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?
Hi NORDICA.There have been a couple of ships with those names.So not sure which ones you mean.The first one was built in 1957 as the Tennyson becoming the Ashington in 1968 till 1978.Renamed Gianna A in 1980,Chrys 1983.Broken up Gadani beach 1984.The second was built in 1979 for Stevie Clarke at Clelands Wallsend.She was sold in 2004 renamed Fjord Pearl.May have recently been sold for demolition
Storrington (1)was in the fleet from 1959 till 1978.renamed Milos II 1978 then Stagan in 1983.She was wrecked 18.7.84.
The second was built in 1982 she is still with them.
Cheers
Spartan
I sailed on Storrington in the early '70s. At that time she was was on a triangular run from Immingham with coal to Luebeck, then load some bulk up the Baltic, we carried chrome ore from Riga a couple of times, and some stuff from Klaipeda, to Rotterdam, then back to Immingham. Pretty good ship.
She was built at Burntisland in 1959 and was 5015 DWT, according to Miramar. I seem to remember hearing she was wrecked in the southern Red Sea while on the way to the breakers.
these are the ones. the older ships that is. so S/C are still trading then? i only enquire cos on a recent trip all i saw were the green arklow ships at the alcan quay. did they lose the contract?
stevie clarkes still going strong although a lot different fromyears back.they went under the isle of man flag around 1990.storington,durrington,and dallington are all thats left of the fleet from those days,just found out the donnington was sold in july to italian interests.i sailed on a few of stevies and have been searching for pics of ashington and aldrington both these ships i spent time on in the eighties,can any one help?
stevie clarkes still going strong although a lot different from years back.they went under the isle of man flag around 1990.storington,durrington,and dallington are all thats left of the fleet from those days,just found out the donnington was sold in july to italian interests.i sailed on a few of stevies and have been searching for pics of ashington and aldrington both these ships i spent time on in the eighties,can any one help?
Ahoy Michael,
Here piccies of the requested vessels,I think they are scans from a Stevie Clarke's booklet,so not the best shots,but nevertheless better then nothing.
I often wonder what happened to s.c i used to wander down the quay side at blyth to remanis seeing how quiet the harbour is now from the days i went to sea, and for along time there was always one of stievies ships there at alcans i saw all the ships mentioned until now all arklow ships, i wounder why .albert.s.i
Hi, I sailed on Steevies, Brimsdown Storrington Dallington Rogate and many others over the years, when on leave from another Profession., and often wondered why there was a period when ''Blyth'' had so many Eastern Block Submarines in various stages of Dismemberment ? (At least I think it was Blyth) perhaps Albert might remember ? As I often wonder to this day. Best Regards/
yes athinel, it was blyth that broke up the russian subs they were the last to be broken up at bolcows breaking up yard which is now a large terminal for loading and discharging ships. albert.s.i
Many Thanks for the Info, The Place looked like a ''James Bond Movie Set,'' when I last visited, & most surprising it wasn't ''Capitalised upon,'' (If that's the right Word) So Many of them for the picking.
I had 4 years with Stevies & probably 4 of the better years I have had at sea. I joined Washington for 12 days & ended up doing 27months, 10 months being the longest trip before leave. Some good ships & men & some better runs on the smaller ships around European & Baltic ports.
The Northumbrian Water is still running from the Tyne.
More so the Wear
I took this one earlier this summer of her leaving the Tyne. It was nice to see a ship moving from the river. It was the first time in about five visits.
I visit the Tyne regularly and can assure you its still a working river with plenty of traffic. Although it will never return to its heyday due to no coal and the increase in containerisation.
Regards Derrick(Thumb)
i was last up there about 2 years ago. saw nowt on the tyne but on the blyth i saw ARKLOW VALE come in and berth at alcans. reminded me of happier days.
I was watching the tele one night this yr. (the news or do***entry) & the Ashington was on a beach in India being scrapped along with other vessels.
Kenny.
I spent 12 years with S/C till 2004 and watched as 22 ships dwindled to next to nothing. They have 5 left - Dallington, Durrington, Storrington, Sea Amethyst and Kielder. Crews incl Masters etc are mostly Polish or east European and Filippino with just a smattering of Brits left. The Blyth Alcan contract was lost to Tyrrells a few years back and they no longer ship coal to the Thames. Tilbury was the last power staion served and they now take Panamax. Oldest active ship owning company in the world let alone Britain - but run by people who are clueless at management level.
Cheers all
I sailed as a sparky on the 'Horsham' in 1970, (they were just of that size that required a sparky from Marconi, although I have to admit, there wasn't a lot for a sparky to do). We sailed mainly from the Northeast to the Thames with coal, but occasionally got a run to Amsterdam to load grain off a big bulk carrier. They looked like a big canal barge, and were most amazing tough little ships.
I did a few good pubs in South Shields in those days .....
My father was a tug skipper for a company called River Lighterage on the Thames. River Lighterage was I believe owned by Stevie Clarke.
I remember the flat irons well(that's what we Lightermen called flatties).
Actually one of them ran down the barges we were towing back in 1960.
I also remember sitting in my dad's wheelbox as a kid and working up through the bridges. The pilots on the flat irons would come out on to the bridge wings as they came down from Fulham etc and let him know how many more were still to come.
Northumbria Water is now laid up in Hudson Dock, Sunderland. All the sewage will now be loaded into road tankers in 'Cake' form. I wonder if our glorious Labour party knows about this? As they are always spouting off, along with Nautilus UK, about taking lorries off the roads & going back to sea transport to protect the environment.
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