View Full Version : Shore Side Kit
ivorthediver
15-09-2009, 19:48
Whilst down at Chatham recently I took some pictures [ not enough ] and intend going down again to complete my look around
These are of bits and bobs on the shore side of things and wondered if any of you lot had any others to add .......as although you are all "Seagoing legends" I feel sure that you must have had some passing experience with the mundane side of things whilst working aboard RN Ships
Anyway here is a start ....
SCRG1970
15-09-2009, 19:56
Ivor
The small truck in the foreground of photos four and five was known as a "Lister". I think because of the engine powering it. It was used as a general workhorse around the dockyard and Jack enjoyed the challenge of overtaking another Lister if it was driven by a dockyard matey.
Regards
gerry
ivorthediver
15-09-2009, 20:04
Thanks for that Gerry,
You paint a vivid picture there...... and I don't know why but it conjures up a picture of two well known members of this Forum........ doing Wheelies up the dockyard in their " Lister Diesels "
Regards Ivor
Super pix Ivor, really sets the ole memory cells going!!
Mik
ivorthediver
16-09-2009, 18:25
Thank you Mik, Glad you enjoyed them
It is not difficult to enjoy ones self at Chatham I know I had a great time there and the time flew by to quickly and I am sure I have missed a lot ....but I will return with my Camara and enjoy another day seeing things in the flesh so to speak...
Kind Regards Ivor
The main thing that I remember about Chatham Dockyard is having to use the shoreside Heads and Bathrooms. also having to empty the buckets that were placed around the ship in the morning when we were duty watch. Not very exotic memories Huh?
One good thing about Chats was it's distance from London for weekend leave.
I had a radio/tape that went ashore with me every blank week and into the hock shop to be recovered the following week on payday. It was a great machine! and gave me plenty of runs ashore. And yes!! It did leave Chatham when we sailed.
ivorthediver
16-09-2009, 18:57
I would love to have seen it in its Hey-Day so to speak with all the engineering workshops and fabrication sheds
The machinery was all stacked up one end of one of the buildings but it would have been great to see it working .....in a working set up
It must have been a hive of industry and a nightmare to find your way around there....such a shame that" time waits for no man"...
To be perfectly honest, Ivor. Most of us was only interested in the route from the ship to the dockyard Gate. Most of us didn't go into the machinery buildings. I went with the Buffer to the rope loft once to pick up our order for rope. We did walk around the loft
ivorthediver
16-09-2009, 19:38
Yes Sorry Dave ,
Its just that I love anything mechanical and how things work ,so I would be in seventh heaven to have seen it all being formed and put together to form a ship, with all the myriad of assemblies it takes to build it into a fighting unit, let alone the crew who worked their butts off to make man and machine one working unit :)
The shore side heads were quite an experience. I'm not sure if the design was the same at Pompey or Guz but they provided endless amusement to evil souls in Chatham. The seats were located in individual compartments complete with doors and were positioned over a long trough that ran from one end of the row to the other. Flushing occurred at regular intervals when the cistern at one end discharged and flushed the trough into a sewer outlet at the other end. Great amusement occurred when someone in the trap nearest to the cistern lit a wad of oily waste and dropped it into the trough as the flush operated. Success was counted by the number of screams down the line before the waste disappeared into the sewer. As I said, there were some evil b*****s in Chatham and in the depths of their depravity, because it was oily waste, they tried to blame the stokers.
Ken
ivorthediver
17-09-2009, 18:25
The shore side heads were quite an experience. I'm not sure if the design was the same at Pompey or Guz but they provided endless amusement to evil souls in Chatham. The seats were located in individual compartments complete with doors and were positioned over a long trough that ran from one end of the row to the other. Flushing occurred at regular intervals when the cistern at one end discharged and flushed the trough into a sewer outlet at the other end. Great amusement occurred when someone in the trap nearest to the cistern lit a wad of oily waste and dropped it into the trough as the flush operated. Success was counted by the number of screams down the line before the waste disappeared into the sewer. As I said, there were some evil b*****s in Chatham and in the depths of their depravity, because it was oily waste, they tried to blame the stokers.
Ken
Well Ken no change there then , but if we had done the deed it would not have been hit or miss now would it :rolleyes:
Ivor, your pics of old equipment set me going. This year we spent a week in Coalbrookdale visiting the various museums and at Blists Hill I saw a Weirs D shuttle feed pump rusting in a corner. It was awaiting restoration to be set up as an exhibit. I wondered if I should be in the case with it as it was the sort that I serviced all those years ago. Wanders off quietly dribbling down his chin.
Ken
Sorry, I forgot to mention; in the Victorian Street at Blists Hill the 'chippie' cooked the chips in BEEF DRIPPING, just like they should be. A dash of salt - slight sprinkle of vinegar - Ambrosia, couldn't eat my supper, was too full.
Ken
ivorthediver
17-09-2009, 20:45
IF ONLY E COULD STILL GET BEEF DRIPPING FRIED CHIPS:mad:
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