Merchant Navy Day 2019
Footage from today’s service at the Pier Head – the weather held out for us.
Stories
Grace – Captain of Blue Clipper
Captain Grace was kind enough to show use around the Blue Clipper when she paid a visit to Liverpool last month as part of the River Festival. Fine out more at http://www.maybe-sailing.com
SEAPOWER CONFERENCE – May 2019
This four-day event sponsored by the Royal United Services defence and security arm – a military think-tank – started on May 15 and was attended by the usual top brass of admirals and captains, the aim of which was to ‘test whether apparent change in naval national strategy is by default or design.’ (1)Quite a mouthful, but a statement I understood referred to is whether…
SEIKO 5: the Merchant Seafarer’s Watch.
Arnie Schwarzenegger has one and so does Sigourney Weaver, Brian May et al other celebrities (a Seiko watch, that is).And Novak Djokovic was presented with one upon winning a recent tennis championship.Okay, it’s likely that some are paid by Seiko – product exposure during Hollywood movies is as good as advertising but the basis of Seiko’s success in bring reliable, inexpensive watches to…
THE BIG EASY
A Jimmy Cagney lookalike in baseball cap and plaid shirt, the Mississippi river pilot was quite opinionated of American society: “too many Jews and African-Americans in government” he proclaimed as the ship swung ten degrees port up river to New Orleans.I thought: oh! dear, is this the type of prejudiced society I half-expected it to be? By the way, for those fortunate…
German submarine U-995
Bob Bunker visits the U-995 in Laboe in Germany. http://www.warmuseums.nl/gal/061gal.htm
Cape Town: Inside the Townships.
Such knocking on the door wasn’t the usual sort; figuratively speaking it was a demand to be heard.The place was the South African Parliament and the urging came from the African National Council to educate the nation’s black youth – ‘ANC press Vorster for immediate action’ read the headlines of the Cape Argus. In 1974 this coincided with my first trip to Capetown and although…
LIVING HISTORY- Sharing stories about Albert Dock Liverpool.
From a working dock to a thriving leisure attraction, the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool has seen many people come and go. A new Heritage Lottery supported project is looking for people with memories of the Albert Dock, particularly dockers and seafarers who remember it before it’s closure in the early 1970’s. What was it like to work there? What were…
NO DEAL? WE’RE SEABORNE FREIGHT – DON’T WORRY!
Who are Seaborne Freight?
CIVIL WAR IN SIERRA LEONE – BLOOD DIAMONDS
I’m not sure what emotions we felt as a ship’s crew – fear or apprehension, perhaps.
For as the ship sailed into the heat and humidity of Freetown harbour, the rows of military Land Rovers parked on the quay – some painted with a distinctive Red Cross – were plain to see.
STOWAWAYS.
As defined by ‘Marine Insight’, the maritime educational body, stowaways are categorised in two groups:
Tall Ships Liverpool 2008 – Archive Footage
A Happy New Year to all. I was passend a copy of this footage by Pat Moran a while ago and happened to come across it recently during a New Year clear out. Interesting to see the crowds on the waterfront. If anyone knows who filmed this let me know in the comments below.