Memory Lane: Pompey - Isle of Wight

[Nobby_N]

Here's a walk down memory lane for some of us Pompey ratings, and especially for Edna May

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npJKBl_pdsA

Nobby_N

[Ednamay]

Oh, Nobby, paddle steamers, steam trains and Elgar's music! What an embarrassment of riches!
Memories of Sunday school outings from Portsmouth to Sandown, and family visits to my aunt in Binstead!
Thank you very much, Edna

[Ednamay]

Nobby - perhaps you need to add Pompey to Memory Lane title, you might then wake them up!

Edna

[NSR]

Nobby.

Passed the link to some friends who are interested in railways and got a big thank you which I forward on to you.

Ken

[Nobby_N]

Thanks Ken

And Edna - if I knew how to change the title I would. Perhaps a Moderator might help.

I never went to the 'oil o widget' meself, despite being based for a while at Fraser Battery at the far end of Eastney prom and seeing the island every day, but those shots of Portsmouth Harbour station bring it all back.

Nobby_N

[Teuchter]

Thanks for that Nobby - very good!!

[Nobby_N]

Your very welcome. Glad it was thought worth seeing.

Ive just been watching a series about new entrants in the 1980s in Raleigh called Nozzers.

It was not quite like 1954 when I was a sprog in Collingwood

I suspect many of you on here will be familiar with it. It was amazing to see the similarities to my time. It was all there but amazingly softened. I don't remember any of our instructors actually showing us how to bull our boots.

What I can remember is our class GI with his pace stick, digging it in your ribs if you got out of step. And we had a whip round to buy him a watch at the end of basic training.

1985 - 27 years ago. Those lads if still in are heading for their pensions.

Nobby_N

[Don Boyer]

Truly enjoyable viewing even for a Yank two oceans away Nobby, thanks for that! Thankfully I was born just in time to see the last of the steam trains here in America before the ugly diesels took over. Later, in 1976, as a brakeman/switchman for the Southern Pacific Railroad, I got a ride on a restored 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, so I can say I've "been there!"

Interesting if you look closely at those videos to see how many young lads are thrilled to see those old engines at work..

Regards,

[Ednamay]

Unfortunately we lost most of our railtrack to Beeching (and we could do with it, now), but the Havenstreet Steam Railway goes to Wootton.
From Ryde it is still possible to see some of the countryside in the video on the trip to Shanklin, even if it is diesel powered!
Edna

[eskimosailor]

Originally Posted by Ednamay

Unfortunately we lost most of our railtrack to Beeching (and we could do with it, now), but the Havenstreet Steam Railway goes to Wootton.
From Ryde it is still possible to see some of the countryside in the video on the trip to Shanklin, even if it is diesel powered!
Edna

Don't you also have some old London Transport underground units still running? I think they are similar to the ones shown at the end of the video clip, only now painted red instead of green.
Steve

[Ednamay]

Originally Posted by eskimosailor

Don't you also have some old London Transport underground units still running? I think they are similar to the ones shown at the end of the video clip, only now painted red instead of green.
Steve

Yes, Steve, the Ryde/Sandown/Shankin line is provided by 'recycled' London underground units, standing up very well to our use and the many tourists in the summer!

It is quite a day out to take the Fastcat from Portsmouh, join the train at Ryde pierhead, take a run to Shankln, on the return trip join the Steam Railway at Smallbrook and imagine you are back in the 30s/40s/50s!

Edna

[eskimosailor]

Originally Posted by Ednamay

Yes, Steve, the Ryde/Sandown/Shankin line is provided by 'recycled' London underground units, standing up very well to our use and the many tourists in the summer!

It is quite a day out to take the Fastcat from Portsmouh, join the train at Ryde pierhead, take a run to Shankln, on the return trip join the Steam Railway at Smallbrook and imagine you are back in the 30s/40s/50s!

Edna

What a good suggestion Edna. I'll bear that one in mind for the next time we go over to the Island.
Steve

[Ednamay]

Originally Posted by eskimosailor

What a good suggestion Edna. I'll bear that one in mind for the next time we go over to the Island.
Steve

Steve (& Co!)

You're always welcome! And we are renowned for good weather!

Edna

[Nobby_N]

[quote=Nobby_N;10022413].......
Ive just been watching a series about new entrants in the 1980s in Raleigh called Nozzers.

It was not quite like 1954 when I was a sprog in Collingwood

I suspect many of you on here will be familiar with it. It was amazing to see the similarities to my time. It was all there but amazingly softened. I don't remember any of our instructors actually showing us how to bull our boots.

What I can remember is our class GI with his pace stick, digging it in your ribs if you got out of step. And we had a whip round to buy him a watch at the end of basic training.

1985 - 27 years ago. Those lads if still in are heading for their pensions.

---------------UNQUOTE]

I was never in Ganges, nor its successor Raleigh. I went straight to Collingwood (aged nearly 18), 6 weeks basic training followed by the trade course to become an REM2.
Nevertheless, the TV series screened in '85-'86 brought so much back to me. I've now watched the lot, - 4 episodes in about 12 Youtube clips.

I've sent links to my sons and their wives - all over 30 - and said 'watch this and see the kind of things your Dad experienced when he was a lot younger'. I don't know if they will bother. The oldest (34) is a keen Mirror dinghy sailor - only marginally to do with my background. He found my old 'Naval Ratings Handbook' (BR 1938 - 1951 edition) yesterday and was looking at the seamanship section. "Hey, this looks really useful!" That's my boy.

I can see the differences between the 1985 Nozzers and the 1954 intake at Collingwood. They of course were a lot younger (16 and a half average), we were 18 and upwards with a fair sprinkling of deferred NS men, some of whom had already finished industrial apprenticeships. That said, it was so like. It starts off with them arriving at Raleigh in civvies and ends with them as Passing Out Parade Guard.

As for being shouted at by grown men - I never had the rating to shout at sailors but many years later, outside and working in a large academic library, we sometimes had practice fire drills. Students! What a shower! Did they get up and make their way to the fire exits when the alarm was ringing? Not on your life, they just sat still and took no notice. That's when something from my past cut in. "Come along, come along, there's a fire alarm! MOVE!!" GET UP AND GET MOVING! MOVE MOVE MOVE!!"

Now where did I learn that???

They did. I quite enjoyed it. hahaha!

Nobby_N