Are these still there?

[Dave Hutson]

Originally Posted by ceylon220

Taken in the Brittania Club in 1959, thats me on the left(the good looking one!!), 3 lads from the RFA RESURGENT and an unknown Stoker---cannot remember if I`ve entered this photo before--sorry if I have, nearly every pic that I`ve seen of the club its with lads sitting in this position, beer on the table and I`m sure its the same table or is it my imagination playing up as well s my memory

Thing I recall about them glasses Dave was the thickness andweight

[eskimosailor]

Originally Posted by ceylon220

For curiousity only,how many naval tailors have we left in Portsmouth, Queen Street was full of them back in the 50s and early 60s,mine was UNIFITS but as Queen St has been partly demolished these tailors will have all gone now, which ones are still in existance?

I walk down Queen Street occasionally, when I feel sufficiently energetic, and from memory there is only one Naval Tailor left. I cannot recall the name, but next time my energy level is high I'll do a check.
Steve

[johnny07]

Originally Posted by Dave Hutson

Mitch,

Remember C K Tang's well - I think you will find that the tower block on top of Tang's in Photo 2 has the original roof at it's summit. I remember talking to a structural engineer in Singapore years ago when he said that every time Tang expanded upward the original roof was removed and moved up one.

Dave,

Fisgard closed completely years ago and reemerged as Industrial Units. I was there in 75 when we demolished the old wooden huts [We gave the Old Chuffs and Puffs Messes a good send off] but I believe that a couple were retained [to this day], I had Benbow Division and remember they were well past their sellby date.

Dave H

Dave.
This is one of the roads at the East side at Fisgard in 1956. The huts we lived in were red brick. I was in Hawke Division which is to my left.I think that the block behind me was Duncan Division and I think the other two on East side were Benbow and Collingwood. There were more Divisions on West side but I forget the names. This was a tiffie's boot camp were it was decided what trade you would go on to be. I've mentioned before that the dregs (me) ended up in the engine room dept. and went up to Scotland to complete our training. John.

[johnny07]

Originally Posted by johnny07

Dave.
This is one of the roads at the East side at Fisgard in 1956. The huts we lived in were red brick. I was in Hawke Division which is to my left.I think that the block behind me was Duncan Division and I think the other two on East side were Benbow and Collingwood. There were more Divisions on West side but I forget the names. This was a tiffie's boot camp were it was decided what trade you would go on to be. I've mentioned before that the dregs (me) ended up in the engine room dept. and went up to Scotland to complete our training. John.

Sorry Dave I forgot the photo.

[Dave Hutson]

Originally Posted by johnny07

Dave.
This is one of the roads at the East side at Fisgard in 1956. The huts we lived in were red brick. I was in Hawke Division which is to my left.I think that the block behind me was Duncan Division and I think the other two on East side were Benbow and Collingwood. There were more Divisions on West side but I forget the names. This was a tiffie's boot camp were it was decided what trade you would go on to be. I've mentioned before that the dregs (me) ended up in the engine room dept. and went up to Scotland to complete our training. John.

John,

I should never post before tottime. When I finished the sentence on Fisgard I should have said I had the Benbow Division over in Raleigh which was the Wooden Huts, sorry for the .

Dave H

[eskimosailor]

Originally Posted by Dave Hutson

John,

I should never post before tottime. When I finished the sentence on Fisgard I should have said I had the Benbow Division over in Raleigh which was the Wooden Huts, sorry for the .

Dave H

I well remember those wooden huts. I joined up in November '62. I sat one evening in one hut wearing every stitch of clothing I could comfortably get on, and I FROZE
Steve

[NABERA]

"Dregs", Johnny? I always thought we were the chosen few. Still believe it.
From memory, about 50% of each intake were moulded into Greenies, of one shade or another (including air). 35% became ERAs. 10% Chippies and the remaining 5% became WAFUs, being banished to Condor.
I too was in Hawke Div, first in the "sprog hut" Watt 6, then into Watt 10. The other divisions were Anson, Blake, Collingwood, Duncan, (West Side); Exmouth, Frobishire and Grenville, (East Side) Neatly alphabetical.

I joined in May, 64. By then, central heating pipes had been installed and they hung from the ceiling (or was that Caledonia I'm thinking of?) These pipes were great for wrapping wet dhobiing round. I could never understand the logic of putting a heating system in that only heated the top four feet of the hut!

AlanB.

[johnny07]

Hi Alan,
What I ment by dregs were the boys at the bottom of the exam result lists. If you remember the boys at the top of the list got the first choice of the trades and what was left over was invariably engine room places. I had my heart set on becoming a chippie but all the places went to the bright lads. I'm glad it turned out that way though, I was proud to be an ERA and as you say we were the elite among artificers. John

[barracuda]

Originally Posted by Dave Hutson

Sorry Dave - The NAAFI Club in Plymouth closed several years hence and was turned over to Student Accommodation - then last year it was demolished completely to make way for a more modern building - again for Student Accommodation - when demolishing it they discovered two unexploded WWII bombs under it which had to be dealt with - and to think how many pints etc we had whilst standing over them I met her indoors outside the Club waiting to be signed in and we have been together for fiftythree years - could say this Brighton Boy sold his birthright for an Oggie.

On another tack don't remember the Home Club in Pompey being Aggie's but my memory cells ain't what they used to be. Aggie's in Plymouth down Albert Road once again closed many years ago and succumbed to Student Requirements.

Dave H

Marvellous thing Google Earth, though about two years out of date it's useful sometimes for viewing what is no longer actually there. Do a screen-shot and one has a permanent record.

Peter

[Ednamay]

Originally Posted by eskimosailor

I walk down Queen Street occasionally, when I feel sufficiently energetic, and from memory there is only one Naval Tailor left. I cannot recall the name, but next time my energy level is high I'll do a check.
Steve

Speaking from memory, I think there were six naval tailors down Queen Street but the only ones I can remember are Bernards and Daufmanns, but I believe there was a Gouldings; Jack Blair was at the Whale Island end of Stanley Road, handy for Excellent! Gieves was actually on The Hard, was there also a Baun? And do I remember a Burlingtons? The grey cells are a bit slow today!

Edna

[ceylon220]

Going back 56 years ago I was serving aboard the frigate LOCH KILLISPORT out in the East Indies Station and at the timewe were dry docked in Colombo, Ceylon getting the ships "bottom" scraped, boiler tubes being replaced, capstan overhauled and other maintenance duties seen to , half the crew were living on board while the rest of us went east to an old rest camp used by the navy during WW2 to give crews a rest from sea duties, the camp was at Diyatalawa and the stay there was great, no duties only complete rest and local site seeing, remember there was a burial plot for dogs of service personnel in the camp,a golf coarse and beyond that was a Ceylonese Navy Base which we used ----maybe after all this time that camp will be long gone, wonder when it was last used by the navy. The local snake charmers would hunt for cobra`s at night by the light from lanterns on the edges of the golf coarse, only found this out by chance when I asked a Ceylonese PO what the lights were as I had passed them a few times on my way back to camp----found an alternative way back after that.

[ceylon220]

Blank pay week in Portsmouth lads going on shore leave with hardly any cash would go to there individual tailors, buy a pair of shoes (£4) put it on their bill and walk a few yards down Queen street into a shop that bought service gear, handed over the shoes and were paid £2 for them, that was their night out money, beer was only 1shilling and 3pence a pint then(1956)--if I needed new shoes I would get them from that shop for only £3 instead of my tailors, any one know of that shop in Queen Street?

Also in Queen Street there was a fish & chip sit in cafe run by a couple of "queers" where they had fish swimming about in a tank and you had to pick you own fish to go with your chips, always had the chips, felt sorry for the poor old fish,had`nt the heart to pick one out for my supper!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[oldsalt]

Are we talking Naval Tailors who have passed into history. In Portsmouth my tailor was Dick Keech.

[johnny07]

Flemmings naval tailors comes to mind.
I always thought though that for a beautiful suit and clothing in general you could'nt beat the onboard Chinese tailor.

[jbryce1437]

Been sorting some of my photos from Ark Royal and came across this one of Hong Kong, presumably during 1965/6, but can't see the Ark in the harbour anywhere.

Jim

ps While sorting the photos, I came across three receipts for Bernards Naval Tailors, for Y fronts

[Ednamay]

Originally Posted by oldsalt

Are we talking Naval Tailors who have passed into history. In Portsmouth my tailor was Dick Keech.

Keith and Johnny - my father knew Dick Keech and also Jack Blair, and Flemmings was also a popular tailor.

Incidentally, some of the Chinese tailors settled in Portsmouth, one being Lees in New Road, Copnor end.

Some of the Chinese cooks also settled in Portsmouth ......................

Edna

[eskimosailor]

Originally Posted by johnny07

Flemmings naval tailors comes to mind.
I always thought though that for a beautiful suit and clothing in general you could'nt beat the onboard Chinese tailor.

I was always told you had to specify that he used English thread when making up the suit, otherwise it fell apart. Having said that I grew out of mine before anything worse occurred.
Steve

[Teuchter]

I was much more common - I was a Harry Bernards rating!!

Why - cos I had an allotment to them (£2 a month I think)

Why - cos they were the only Naval Tailors on the Air Station at Lossiemouth in 59/60

Why - cos I wanted to buy a hat with red and green lining

Why - cos all my mates had one

Why - cos we were =+_*^&%$$£" stupid (they were half the price in slops!!!!)

[eskimosailor]

I took this picture on the last day I left Daedalus. Went from there to Victory barracks for discharge, so it was in November 1971. I drove past not too long ago, and it's still there, though locked and a bit forlorn. My last 6 weeks in the Navy were spent there pretending to be the Officer of the Watch, 1 day on and 6 days off. Slept in cells and went home (Reading) when not on watch. Was there ever a cushier number? Our immediate overseer was an ex - gunnie called Bill Spicer, who had been killick of my mess at Seahawk II in 1963.
I am sure many WAFUs will remember those gates.
They have just announced a new development of the Daedalus site, so I don't know how long they will look like that.
Steve

[eskimosailor]

Originally Posted by Mitch Hinde

Hi All

Bombay runners, as big as four engined bombers was the local legend.

Mitch Hinde

A picture of Bugis Street taken in 1971. This shows it as I remember it, an exciting place to go for a meal and a few beers in a foreign environment.
Sorry it's a bit blurred, new camera then.
Steve

[NABERA]

That's okay Steve. Bugis Street always looked blurred to me.

AlanB.

[Mitch Hinde]

Hi All

The Home Club on Queen Street Portsmouth is now the Royal Maritime Club and is an hotel with very reasonable prices.

Mitch Hinde

[johnny07]

Originally Posted by jbryce1437

Been sorting some of my photos from Ark Royal and came across this one of Hong Kong, presumably during 1965/6, but can't see the Ark in the harbour anywhere.

Jim

ps While sorting the photos, I came across three receipts for Bernards Naval Tailors, for Y fronts

Jim,
Are you sure this was 66? Dare I say it looks a bit before then. Is that not Apollo or Manxman or Welshman against the wall. John.

[johnny07]

Originally Posted by johnny07

Jim,
Are you sure this was 66? Dare I say it looks a bit before then. Is that not Apollo or Manxman or Welshman against the wall. John.

Sorry Jim,
I did'nt realise we still had a FML in 1966 ( if it is one of them)
Welshman of course was sunk in WW2, Apollo had paid off but Manxman was in the Far East in 66. So could it be her?.

[NABERA]

Manxman returned to UK in 1968 after about 5 years as CMS support ship, based in Singapore.
In the photo, the dry dock has been filled in. I recall someone telling me this was done in the mid-60's, but someone may correct me.

AlanB