Ships Bells

[maxxi]

Re: Worcesters, Conways and Pangbournes

Excellent profiling but, you neglect to mention the ascendancy on the Rugby field or in pulling boats - dare I suggest that most of the silverware found it's way to the Menai Straits. Heads down and wait for the flak!

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[Deep_6]

Re: Worcesters, Conways and Pangbournes

You went to the good old Indifatigable then?

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[maxxi]

Re: Worcesters, Conways and Pangbournes

Now that really is below the belt, but probably asked for.

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[ashanta]

Re: Worcesters, Conways and Pangbournes

I went to the Indi and we were certainly the poor boy's of the Menai! but we could pull whalers an cutters better than Conway. In fact we hardly ever saw Conway cadets out on the straits.
1968 and still using old fibre ropes!

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[Gunfleet]

Re: and the names

I have a ship's clock which strikes the time as ship's 'bells' and reading your description of it, I'm jolly glad it doesn't strike dog watches because I'd never know where I was! By the way eighteenth century writers don't use morning and afternoon in the same way as we do. They often use 'morning' to mean 'all day tomorrow' as in German and equally 'afternoon' may merely mean after lunch... which may mean at five! But since noon comes from the ninth hour of the Roman day it was bound to become confusing.

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[maxi]

Re: Conways re Ashanta

Strange that you rarely saw Conways on the Straits, I seemed to spend all day every day afloat '58-60, although most of our activities were towards the West.
I regularly towed 6 or 7 20 footers (all in a line) past you and through the Swellies for racing at Bangor/Beaumaris, so we were there- honestly.

I am surprised that you were able to pull cutters though, as I (don't tell anyone) accumulated a good stock of Indefatigable cutter oars which eventually were cleaned, suitably inscribed and varnished, to be sold as Conway souveniers. The temperature of the water at night, particularly in winter, plus the effects of the strong current made this an entirely marginal operation for a mediocre swimmer - but needs must.

As regards being poor boys, thanks to the shortsightedness of the Labour government, nearly of all the officer training establishments were shut down (seen as elitest) whereas you at least survived longer than we did.

Have a good New Year
Phil

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