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I was born on the 28th October 1944 in Southport, Lancashire, a seaside town in Northwest England. My father was at the time in the Royal Navy serving at a base in Brisbane, Queensland and did not see me until his return after VJ Day.

My father having returned from the war and being discharged found like many, that his former employment no longer existed. Obtaining a position as Estate Manager at Team Valley Industrial Estate in Gateshead in North East of England, he commuted between Southport and Gateshead before the whole family moved in 1948.

My first experience of school was the local primary school in Lowfell before going to Mrs. Ackhurst's Preparatory School in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. On reaching the age of 8, I then moved on to the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne. This was founded in 1544 and Chartered by Henry VIII.

We only stayed in Lowfell for a few years and then we moved to Benton, a suburb of  Newcastle upon Tyne were we lived for the rest of my school years. At school I was heavily engaged in music, learning the violin and playing in the First Orchestra. I was also in the School Choir throughout my school years which daily led the Morning Assembly and sung anthems. It was also at this time I became interested in the sea, joining the Naval Section of the Combined Cadet Force (C.C.F.). Training with the R.N.V.R. and spending weekends on H.M.S. "Northumbria".

On completing my 'O'-levels I obtained a Cadetship with the Blue Star Line, during which time I spent the first year at Portsmouth Technical College and the second year at Highbury Technical College.

There I studied for my O.N.D (Marine Engineering) and on completion joined my first ship, the Tasmania Star, shown left, the sister ship of the Auckland Star , a 7 hatch fully refrigerated cargo ship. She was a fine ship built at Cammell Lairds of Birkenhead in 1950, of some 12,604 gross tons with PARMETRADA steam turbine machinery. This was to set my career at sea, remaining on steam turbine ships for many years. My first voyage was some 9 months in length but interesting due to it's varied ports of call. We crossed the Atlantic to Kingston, Jamaica and loaded citrus fruit for New Zealand. From there we passsaged the Panama Canal , thence across the Pacific to New Zealand. In those days the average turn round of a large cargo ship was 9 to 13 weeks in New Zealand. The Shoreworker's Union was very active and few days went by without some strike or go-slow occurring. Calling at Auckland , Wellington , Lyttelton and finally completing loading at Bluff, in the far south of South Island. Our homebound cargo as always being frozen New Zealand Lamb and dairy products (butter & cheese). Ours was not to be a straight passage home however, again transiting the Panama Canal to call at New York. Where the opportunity was taken to visit the International World Trade Fair and all the usual New York tourist attractions. Finally after a short passage we called at Bermuda, our final and most expensive overseas port of call.

Life on board was pleasant, the cadets sharing a double cabin and rotating between day work with the 4th Engineer and as junior watch keeper on one of the three engine room watches. As, like most Blue Star vessels, she was fully refrigerated, experience was gained working alongside the Refrigeration Engineer.
While in warmer climes, a temporary swimming pool was erected on the afterdeck. Which though small, gave endless amusement as well as a welcome relief from the heat. For despite having a massive refrigeration plant, this was only for the comfort of the cargo and not for the passengers and crew! A small unreliable electric fan was deemed sufficient in each cabin.
Evenings were passed in studying a correspondence course from college and socialising with the other officers and the 12 passengers we carried.

In all I sailed on five ship's during my Cadetship, my second ship being the rather eccentric Caledonia Star. She had originally been built as the Empire Wisdom at Greenock Dockyard and managed by Clan Line from 1942 to 1944. Originally the ship was powered by the ultimate in steam reciprocating machinery, with exhaust turbines and three double-ended Scotch boilers. These were coal fired on the outward passage and oil fired on the passage home. Renamed the Royal Star when in Blue Star ownership she was converted to diesel power with the fitment of M.A.N. 2-stroke engines in 1962. Retaining one, now oil fired Scotch boiler, and much of the steam auxiliary machinery, including the Sunderland Forge steam steering gear and the refrigeration compressors. The latter being CO2, were driven by single cylinder horizontal engines of quite massive proportions, which were extremely tricky to start. Accommodation on her was basic to say the least, with wooden decked alleyways, deep door sills and teak doors. Of two castle design, the navigation officers inhabited the bridge castle, while the engineers were consigned to the port alleyway of the amidships accommodation. Massively built, she still had strengthened decks fore and aft for gun pads.
As a final quirk she still retained a coal fired galley stove, whose black chimney can be seen aft of the bridge!

Trading from the United Kingdom to the West Coast of the United States and Canada via the Panama Canal, calling at Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, they were enjoyable voyages for a young cadet. With Barbadian crew, they had the additional pleasure of calling at Barbados for crew changes and replenishing stocks of Mount Gay Rum ! Much of her cargoes outbound consisted of British alcoholic beverages, particularly Scotch Whisky, and she must have been responsible for much harm to the livers of the American population over the years. It was also the hay day of the British sports car with large consignments of M.G. sports cars and a few Rolls Royce's for the Hollywood stars.

My third ship was the motorship Newcastle Star (left) . One of a class built in Germany for Blue Star Line. After the Caledonia Star she seemed the height of modernity. She was to take me for the first time to South Africa. Many Blue Star ships at that time, before South Africa became politically a no-go area, carried a part cargo to South African and Mozambique. Calling at Capetown, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Lourenço Marques (Maputo) and Beira. It certainly opened ones eyes to the African scene. From a very British Capetown, to the Portuguese colony of Mozambique. Being at the height of the Rhodesia affair, in theory we had no cargo for Rhodesia. But we seemed to have very large consignments of items, unlikely to be purchased by Mozambique from Britain! Beira being the railhead for Rhodesia. From Beira we then crossed the Indian Ocean to Australia, calling at many of the east coast ports, which by now were becoming quite familiar.

To complete my cadetship I spent a further year at Poplar Technical College in the east end of London. This consisted mostly of workshop practice, in the practical knowledge required for a sea-going engineer and the technical aspects of Marine Architecture and electro-technology.

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Page Updated : 07/07/08