[Farmer John]

This is an appeal for more detailed memories, especially from those who have a long career, no matter what part of the ship you spent your time in. I really enjoy the good yarn that tells in detail about how things were done, why things were done and who did them.

One thing I remember well (no surprise here) is chipping rust. I think on my last trip there was one whirly hammer, but it wasn't that popular and I wouldn't be surprised if it gave you white-finger as well a destroying your hearing. Then you paint it, woe betide anyone who missed bits.

What the hell is it I remember doing for the lecky, you swithed something one and then gradually increased it by turning a knob, was he just jerking our chain?

Taking deep tank temps and ullages, not that much fun when you were shipping greenies and you had to go for'd to do the job. All those thermometers in brass tubes, wipe off the palm oil, make your hands lovely and soft.

Details like that are easy to lose, but they do the memory thing for me. Tightening down deep-tank lids with just hand podgers, like doing the nuts on a cylider head on your car, start in the right place, then do them again.

Topping derricks, a distant memory, chain stoppers, feeding wire ropes round the winch drums, all these things I half remember.