[Derek Roger]

Today 3 rd Sept 2006 is 43 years to the day since I started my apprentice ship with Thos & Jno Brocklebank Limited at Riversdale Tech .
3 rd Sept in 1963 was in fact a Sunday and is the day I found the Aigburth Hotel while scouting my way around the college.

Any other " Aiggie " patrons of that era ??
Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

I heard the Aigburth Hotel is long gone since they widened the road from where the old dual carrigway ended ( by the cricket ground ) right through to Speke.
The last night we were all in the front Lounge in 65 things got a bit out of hand and a piece of the wooden trim from behind the padded seat which went around the perimeter came away in my hand ?. Its probably the only piece of the place still in existance.

 

[Derek Roger]

Corrction . I have just posted my Indentures in the Galery and found the date to be 62 not 63 . 44 years ago since I strted work ; what happened to the time !!!!!!!
Happy Days .

 

[Derek Roger]

Your local in Dundee would have been the " Bread " Bredalbane Arms . Jimmy Stirling was the owner.
Best pint in " The Aiggie " in the early 60s was a pint of "D" which I remember was diamond '; dont know who made it but it was strong and good .
The other favorite there was " brown mixed "

 

[Derek Roger]

I M Marsh !!!
The lassies used to follow Riversdales Rugby team during home games . One of our local fixtures was with the police cadets at their campus and they too of course frequented the Aiggie and went to I M Marsh dances .
There was intense rivarlry and the lads on both sides played up to the lassies
watching ( There was more boxing I think than rugby played on such fixtures
My brother Cameron who followed me at Riversdale met a young Lass at I M Marsh whom he married ( Poor lad had a shortened career with Brocks when he was required to " get a shore job " )

 

[Derek Roger]

I was there, on and off, of course, from '74-9. Interesting place. There was a strange bloke who used to announce the time in the mornings over the loudspeaker system, in a very curious voice. The chippy (greasy annie's we called it) was terrible. But, once you've a few pints inside you, things like that didn't seem to matter!
Peter

When i first went to the "Chippie " across the road from the Aiggie I ordered a meat pie and chips and was astounded to find it full of potatoes ! With little meat . In Scotland Meat Pies actually had Meat as the main ingredient .

It was almost as bad as the " Mince " tatties and carrots and my digs . This was a sort of gravy with little mince ' lots of old wooded carrots served over a sloppy mashed potato mess . One of the lads took his dinner and put in in a bag and took to to Riversdale to our HR Rep who was also the PE teacher who had " recommended this place " Nothing happened so he moved ! I stayed as the land lady was deaf and we cou;d come and go as we pleased . Once I showed her how to make porridge ( with salt instead of sugar ) and then at least we had a hearty breakfast with porridge we could eat and the usual egg bacon and toast .
In retrospect we didnt do too badly on our pittance of a living allowance .

Three of us used to buy a loaf of bread and 6 pence of chips for lunch ; cut the loaf in 3 ( very accuratley ) then eat the innards of the loaf and stuff it with the chips and any sauce / butter we could get our hands on . Not too bad (a real Chip Buttie ) this was then washed down with a bottle of brown ale which cost 10 pence . The meal itself cost 1 shilling and 4 pence split 3 ways which meant someone was always a penny down !! On average it meant lunch was one shilling and three pence ( Including the beer ) We had our priorities set correctly I venture .
Happy days Derek

PS There was a bookie along the road called Joe French ; In my 2 year I became quit interested in th horses and managed to clean him of six pounds and change for a 4 shilling bet . He was not well pleased and had to scrape around the back of his drawer to pay me out ( I lived well for the next couple of weeks .) Also picked 3 out of the first four in the Grand National Team spirit ; Out and About and Purple Silk . I did not Pick Red Rum who I think ran 3rd . Again I did well but would have done great if I only knew how to bet forecasts !!!
Oh Happy Days

 

[Derek Roger]

Was at Riversdale tech as trainee R/O 1965 to 1967, did all my tickets here, some good lecturers and a great crowd of Radio lads on the courses, had some great times, how time flies.Ah! the memories. I would do it all over again if i could---no regrets at all.
Derek--did you not have some "gaffer tape" to fix the piece of wood back
together or did you need a souvenir?? from the pub up the road--ha-ha.
good old days eh!! regards ftf
PS shame it has all been knocked down now and a housing estate built in place of it.

I still have that piece of wood lurking somewhere in a drawer : No doubt all that remains of the Aiggie !
Happy days Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

All those memories flood back now as I read all the "posts" on the " Aiggie".
Sad to know its gone, as I guess is "riversdale house" the old B.F. hostal were i first stayed in 1961 before all the expansions started. The Aiggie and the pies over the road are good memories as were the girls from the teaching college who had such grand accom. !
Had planned to revisit all that area on day on a trip back to the U.K. but will now strike that one off the "bucket list".
Thanks to all for the postings and good to see the odd AH man about from my time.

Paddy the pies were terrible !! Could not get a real meat pie ( Scotch Pie ) just the meat and potatoe version with very little meat > We used ( 3of us ) buy a fresh loaf of bread ; cut in in three and then get a shilling of chips ( split in 3 ) and stuff them into the loaf . A real "Chip Buttie " If we were flush we could get some Margarine to lubricate the mess!

Not very norishing but kept the hunger pangs at bay . This allowed us to have a brown ale or 1/2 pint at lunch for at least 3 days of the week before pay on a friday .

The Riversdale meals in the canteen were quite good but a bit expensive ! Aiggie and a chip buttie was the order of the day .


Happy Days Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

Before our finals I used to study at the Aiggie at one of the tables by the bowling green. On the evening before our Math final George Harwood our math teacher was bowling ; he came over and asked why I was studying in a pub . I explained that my digs were too noisy ( land ladys son was a budding Beatle and always making a din with his Guitar)
George looked over my shoulder at the suff I was working on and said " I wouldnt bother with that ! turned over a few pages of my notes and said " wouldnt bother with that either " He did not tell me what to study but it helped knowing what not to bother about .
Indirectly the landladys son and the Aiggie helped me with Math .

Happy Days Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

Its 50 years ago today ( also a monday ) that I started with Brocklebanks as an apprentice at Riversdale .
About this time of day we were all up at the Aiggie getting to know one another .
I think I will have a beer .
Happy Days Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

We must have started on the same day. I was with Shell.

I was having a beer when notification of your posting came in. I was stood at the rail, with my beer, looking at the poop deck . . . . of a narrowboat, on the marina where I now live.

Since my early leaving of Shell I only met three of my Shell class-mates. Glynn Turnbull, who did the same as me and left Shell to do a B.Sc. and work for CEGB. I only met him once a couple of years after jacking in, and have no idea what happened to him.

I met up with 'Haggis', Ron Young a few years ago. He was living in USA but retired to Scotland a few years ago. We stay in contact.

I also met up with 'Clog', Colin Parsons. This is a very sad tale. Check out the story at,
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/indonesia/jalan_jaksa.html

Is there a British Merchant Navy anymore?

Do you remember "Bronco Lane " ? either Shell or ED,s who wouod take his guitar up tothe "Aiggie" and entertain us .

Cheers Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

'Bronco' was EDs and a year ahead of me (Riversdale '63-'65 and '66-'67) as an engineer cadet in River House. There was another guy (anyone out there to remind me?) in the same year with a banjo. We could drown out the Tamla Motown, no problem.

Landlord of the Aiggie was Paddy Threlkeld and I used to like a dram of Dewars Ancestor Scotch, which the brewery allowed him 12 bottles a year. I think I did four of them for him and it was 2/6d a tot, rather than 2/3d like the rest, and he had to fetch it from the Cocktail Bar, where we lads never ventured. When cash was tight, a pint of mild in the public bar was 1/4d. As mentioned in another post, Paddy would always cash a cheque.



Cheers is indeed the correct salutation,

Cornish (as I was known in those days, otherwise Greg Morcom)

Our paths must have passed in the Aiggie at some time then . One of our players in the Riversdale Rugby Club : Mel Wilson with Blue Flue ; ordered a pint of Shandy ; half and half to quench his thirst after a game . He was unhappy as he was charged the same as a pint of bitter ( expected to pay for the half pint bitter only ). It caused a bit of a row ! He was told that as it was mixed it was classed as a cocktail . Thereafter he would order a pint ; drink half of it and top off with the free lemonade that was on the tables for the peasents who put in in their Scotch .

Happy Days . Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

Do any of you remember the chap in Shell who used to race Bikes ; came off many a time unharmed . On his street bike in Liverpool on the cobbles he lost it and broke his neck and died . Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

Daggy was from Dundee if I am correct . Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

I virtually lived in the joint 64/66, living at ED's River House.

Bill English

Most of us lived in the Aiggie

 

[Derek Roger]

Hi Greg (Cornish)
I'm Mike Gardner and have just found this site. I remember the days at River House and Riversdale Tech well. John Waddell, Big Mac, Phil, Rod Turner who I did two trips with on the Donga. I then sailed on the Mamfe Apapa and Aureol before getting my seconds ticket and came ashore in 1970
I have remained good friends with Howie ( Howard W ) elder brother of Stasher ( Steve W) both of whom were Shell Apprentices.
I often wonder what happened to all the lads and how they got on in life.
It was me that got attacked in Blackpool.
I see John G has made a post . John was a Brockelbank Apprentice and we were work colleagues for many years before I retired in 2007.
Cheers
Mike

Welcome on board Mike ;m were you in the same year/ class as Bronco Lane ?? Regards Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

I was there for PhIII from 1981 - 82; Must have enjoyed myself as I stayed in Liverpool for another 15 years
Can confirm that there is nothing recognisable left of the college or River House etc.

And worse than that the Aiggie is also gone.

 

[Derek Roger]

Ray

This I think is mid 60's judging by the cars. The lilac & white Triumph Herald was my Dad's, and the car in which I passed my test in 1964. Reg was 518 ELV - strewth !

David
+

There was a rugby field up there somewhere ; Riversdale Tech Rugby Club used it for training . Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

In my days ; teachers were George Harwood Maths ; Lt Cmdr Kenworthy Neal
Heat Engines ; Mr Endbinder Electo tech : George Saltrese EK,s and many others
who escape me now ; but the names will come back ( brain is on dead slow ahead in fog ) Derek

 

[Derek Roger]

George Saltrese

I very much doubt it . George when giving lessons would come out with amazing stories which usually ended up with him telling us he had invented the item under discussion . We had very little belief in most of his stories ; however they were entertaining . Derek