R.M.S. Wray Castle, Ambleside. Where it all started, my seagoing career, that is!

Deepsea Tony Hamilton-Dewsbury 1961

(with apologies to Peter Darton)

HAVE YOU THE TIME TO REMEMBER?

Go back to the days of yesteryear when most ocean going ships carried at least one Radio Officer, the task of the R/O was primarily to communicate with shore stations, and most importantly to maintain radio watch on Distress Frequencies, 500 kHz for Morse traffic and 2182 kHz for radio telephone traffic, it was without doubt the best job on the ship, with the most free time in exotic ports (even Grimsby?), when the radio room was closed and sometimes sealed, unless one was unfortunate enough to work for a company who required the R/O to work ("WORK?") in port. Happily I was one of the former, who said goodbye to the ship on arrival in port, to say hello again on sailing! It could be said that the working life of the R/O was regulated by the type of clock shown above.

Below can be seen just some of the ships in which I served "before the mast", well in the Radio Room actually! Really tough life for a sparks, gnisten, marconista, call me whatever you like but not early in the morning!

M.V. "ELLEN NIELSEN" Danish Flag Leaving Capetown 1963 probably bound Matadi up the Congo River with coal from Durban, thence empty to Brazil to load cargo of timber, thence to Port Elizabeth, East London & Durban.

Stern Trawler "AZGAD 3" Israeli Flag, Leaving Capetown 1966 bound fishing grounds off Southwest Africa. Previously fishing on Grand Banks of Newfoundland.

M.V. "Devora" Israeli Flag Bound Haifa from UK/Near Continent 1967. Sailed from London, loaded with ammunition, on first day of Six Day War, Radio silence all the way.

M.V. "GEFFEN" Israeli Flag Bound Mediterranean from UK/Near Continent.

Typical trip UK port, Malta, Cyprus, Israel and back again.

Tanker "Castella" Liberian Flag 1972.

Only half a trip, Sardinia to Libya, Libya to Brazil, Brazil to India, halfway across Atlantic I developed an appendicitis and was landed & operated upon in Capetown.

Tuna Clipper "DAGUITE" Israeli Flag, Leaving Capetown 1964 bound fishing grounds off Southwest Africa, typical trip, Capetown - Capetown 120 days

WRAY CASTLE REUNION  25th, 26th 27th

September 2009

The 2007 reunion was held on

28th 29th 30th

September

A wonderful time was had by all.

St Margaret's at Wray will have its final service this Sunday - dwindling numbers. It was consecrated in 1861 originally for use of the workers at Wray Castle Estate but Wray's population has declined to such an extent that the local Church Council can no longer support both Hawkshead Parish Church and Wray.

Info from Mike Nurse (July 2007 ish)

What a difference 40 years makes!

Paul (Bo) Lewis, Pete (Sorry Lads only got 1 Fag) Nicholson, Tony Hamilton-Dewsbury

The original picture was taken in 1963 to celebrate the attainment of our "tickets" the background is 40 something years later in Ambleside.

"CASTLE LADS DO IT WITH FREQUENCY"

Are you a Castle Lad?

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Deepsea Dewsbury

See the Piccies....