Have you trodden this path?

[David Fox]

As our website has been sitting here all forlorn and forgotten like the 12/4 watch thought I would add a bit of interest in order that it may waken up a few anecdotes of past times. I realise we are getting older, but doesn't long term memory improve with age and stories get better for the telling.
The images taken are when we attended the April 2015 Reunion Lunch in Liverpool.

Lime Street Station L'pool Lah!

Lime Street Station L'pool.JPG (58.25 KiB) Viewed 24384 times

This image should have been sharper but taken after lunch after too many sarsaparilla's, well it least it wasn't Tennants!

Albion House aka Corn Beef Castle

Albion House - Copy.JPG (155.17 KiB) Viewed 24384 times

Just remembered we were on an open topped bus sat at tick-over waiting to turn down James street!
My Strictly Abstemious BOT report still unblemished.

And mounted these steps, seen this nameplate, was it not a brass polished one?

Street Nameplate

DSCF0264 - Copy.JPG (28.32 KiB) Viewed 24384 times

To be continued on another sheet, technology has failed to continue.
Back soon!

[David Fox]

Back again!

The previous occupiers

DSCF0265 - Copy.JPG (102.04 KiB) Viewed 24382 times

And in the entrance hallway to this once august building that is now a boutique hotel ( what ever one of those is) you see on the deck >

A familiar land mass

DSCF0262 - Copy.JPG (33.18 KiB) Viewed 24382 times

And on the stairway.

2nd Mate's charts

DSCF0263 - Copy.JPG (36.65 KiB) Viewed 24382 times

The entrance hallway was like the firebox of a steamers' boiler, black bulkheads and deckheads.
We took the lift to the roof bar and decided on seeing the prices we would just have a quick 'alf and make it last in order to soak up a bit of nostalgia.

Here we go again, see you shortly for page 3 , what will be revealed?

[David Fox]

Now we are in the 'cocktail lounge' on the 6th floor or was it 7th ( whose office where we sat in?), there is a balcony ( giving good views over Liverpool waterfront and city) to port & starboard with blankets provided [ obviously the Pursers (not you Clive) Dept must have left some lying around when they left, awaiting the laundry man] on this cool windy evening, a good wind for the Liver Birds to take a flight (and you know what they say if you see the Liver Birds flapping their wings?).
So, a few more artifacts. This must have been the floor they half heartedly dedicated to Blue Star Ship Management.
There is a spiral staircase up to the kitchen on which the young waitresses have to totter down with loaded plates in their unsuitable footware. Perhaps they should have taken a nautical approach and installed a dumb waiter!

I think the place is aimed at the 20 somethings with lots of disposable income, not us old sea dogs.

Lamport & Holt Office's Copper Plate Name plate

L&H.JPG (30.35 KiB) Viewed 24378 times

This was on the south facing wall to starboard of the boiler front.

Blue Star Line Office's Copper Name Plate

Blue Star Line.JPG (58.38 KiB) Viewed 24378 times

Same wall as above but to port of the boiler front. Now were did they got these institutional cast iron sectional boiler parts from ( perhaps the heating system from the basement, in which they would have had several of these oil or coal fired boilers circulating hot water for the cast iron radiators in the offices)? But certainly not off a ship.

Are any of you Steam chaps missing a governor?

Steam Governor

Steam Governor.JPG (32.85 KiB) Viewed 24378 times

Note the riveted angle cross beams, also I don't see any bolts holding that governor to the beam, certainly not on this side, and we were sat just below it, at a scrubbed deal table.

I don't think we would stay here if in Liverpool again, see the 4th.

Well Veni, Vidi Vici, we came, we saw, we conquered .

[David Fox]

Blue Star House Pennant- Pier Head

BSL House Pennant.JPG (118.98 KiB) Viewed 24374 times

During our stay my wife Norma wanted to sample the "Fairy Across the Mersey" and on the glass dividers (hence the shaded effect) down to the ferry they had transfers of many of our British and Dominion Merchant Fleet's House Flags incorporated. L&H and Booth Line were also there, plus our competitors Shaw Saville, Port Line, Ellemans and many more.

Ferry across the Mersey

Ferry Across the Mersey la!.JPG (89.9 KiB) Viewed 24374 times

Wouldn't our AB's liked have painted our ships like that , each one a different design so that the Mate could express his artistic ( not that artist in the bar) side. It would make Wally Trickett's ship paintings a real headache for him now.

John Mullet, Sandra and myself David Fox and wife Norma, stayed at the Liner Hotel which had a very nautical feel and decor, much better than previous, with rooms named cabins and staterooms ( for suites). On all the bulkheads down the alleyways there were prints of Passenger Liners. Out side our cabins Booth Line's SS Hilary, up the Amazon.

SS Hilary

SS Hilary - Booth Line.JPG (86.67 KiB) Viewed 24374 times

Each cabin also had a print of a liner. In the Saloon there were brass telegraphs and brass sounding machines ( never did see one of those used, did anybody?), the towed log and line, brass anchors, plus a large aquarium/fish tank with small exotic fish. Didn't notice any fiddles on the table edges, but the chairs may have been anchored to the deck considering the city.

Perhaps for future Reunion venues we could re-visit some of our old ports, Southampton, Sheerness ( Change at Sittingbourne), Heysham, Avonmouth, Newcastle, Hull, Glasgow, Felixstowe, Barry ( well perhaps not), Falmouth have I missed anywhere?

Anybody else like to do something similar, keep the theme, use you imagination and tell a story.

Last but not least, a big Thank You to John Taylor for organising this years Reunion Lunch.

[A.D.Frost]

Payed off on BELLOC in Belfast with the 5/E and 4/E who had bought a leather shoulder holster(No gun!) in South America(just as well custom officers had a sense of humor)How about the "Joly Rodger" in Barbados?

[Norman Hopkins]

Barry Docks.jpeg (14.32 KiB) Viewed 24063 times

[....]"Barry ( well perhaps not),[...]
I doubt many would recognize Barry now.