1957 Christmas Vancouver BC

I have heard from Davy Makin and Vic Pitcher this Christmas season. They are old shipmates and I spent Christmas with them in Vancouver BC sixty-one[61] years ago in 1957. Actually I have known David for  71 years because he too came from Bath and we were Catholic children being educated by Nuns of the French order La Sainte Union when we met.

Earlier that year [1957], in May, we had joined the tramp-ship “Bradford City” in London. [ If any of you have seen the TV drama called “Call the Midwife” we were moored where you see a two funnel ship in the opening scenes.] I had been promoted to Third Mate, I was 19 years of age, David Makin [same age] was the Senior Apprentice, and Victor Pitcher [17] an Apprentice. My best friend [God love his soul] also 19 years old, and my shipmate on the “Fresno City,” joined the “Queen City” as Third Mate in London at the same time. His ship was crewed with Lascars [Indian Seamen].  We sailed away around the world as usual.

I say usual but that wasn’t quite true the Captain was an alcoholic and oftentimes mad as a hatter. For example he had a gun, a Colt Woodsman semi automatic handgun that held twelve 0.22 rounds, and one day released the cook’s pet pig and tried to kill it with everyone ducking for cover! The crew were a rough bunch, and one took a swing at me with a crowbar so I broke a rib for him. Fortunately we had really competent First Mate, Barclay Thomas, from South Wales. He was competent and tough we became friends and I later sailed with him again under better circumstances.

Anyway by November we had just finished discharging coal from Newcastle in Australia in Kawasaki, Tokyo Bay. And so we set off for Canada crossing the North Pacific in the depths of winter a distance roughly 4,700 miles if you go north about and ride the Kuro Siwo or Black Stream. The passage we made, just south of the Aleutian Islands, was bitterly cold with howling gales for over three weeks to get to Vancouver. During that time we had to clean the ship from coal dust etc and erect shifting boards and feeder bins. We were to load wheat for Europe in Canada.  The majority of that hard dangerous work was undertaken by the apprentices and myself, 17/19 years of age, and the Mate. I do not think that I have ever been so cold as on that voyage. Our hands were both calloused and blue black.

Vancouver was great, we had a brief refit in the Burrard Dry Dock before the relatively quick process of loading prime Canadian hard wheat for England. The two places to welcome young seafaring lads were the Stella Maris and the Flying Angel, the first was the Catholic Club and the second the Church of England Mission to Seamen. Sometimes there were dances with chaperones on hand but always tea and tab nabs [cakes] served by kind ladies in floral frocks. On Sundays we would go to Mass in the morning and Evensong late in the day. We had a beautiful supper on Christmas Eve at the Stella Maris.

Davy Makin fell in love with the C of E Padre’s daughter Susie, an absolutely vivacious bustling lass with auburn/red hair who was totally unaware of her charm. She was a gem and loved the company and life in general, she would be about sixteen I guess.  Anyway poor David had to worship from afar and he was sad when we sailed out for Panama and Europe. It did not help him that everyone knew he was smitten with Susie and insisted on singing the popular song from October that year *Wake up Little Susie” by the Everly Brothers.

Me? I was happy, very happy, after all I was sailing homeward bound to marry my Tina in May 1958.