and it was certainly an eye-opener to the way things worked in Stephenson Clarke's. Simon was sufficiently moved to write a letter to the MNAOA Telegraph which began "As I write this letter, all the money in the World would not buy me a cold beer just now ......" or words to that effect. I wonder if Simon recalls any of this?
 
#251 ·
Hello Dartmouth Mariner! Sadly no name! Great that you remember that epic trip to Tunis. I have some good photographs that I would like to share with you but have not figured out how to post them yet. I took photographs of the steam crane belching black smoke as it slowly discharged coal. Also of us steaming into Tunis canal through frocks of pink flamingos. I had the unusual experience of catching the local train to Carthage, exploring some of the ruins and then stopping off at Side bou Said to explore the local open market and sample some sweet and sticky baklava. We had a tall long-haired and bearded radio officer with whom I explored Tunis and ate ashore; the only way to get a cold beer! I have completely forgotten my letter to the Telegraph; impressed by your memory. I was taking summer jobs as I had left the sea I was studying for an education degree in nothing at the time. Good money. I was able to buy a new car and a house whilst on a student grant!
 
#252 ·
Eddie
I joined the Ashington x Rogate when I transshipped in Caen on 2 January 1985 and Capt Pirie signed me on. I also remember Roland Sisterson. I preferred being second mate going to the tropics than mate on the Rogate going to the Baltic! Do you remember the Crossing the Line Ceremony? I have photos… I had the weekend off in Durban and hired a car driving up country to visit relatives. Trying to remember if we also went to Durban on the Ashington 1987. I know I paid off in Dakar when we were at anchor a mile off under week-long engine repairs. Mr Field wanted me off to save them having to pay for a third deck officer. Never did find out how they got home.
 
#253 ·
Detailed history of several Stevies Ships

Good evening all
I have just completed my book on my life in the British Merchant Navy entitled GANGWAY – A LIFE AT SEA. GANGWAY is the story of the British Merchant Navy 1966 to 1988, as I experienced it, in eleven shipping companies (including 8 years in Stevie Clarke) serving on three dozen ships, each of which gets its own page, with photo, technical data, and life history.

Hardback, with dust jacket. 414 pp, lavishly illustrated with colour photos of life at sea and ashore.

You can find out more by following this link to the Blurb Bookstore: http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/8334216-gangway

I think anybody who enjoys marine nostalgia will enjoy this absorbing read.
Not sure what the postage will be from Blurb, but if bought direct from me it will be £4.00, via racongrabbitpress@gmail.com
Happy Nostalgia!
 
#254 ·
I completed my Marconi 6 months 'training' on my own on the CEGB ship "Sir William Walker" July to November 1964, mainly Blythe to Shoreham - I was probably the only non-Geordie on board. The odd trip further north to Grangemouth or Methil, just bangin' up and down the coast, not really a lot for a Sparks to do, Decca Navigator did most of the bridge work. A couple of trips into the Kent side of the Thames Estuary and miles to the nearest pub, spoilt by the easy access to the Dun Cow and the Rising Sun!
I have a couple of pix of "Willie Walker" but it won't let me upload them.
 
#255 ·
Sailed on first voyage of M.V. Ashington

Hi Everyone,
I can proudly say that I sailed on the first voyage of M.V. Ashington (after name conversion from the Tennyson) from Middlesbrough to Dakar in July of 1968. It was my first voyage as Engineer Cadet and we sailed for Dakar in ballast and loaded phosphates for the ICI paint works on Teeside. We did the run three times and were then trans-versing through the Keel canal for Szczein, Poland where we loaded powdered coal for Belgium. On one of those frequent coal runs, we were off the coast of Amsterdam and were rammed by a Greek freighter in thick pea soup fog. We abandoned ship and were rescued by a Dutch lifeboat although the ship did not sink and was towed and beached nearby.
 
#260 ·
Geoff,

I was the RO on Blanchland from 3rd Oct 1965 until 24th Nov 1966. Ray was a cadet then along with Lee Gregory. Ray was paid of sick - I believe it was appendicitis if my memory serves me correctly. I did speak to him via this site sometime between 2013-2014. He has not been on site since 2014. At that time he was registered as living in Harogate. If you want to try and contact him you could try sending him an email via the system.

Regards
Neville - Hawkey01
 
#262 ·
Blanchland

I have been in touch with Ray Ledger a couple of weeks ago,He has had quite a different life away from the sea,which he left I believe after 2nd mates.He went into Cranes and was a successful businessman.I will check up with him where I bet up with him,Canada seems to ring a bell hence Vancouver,maybe Montreal or down the St Lawrence as I was there fore Expo 67 .
He is now living around Pontefract and hope to meet up with him at the Hull Trinity House Old Boys Association meeting which he has just joined when the lockdown ends. Stay Safe everyone..Geoff Johnson (Chairman) Hull Trinity House Old Boys Association.
 
#263 ·
I sailed on the PULBOROUGH/GPVE for six weeks in the summer of 1969.

I clearly remember there was a box on the starboard wing of the Bridge.
There were about four compartments vertically.
Each contained a different coloured lamp.
At the entrance to the Thames on the North bank there was an old signal station with a similar box of lamps.
I was told that in pre VHF days they were used to identify the ship.
The sig stn would then light up a pattern which identified to which power station the ship should proceed to discharge.

I have been totally unable to find any information about this system.

Anyone out there know?
 
#265 ·
I sailed with (Steady) Ted Gaffney many times on the Dallington - I was C/E there for 15 years after Bob Latham OBE retired.Ted was a pleasure to sail with, typical dry Yorkshireman, never took any chances especially if weather forecast was bad, and treated "my" engines with respect. Last saw Ted about 2003/4, popped in to see him and Jeannie(?) at their place in Whitby.
 
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