[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

 

[Peter Martin]

Greasy Annies; of course: But on 'High Days' & 'Holidays' it was by bus to 'Chius' - toward the Dingle. Chicken & mushrooms in a foil container and yet another plastic spoon to add to the collection wedged neatly between the notice board and the wall in your 'cabin' at River House.

 

[Chouan]

My most memorable experience, circa 1977, Second College Phase, I think:
Thursday evening, after dinner, en masse, waiting for Top of the Pops in the lounge, watching Tomorrows World. There was an item about some new sailing rig for dinghies.
Engineer Cadet:
"Designed by an engineer"
Deck Cadets (plural):
"Electrical Engineer"
Engineer Cadets (all of them, shouting):
"At least he wasn't a Navvy!"
Deck Cadets (Full throat):
"At least he's been to sea!"
Silence from the Engineer Cadets, some of whom have up to another 18 months at college yet before their first trip.

 

[Peter Martin]

Not just follow. I can remember a couple of games between the I M Marsh lassies and the Riversdale lads!
Seem to remember that there was always lots of ripped shirts.

The landlord of the Aiggie used to let us cash cheques (max £2). What we had to do before cashpoint machines.
That £2 wouldn't last long on a night out these days!.

Remember that well! Landlord's name was Terrence Rattigan - without literary illusions!

 

[Phil C]

Anybody remember the name of the chap who ran the domestic section at riversdale house. He always had a duffel bag over his shoulder.
Phil

 

[oceangoer]

Between voyages I often used to live at the Blue Funnel hostel/house in Riversdale Road (1958 - 1962). Hutson was in charge of the Middies at the time (BluFlu 2nd Mate who had eyesight problems and came ashore).

The Aiggie Arms was a haven through those years although the beer wasn't the best. In the end I resorted to what they do in Middlesborough (a pint touch ........ 98% bitter and 2% lemonade on top). Some very friendly young ladies used to frequent that pub, l fell in love several times

 

[luigi]

Anybody remember the name of the chap who ran the domestic section at riversdale house. He always had a duffel bag over his shoulder.
Phil

I think it was Mr Sewell? Looked like an old hippie.

 

[Chouan]

Seward, I think. Pleasant bloke. He wore a suit that was far too big for him on what was laughingly called the "formal dinner" on wednesday nights.

 

[Phil C]

Thanks both for that, yes I think it was Seward.

 

[oglebilluk]

Riversdale Technical College and the Aigburth Arms

To bring you up to date in a frustrating way.

The "Aigy" that we knew so well is long gone - it became a car showroom

However the owners of the site must realise that we are getting no younger and, as if by magic, the boarding is now up around the site advising that it is about to become sheltered housing - getting ready for us once again

Bill

 

[Pat Kennedy]

I had the most terifying experience of my life at Riversdale tech College.
I was working for a company which supplied and maintained Compressed air breathing apparatus on board ships, and a Blue Funnel Superintendant engineer named Denis Naylor, conned me into giving a short talk on the servicing of said equipment to "a few officers"
It turned out to be a gathering of 25 Blue Funnel Captains and Chief Engineers, who all vied with each other in asking difficult questions.
This was my first ever experience of public speaking, and nothing will ever be so hard. I was a nervous wreck when it was over, but Denis pressed a large scotch on me and said, "you did really well, want do do another next month?"
I politely declined.
Pat

 

[stevesmi]

I was at Riversdale in 1970,71,72 as a Radio Officer student so didn't mix too much with the non-R/Os. I wonder if any ex-Riversdale R/Os are reading this?

 

[freddythefrog]

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.

 

[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

 

[Barber Hector]

I picked up on this forum before going to bed the other night and it caused a sleepless night. I was at Riversdale Tech Sept 1955 to Easter 58'ish and left with 2nd class PMG certificate and part one of First Class. Joined Holts and came back 6 months later and finished off my 1st class.
But those years were absolutely crap. Aged 16, no money, in digs at Penny Lane and a long way from home. Study study and more study. Dark days but it did pay off.
Riversdale in those days was so new it actually under control of Liverpool University and we all had Riversdale Tech blazers with their badge and 'University' scarf.

When I first read the above comments on Riversdale, the Aigburth Arms Hotel came up foremost in discussions and initially I wondered why I never saved up a few pennies and visited the place. Then I realised I wasnt old enough ! So I guess the above contributors were some years older than me.

Mr Kinsman was the Principal, George[?] Brown was head of department, lecturers were Mr Thornton, Mr Griffiths and Gordon Andrews. There was another chap who used to fill in on occasion but cant remember his name.

Holt's baby farm was across the road and the lads looked very smart in their uniforms. There were a few Alfred Holt chaps in for upgrading their certificates and I thought that is the future company for me.

And I never looked back.

A contibutor to the forum mentioned that Riversdale was now a housing area, which is a shame, but the sports field alone would be gold in the eyes of some developer. Perhaps someone could enlighten me on its present situation.

I remember Holts Personnel Manager Charlie Metcalf trying to dissuade me from returning to college to complete my 1st Class because he would have to pay me an extra ten bob [I think] per month ticket allowance !
For my sins I spent a year on the UK coast, coasting some ships with a passenger licence that required a 1st class certificate. I was sick to death of Glasgow's Elderslie dry dock by the end of my penance !!

 

[CrazySparks]

Riversdale

I was at Riversdale 1973-1976 on the R/O's course. I was 16 years of age, fresh and innocent from North Wales. It was one of the best periods of my life and set me up for so many things. I well remember some of the excellent yet humorous lecturers by face if no longer by name (although Jackson, Parker, Gerry, Cotton, Harris come to mind). They were excellent teachers and I remember them all with great affection. The anecdotal tales they told us motivated us well in our studies, keeping us keen to get our tickets.

The fact that the college is no longer there is a great sadness to me, but more than that, its passing marks the carelessness with which the UK treated its once great legacy of maritime skills, which should have been nurtured and developed. In particular, marine electronics remains a substantial industry globally, and the UK should be a key player, demanding skilled people from such institutions as Riversdale.

It strikes me that one can find a good many pages on the web for the other radio colleges, but very few for Riversdale - sad. Anyone got any good photographs of the place in the 70's?

I learned to drink in those 3 years - and man - did I learn well!

Best 2 U all.

 

[David W]

Being a Garston lad by the time I had been barred from the Aigburth, the Heath and the Garston my leave was up and it was time for another ship.

 

[M29]

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.

Freddy
You and I must have studied together or just one year apart. I was there 65/66, went to sea 67.

Brown was Head of the Radio Section, Griffiths was no 2. Andrews ran the Radar section. Ray Pilgrim (radar) was also there. (he is on friends re-united). Mr Parker taught Tech Elec. Mr Bruce taught "cabin" and Mr Teasdale (slightly crazy) ran labs. There was an older guy who taught radio who said "erm" every other word and I'm now ashamed to say that in boring lectures we would plot "erms" against time on a graph. He had the SG Brown headphone swindle and we all bought these of him. Cotton was also there and became involved in the Association of Marine Radio Colleges. Happy days!

Alan Melia

 

[degsy]

Aigburth Arms

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

The Aigburth Arms Hotel was,sadly, knocked down and they built an effin monstrosity and called it "The Kingsman" . In memory of the Liverpool Kings Regiment, the walls where adorned with pictures from the First World War. Some of these where quite gruesome. I remember my mother and father coming back from there and saying "never again they should not have knocked the Aigburth down" Like most pubs now it has gone through a few changes, at present its a carvery bar, if you like that kind of alehouse. The Aigburth was an old alehouse with bags of character, however us local lads did'nt do particularly well with the women down there. They where attracted to exotic seafaring types from Riversdale or the intelligentsia from Liverpool Uni's hall's of residence who used to frequent the place. Still had a few goodnights there.(Pint)

 

[CrazySparks]

Riversdale College

Interesting.
When got to Riversdale in 1973 the Kingsman was already there and the Aigburth Arms was just off Elmswood road. Happy memories of both really.
Oh! And we were still drinking Brown&Bitter! Gallons of it.