Members from Glasgow and Edinburgh branches attended the Sailors Society 71st Annual Scottish Service for Seafarers held in South Leith Parish Church. It was a very well attended service with various maritime charities and communities represented. After a buffet lunch everyone assembled at the Merchant Navy Memorial on Leith Shore for the Wreath Laying Ceremony. This is a short service but very moving and despite the rain there was a good turnout and eighteen different organisations paid their respects and laid wreaths.
News
Social Media Course
Last week was our 3rd and final social media training where we had two new team members join us.
This is Christine’s account of the two days.
Tuesday 3rd November: Travelled to Southampton by train from Plymouth with Chris R. Taxi to Jury's Inn Hotel, checked in and met up with Yvonne. Unfortunately the flight Ina and Carole should have come down from Glasgow on was cancelled just as they were about to board so they had to make rapid re-arrangements and made their journey by rail missing the first session but they managed to arrive in time for dinner! We had a brisk walk through the park to MNWB office. Jury's Inn seems to be on a roundabout and crossing roads is a nightmare. Met by Louise and Alastair then introduced to Sally who would be guiding us through safeguarding procedures, how to handle and signpost enquiries. Discussed various charities, organisations and other places where MN personnel can access help. Then followed a group discussion in which two different scenarios were presented, it was most interesting.
We returned to the hotel for a quick tidy up and then walked to Coco Rio. Ann Brine collected Ina and Carole to bring them to the restaurant. We had a lovely meal, and got to know each other in a more relaxed atmosphere. A short toddle back to hotel for a chat and catch up with Ina in Chris R's room, I must be getting old – my nightcap was coffee and I very nearly had hot chocolate!
Wednesday Morning: Early breakfast, checkout and slightly easier/safer road crossing (well done Carole for finding a pedestrian crossing!!!) To MNWB where Ann Brine introduced us to many and varied social media sites and ways we might use them to promote Watch Ashore. I freely confess that I'd never even heard of quite a lot of them, however as a former Twitter phobic, I am now fully converted and see the massive outreach possibilities which it offers Watch Ashore.
Very many thanks to all involved with the last two days training and hospitality it's been brilliant.
Safe journey home everyone, hopefully no delays for any of us.
Ooooops hear from Ina that the return part of their flight had been cancelled! The good news was that they could re-book; the bad news was that the flight was delayed.
Yvonne’s summary of the two days – Social media course over, very enjoyable 2 days despite the hazards of getting there! Well done to Ina and Carole, intrepid pair from over the border, epic journey or what! and both ways! I was airborne when we were told might have to divert to Humberside instead of Leeds, but we're reassured the plane had loads of fuel! Comedians some of these pilots! Did land at Leeds thankfully! Word of warning Ladies, check with Ina if you decide to travel anywhere….just to make sure she is safely at home,..Bit of a Jonah on the travel front!!!!
(As you may gather from these two snippets Carole and I did have a bit of a hiccup with our travel arrangements but we will keep the full story for another time.)
The Gansey Lady
30th October
Today the Sculpture of the Gansey Lady was unveiled on Bridlington North Pier. The Gansey Lady really is a masterpiece and I feel so proud to be part of this piece of history. The fishes on the side depict all the famous and infamous fishing people of the area! The gentlemen with the jumpers are part of the fishing community wearing their"ganseys"!
It is a fitting tribute to (a) the amazing creator, Steve Cargill. (b)The vision of the groups and people that wanted this and (c) last but not least, the support of the local people.
Annual National Seafarers Service
Watch Ashore members from London, Hull and Plymouth Branches travelled to the Annual Seafarers Service which was held in St Paul's Cathedral.
In1905 Captain Hubbard suggested that the centenary of the death of Nelson would be a fitting occasion for the inauguration of an annual seaman’s service in St Paul's and the first service was held in October of that year.
The Annual National Service for Seafarers is a great event and this year celebrated 200 years of the Royal Yacht Squadron, 150 years The Royal Alfred Seafarers' Society and 100 years of the London Nautical School.
After the service our National Chairman, Chris Rankin, and Vice Chairman, Sue Williams, joined the London branch members onboard the HQS Wellington for a celebratory dinner.
Merchant Navy Day
One of our members wrote to her local MSP about the Seafarers UK #redensign campaign and below is the reply she received. Many thanks to MSP Dave Thomson for his support to the #redensign and the Merchant Navy.
"Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. We thought it might be better to respond when we had something concrete to tell you.
Dave has since submitted a Motion on Merchant Navy Day (3rd September) acknowledging the sacrifices made by the Merchant navy and also highlighting the great work that the men and women of the Merchant Navy still do all around the world. We also put out a press release to this effect yesterday so it might be worth having a look at the Highland papers today – maybe one or two will have picked up on the release.
The Motion in full is below. A link to the Parliament website is underneath and a copy of the press release is at the very bottom:
Motion S4M-13942: Dave Thompson, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 13/08/2015
That the Parliament is aware of Merchant Navy Day, which will take place on 3 September 2015; acknowledges the campaign by Seafarers UK to celebrate the day by flying the Red Ensign, the Merchant Navy’s official flag; notes calls for MSPs to remember the sacrifices, salute the courage and support the future of the Merchant Navy; celebrates the time of John Thompson, father of Dave Thompson MSP, in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War as a ship's baker, circumnavigating the globe, taking part in Atlantic convoys, being torpedoed in the Mediterranean but surviving throughout the entire war; understands that northern men, in particular, were much sought after in the Merchant fleet due to their seafaring traditions; recognises Scotland’s ancient seafaring and trading tradition, and appreciates what it considers the great work that the men and women of the Merchant Navy still do all around the world.
“Merchant Navy Day Welcomed by MSP
Dave Thompson, SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch has welcomed Merchant Navy Day which will take place on 3 September 2015 and has tabled a motion calling on the Scottish Parliament to acknowledge the campaign by Seafarers UK to celebrate the day by flying the Red Ensign, the Merchant Navy’s official flag.
Mr Thompson said,
“I call upon the Parliament to acknowledge Merchant Navy Day and urge MSPs to remember the sacrifices of our merchant sea men, as we salute their courage and support the future of the Merchant Navy.
“My own father, John, was in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War as a ship's baker, travelling all around the world, taking part in Atlantic convoys, and he survived being torpedoed in the Mediterranean.
Northern men in particular were much sought after in the Merchant fleet due to their searfaring traditions which be recognised and celebrated as we show official appreciation to Scotland's ancient seafaring and trading tradition".
Memories
With Merchant Navy Day being celebrated this week and Seafarers being thanked and remembered for their sacrifice I thought it would be appropriate to share this story. Many thanks to Brenda for allowing us to tell her story.
After placing an advert in the Sea Breezes magazine asking if anyone had sailed with my father on either the Stakesby or the Gloucester City, I was delighted to receive two replies.
The first was from George Crawley who lived in Hull. He said that if I came to Hull he would be pleased to meet me. We arranged to meet and he had prepared tea and cakes for my visit, just as his wife would have done he said (his wife was in poor health and was in respite care).
George told me that he and my father had been young officers on the Stakesby right at the beginning of the war in 1939. They were anchored in Newport Wales and had a drink on their off duty time and that my father liked a Guinness.
I had obtained the log book of the Stakesby with my father's name mentioned and had brought a copy with me. George recognised many of the names and he showed me photos of the ships that he had sailed on. He also had a beautiful ship's wheel and anchor in his garden. I expect when I had gone he spent more times with his memories and I was so pleased that the advert in the Sea Breezes had also given another seafarer pleasurable memories.
A few weeks later I received a letter from a Captain Petersen who lived in Cornwall. He had served with my father on the Gloucester City and told me that my father had a fine intellect and given to serve in the best tradition of the Merchant Navy. I was so proud to hear that.
It was Remembrance week when I first visited Ken, as I came to know him. We went to the British Legion for a drink and whilst there a young man heard us talking about the Gloucester City. He said he remembered her because his father used to load her as she was then taking ammunitions to France. We went to the dockside and one of the ships was leaving port so we stood and put our poppies on the water as the ship sailed away, in remembrance of my father's ship.
Ken told me in their off duty time they would go to a small cafe for a meal, he didn't think it would be there now, however we discovered it and although larger it was owned by a young couple. Ken told them the story about their meal there all those years ago and that they used to have a glass of Benedictine after their meal. The young man then produced a bottle of Benedictine and said we should raise our glasses to Mrs Harrison's father who should have been here with us. I thanked him for that lovely thoughtful gesture. I feel rather sad when I think of it.
Ken also took me to Fowey where the ship used to load up and I stood for a while where he (my father) would have as they loaded the ship.
He told me that they often went ashore in Brest and that my father spoke fluent French. Something else I learned about him. Like many thousands who have lost their dads I often wished over the years that I could have known him and been able to talk to him. Being only 6 yrs old when he died I never had that pleasure. However, thanks to the advert in the Sea Breezes
I at least got to meet those who knew my father and had only good words to say about him.