After the sea, the land.
 

When I left the sea, I took to Estate Agency, rather like many used to take to Highway Robbery after some economic set back. Once thing had settled down a bit, I spent a short time transplanting semi-mature trees. We tipped them over onto a two wheel trailer, the notion being to have the tree top-hamper extend into the van. Some got so big they went right over me and my Fordson Major and brushed the road in front, going round corners was quite laugh and you needed to take great care.

Then I went into farming, the advert asked for a cowman and offered a house. That was me lost to the real world for about 15 years. Simply not possible these days, but I really do feel that, leaving the sea, I then married the land.

When I left the sea in 1986 I was a bit of a fish out of water. Worked for a while at MOD Donnington. Then tried selling encyclopaedias for Britannica, total sales NIL; (I simply don't have the heart to be a salesman, perhaps not enough BS in my DNA,) then worked for BT climbing poles, not a bad job but crap pay and there came a time up a pole on Biddulph Moor in the middle of winter trying to sort out thin telephone wires with frozen hands when I thought :"**** this."

So then I joined GCHQ which was ok. But the Cold War ended and they started to wind it all down. (I mean, how bloody unlucky is that … ?) :sweat: (They've since wound it all back up again, aint that the way of the world ?)

Still that gave me some computer time so I ended up working in a Devon Community College and looking after the systems. Not brilliantly paid, and noisier than a super tanker engine room, but strangely, not that different a job than I had at sea. You were pretty much your own boss, doing something nobody else knew much about.

Nice way to slide into retirement, although I still do a bit at the village school … just helping out really.

Funny old business is retirement.

I think you deserve recognition for ending the Cold War, Bob. Those Russkis obviously knew the game was up when you joined GCHQ!:jester:

I left the sea in 1986 when Sealink disappeared and turned into British ferries time to go ! I join a local dairy company as chief engineer and stayed there for 26 years . That got taken over by dairy Farmers of Britain and they shut everything down when they went bankrupt time for an early retirement 10 years ago

I did it the other way round. I was born and raised on a farm where my Dad was a cattleman. I enjoyed the life, but was encouraged to "Get a trade." Served an apprenticeship as an Electrician in a jute mill in Dundee. During this time, I joined the RNR and spent many a happy weekend "playing sailors."

After finishing my apprenticeship, I joined BP Tanker Company and had six and a half very happy years there. Unfortunately, there was an oil crisis in 1974/75 when many ships were being laid up. Lucky for me, this coincided with the start up of the Forties field by BP, and I got a free transfer. Working offshore was very much like being on a ship, only difference was that we didn't go anywhere!

Made redundant at the end of 1995, and got a job in Australia on the North West shelf. That job lasted 18 months, and when I came home, I got a job with AMEC in Aberdeen on BP work!

Now retired and trying to take it easy, if my Wife will let me.

Three years as a maintenance fitter in a South Wales chemical works - Midland Silicones. [1960 to 63]

Then to the new Aberthaw "A" power station again as a maintenance fitter, later to rise to the dizzy heights of shift maintenance chargehand. [1963 to 69]

A further promotion to maintenance foreman took me to Didcot power station, where I stayed till I took early retirement in 1991.
Both stations have since been demolished.

Spent 12 years as an adviser with the local Citizen's Advice Bureau, and since then just "dossing".

When I came ashore the docks were going down the pan ,ship repairing etc,so I ended up driving lorries for 35 years and enjoyed every minute,now I just drive the Wife.

Might we guess the course that she thinks you are laying-off when doing so?

There was a thing old blokes used to say about leaving the sea - put an oar on your shoulder & start walking inland. When someone asks you what that thing on your shoulder is, thats where you stop. I could'nt do that. I was born & grew up on the coast,learnt to swim about the same time I learnt to walk. If I get too far inland I get twitchy, so when I finally got married & swallowed the hook back to Aussie we came, bought a house on Botany Bay & for about the last 30 yrs have had a shop selling & repairing outdoor power equipment. Took some getting used to but all my life has been nuts & bolts &boats.Retirement coming up, I'm 71 & I'm terrified.

Chris,

Don't worry it will be painless and you will certainly enjoy the retirement. Think of it as a new era in your life and just go with the flow, relax. I am now into my 20th year of retirement. Managed to be in the right place at the right time and went at 52. Never regretted the move and cant believe how quickly the years have flown past - without work!!

Neville

Chris,
Any chance of putting your experience to use working for someone else a day or two a week? I retired at 71 and whilst I have plenty to do; reading, gardening etc, I sometimes wonder about a relatively menial job for a day or two week using my experience and every care but without the responsibility of managing KPIs, business finances etc. The pay level would be not be hugely important.
Geoff (YM)

I'm now 71 and been retired for 6 years. But still do a bit each week at the village school and today I picked up a teachers laptop to work on it over the weekend.

One thing that hasn't changed since I retired from school work 6 years ago. Trying to fix up a computer that's been attacked by the most destructive phenomena on Earth, … the School Kid … is one thing … but the real work is on a computer that's been attacked by a teacher … :eek:

Bob, it is a long gone version of Windows, but I really did get a computer to look at, the Lecturer had managed to load 2 implementations of Windows, I still don't think it really possible, but he had done it.

I all truth, about a week ago I had a nightmare about him. His casual incompetence and his complete ability to wuck up anything and not care if he had done....

I shudder.

It is scary isn't it …. ? …. :eek: :big_tongue:

janmike
I just found out I have been retired longer than working. The time just passes along at breakneck speed.

When I left the sea I worked in the motor trade for 20 years starting in Halfords then moving up to working in BMW and Jaguar/Land Rover dealerships. Ended up as a Jaguar After Sales Manager but had to get out because of stress issues, mainly caused by the owners trying to get me to cheat customers by adding things onto the bills, which I refused to do.

I had always been an outdoors person and loved wildlife so I decided to turn hobbies into my job and went to the Scottish Agricultural College for four years for an Honours Degree in Countryside Management. I have now been a Countryside Ranger for 17 years, mostly at Culzean Castle and Country Park. A job I, mostly, really enjoy. I guess nobody enjoys picking up other peoples dog poo but it is a very small part of the job!

What is this retirement lark, I have never retired, I clean, polish, vacuum, cut a big lawn, Peggy, didn't know how much there was in housework, and i used to complain about working.
Tugger

That is really quite a record. Were that to be my aspiration (I am more for a timeous exit courtesy of a Lord Dawson or, now on the national health, a less enthusiastic Harold Shipman) I would be 100. I am sure I will want to stop retirement before that.

I swallowed the anchor in 2001 after 23 highly enjoyable years at sea in the RN..........I was immediately recruited into the Defence Industry as a kind gamekeeper turned poacher. I have to say that after the close camaraderie of my seagoing brethren, acting as close knit team, I initially found that working in the defence industry (making 'stuff' for the RAF) was a god awful place to work, cut -throat, and always looking over ones shoulder - normally to see where the next knife was coming from (in the RN 'the knife' would always come at you from the front!).
After 7 years I decided to try life as a consultant in the defence industry (reversing the gamekeeper/poacher situation), it was infinitely more enjoyable, offering more freedom, more responsibility and less control from the management, of course - there was also more money and international travel, but there were still far too many knives coming at you from astern - and the worst part was that any contract involving UK Procurement was made doubly painful by the drawn out competitions, poor management of contracts and a distinct lack of any direction, urgency or purpose. Thankfully most of my work was in the Defence Comms Overseas Team, meaning I worked overseas on many fascinating and varied Naval, Air Force and Land projects for countries such as Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden & Switzerland - thoroughly enjoyable and a refreshing change compared to the shenanigans I had experienced in the UK!
I am still Consulting in the defence industry today - but I now do it for myself (I started my own company in 2013) and have been busy ever since.
I have to say though, since leaving the sea - there has been no job that has come anywhere close to being as rewarding as being part of a ships team - at sea.
As I approach retirement (and contemplate typical activities highlighted by Tugger (#17) - I often think to myself....given the chance of being a school leaver again....would I want to do it all again? Largely - the answer is:
Too Bloody right....every time!

When I left the sea in the 60s I was on the kiwi coast, took jobs where i could get them, sheet metal works, supervisor milk treatment plant, leading hand in a Brewery, building garages, took an adult course in carpentry spent the rest of my time in construction in NZ then in Aus, retired at 62 or so I thought, went for a walk around Darling Harbour in Sydney just as the old Manly ferry South Steyne berthed, in from Newcastle, the owner put a board out wanting a carpenter, my wife said there you go good job for you, got the job worked there until I was 70 we sold up and went back to NZ, five years later back in Aus, and now living down here in Cooma, but as I said in *17 I still haven't retired.
Tugger

I have now found that a bit of sheet metal work and MIG welding has become more of a retirement pastime than post sea labour ("helping", or so he seems to think, a younger friend tart up his Riley Elf)

Isn't MIG a lot easier than the real thing?

Came ashore in 61. Went straight into commercial TV in London working on the new-fangled videotape recorders. Elliot Automation had offered a job working on air to air wire-guided missiles, but TV paid ten bob a week more, so I took that. Worked on the Avengers etc at Teddington Lock, then went to ITN news, thence to Yorkshire TV just before it opened. Ended up engineer in charge of a studio, working with crews of prima-donnas, and taking the blame for whatever went wrong, and sorting it out. 32 years in TV, and had enough, so took a dollop of redundancy money when the downsizing came - marvellous. TV was glamorous and well paid, but I'd rather have been an impoverished archaeologist in a little hole with a trowel. Should have stayed at sea maybe. Anyway, it has been pretty good. Better than being down the pit.

"Better than being down the pit."


A little off topic but that reminded me of Lisa Tarbuck a few years ago on the radio.
She was talking to a US performer who was bemoaning the hassles and tribulations of being 'on the road'.
" It's not exactly working down a coal mine is it?" she said

After coming ashore for the final time, I went into the bar trade for a couple of years, but that was too casual, I became a Wine Butler in the New Club in Edinburgh, the most exclusive Gentlemen’s club in Scotland, all High Court Judges and their ilk, but the wages were not very good, so I became a postman in Leith, and enjoyed being a walk postman, but got fed up of the 0530 starts six days a week, I then got the opportunity to join HMC&E, as a revenue assistant in the whisky bonds in Edinburgh I then went to work in Leith docks, checking containers, where I was headhunted to be come an intelligence officer, chasing boot leggers, vat evaders and the ilk, I enjoyed that. I then moved to estate management, where I did many different tasks, ended up the last six months of my career as the Transport Manager for Scotland, Wales & N Ireland, a good poacher turned gamekeeper lol

most of the best gamekeepers took a rabbit or two as kids , Bill , interesting career

My gt grandfather, Matthew, who was a touch wild by all accounts, was trapped in South Hetton Coliery in Co Durham. He prayed to God that if he got him out he would mend his ways. He got out. mended his ways, went on the wagon, joined the Sally Army and became an officer. I never met him, but I recall that his son grew splendid leeks.

janmike, Had a few goes at swallowing the anchor. After seving with British Tanker Co. Came ashore and worked for Britsh European Airways in the crew room at LHR. Rapidly got fed up with commuting so joined SMBP coasters. Had a great time but very long hours 56 hrs basic then a minimum of 38 hrs overtime. Saw an advert for working for an American company in the Libyan desert. Found I drank too much so then worked in the UK as a Work study engineer, moving onto being an industrial engineer in the electronics industry. When the big slow down happened in 1974 I joined Shell Tankers and stayed with them until made redundant in 1992.
Found a job as assistant harbourmaster in Torbay and temporary teacher for White fish authority. Retired in 1995. Did a couple of years as a parish councillor then moved to France for a couple years. Settled down now in sunny Devon

After thirty years in TV studios and with the march of miniaturisation the work had become a bore to the engineer in me. The company waved attractive redundancy offers to get rid of 'surplus' staff, so I took it and moved close to Robin Hood's Bay. Spent two years in a boiler suit doing up the cottage and making craft items for galleries. I'm still making art enamels with a kiln, fusing glass onto copper. I went to local writing classes and eventually published two historical novels set in NorthEast England. Lately I'm writing memoir vol 2 of the seagoing days - oh how I miss those times.
Then there's the garden and my effort to grow leeks that will meet with less derision from the kitchen. I should get a dog really, but now that hedgehogs have appeared in the garden (I feed them each night) and occupied the shelters I've set out, I've probably got enough to look after.

Further to my previous post I actually did present a few courses, evening courses for adults, at the Devon Community College where I worked.
These were usually science based but I did do one on basic desktop computer maintenance. I was surprised at how many takers there were. During the first lesson I was required to do some safety presentations, which really comprise of saying there are no dangerous voltages in a desktop computer other than in that grey box with a fan that the mains lead plugs into. If that goes wrong and you're not sure, unplug it, undo four screws ... and replace it.

However I did present a small lesson on what the meaning of voltage and current is. For people in general this requires a good visual demonstation. I used a car battery, a piece of mains fuse wire and a large pair of gloves. First off, wrap each end of the fuse wire around a nail and holding the nails with your gloves, short out the car battery. Very impressive visual sight of fuse wire glowing white hot and melting.
Then I'd tell them that the 12 volts provided by the car battery is the highest DC voltage you'll find in a computer, and it's quite harmless, please come up and stick the finger of one hand on one battery terminal, and the finger of your other hand on the other terminal.
Strangely, having seen the fuse wire all but vaporised, no-one volunteered. So I'd stick my fingers onto the battery terminals and pretend to get a powerful shock, then burst out laughing at their distress.
It probably didn't teach them much, but I got a laugh !!

"That's the safety bit over," I told them. "Twelve volts wont hurt you, but if that grey box with the mains plug isn't working, don't go inside it unless you're qualified. With regard to mains voltages remember that line from the film The Terminator: "It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are dead!"

Then I let them loose on a number of old classroom computers we had left over from a refit. (The basic internals of a desktop haven't changed much in terms of layout since I did this course in the early 2000's. The various bits have just got more powerful and faster, and the fans must be breeding in there … :sweat: )

I think the course was successful because I was asked to do a couple more. But I abandoned the battery demonstration because heaving the bloody thing up the stairs almost did my back in. :big_tongue:

Was at sea for 12 years and C/E at 28 - it was rapid promotion when National Service ended :chuckle: Then came ashore and had various jobs with shipping companies and shipyards and "retired" in 2005 but that only lasted a few weeks as a lot of consultancy work kept turning up. The last proper job did was in 2012 but I still hanker after the world of ships and shipping so in a sense I have never left the sea. The sea got in my blood but I couldn't see where it got in so I couldn't let it out :curtain_call:

Hey Tim! I still haven't got all the oil out of my underpants after taking leads etc. in the crankcase!!!

Nah, just joking there - I used to save up the bad and the ugly shreddies, socks and boiler suits to do crankcase work. They were never washed, just given the deep six. Then, there was a time when I cleaned a purifier in whites while on UMS!! Again, they were donated to Davy Jones' slop chest, sorry locker!

Rgds.
Dave

I was with----
 

----'Brock's' from 1960 to 1974 coming ashore as I had got as far as I could without getting a 'Ticket'. My reasons for not getting Ticket's was quite simple! Math's were/are a complete mystery to me and, without them, I would be a 'Professional Third' plus the fact that I had a young daughter growing-up and I didn't fancy the idea of having her growing-up with me missing-out on her formative years.

Got a job at Drax Power Station as a Fitter but the CGEB was, (like the Dock's!), 100% 'Union'. On my first day a Shop Steward, (aka 'A Bully Boy'!) asked me, "Are you in 'The Union'?". I said I was in the MNAOA to which he said, "Never heard of it! If you don't join the AEU you're out!". His bullying 'warning' had me join the lowest-possible level of the 'Union'. However I couldn't stand the way 'The Unions' really 'ran' the CEGB and seeing a job being advertised, (by the old Crown Agents), for a 'Senior Inspector of Works, Diesel engines' in Botswana on a two year Contract applied, and to my great surprise and delight, got the job!

At the end of the job came home, saw a job being advertised for a Maintenance Fitter in a vegetable freezing factory applied and, (probably because of my knowledge and familiarity with working, at sea, with NH3 [ammonia] in 'fridge-systems' as their 'Plant' was a large NH3 System), got the job. I was there for six years but the Firm was bought-out and the new owners were 180 degrees different to the old owners 'restructuring' to the point I wanted out.

The Plant Engineer, I worked-with, had been sacked, when the new owners took-over, appointing their own 'man', and gone back to his previous employers (UDEC who were a firm building and maintaining Industrial Refrigeration Systems).

I was at home one day when the 'phone rang. It was my ex-Plant Engineer asking if I fancied a job with UDEC and, having been recently declared, by my, (then), wife as 'Surplus-to-Requirements', who then booted me out, I joined them.

One of the best moves I ever made!

I was with UDEC, travelling all-over the UK and also to Turkey and Saudi on Commissioning and Maintenance 'til I retired in 2001.

I consider myself to have had a wonderful working-life, (even the CEGB 'experience!!), and wouldn't have missed any of it!:applause: Phil

I know exactly what you mean about the CEGB, Phil. Very union oriented and bolshie union reps. but I think you had to go with the flow, so to speak, and ignore all that argi-bargi.
I was due to start a Student Apprenticeship at Northfleet PS in autumn 1962 but 'the Mrs JJ to be' turned out to be up-the-duff just prior, so I needed a livable income for the forthcoming fatherhood. When I explained the situation to the Station Manager, he said "Forget the SA", and suggested I should start as a Plant Operator on shift in the Ops. Dept., and I could "work my way up". There was a vacancy and that's what happened. I'm glad I did and as a green 18 yo, I was indoctrinated into the CEGB way - I knew nothing else. I got all the training I needed from ex. RN and MN seamen very knowledgeable about turbines and boilers, but being the youngest on shift, it was a sort of baptism of fire (excuse pun) but a great time.
I think I got the best time out of the UK power generating 'bonanza years', retiring at 51.

JJ.

Oh yes Dave, taking leads! Those Doxford main and BE spherical bearing were a real work-up but it wasn't just the sphericals. A 6 cylinder LB had 61 bearings - 25 spherical, 18 conventional white metal and 18 steel-on-steel. Looking back with the benefit of >50 years hindsight I find it difficult to understand why they were so popular but perhaps my views are distorted by the fact that most of my time was spent with the 75LBs. The last one I sailed on was on its third crankshaft in 15 years and then she had major machining in situ a couple of years later. And then there was the one with an excentric main bearing journal. And then there was..........:smoking:

And there are still people who think that during WW2 the Germans wanted to steal Doxford and B&W opposed piston blueprints.

Without the politics of British Shipbuilders the "J" type could have been a bloody good engine for quite a few years but would inevitably have eventually succumbed in today's environment because of the inability to vary the exhaust timing.
The 58JS failed because BS convinced themselves, and some unfortunate owners, that it was as a slow speed Seahorse when it fact it was a short stroke "J". What part of "S" didn't they understand? :mad: If they had sold it as an unidirectional engine with an integral PTO things could have been so different because in the late '70s a lot of us were suffering the traumas of operating engines designed to burn MDO being forced to use HFO :bad_mad:

Ha ha ha! And I thought 4S V18 Allens were a pain.......

During Phase I (80-81), Daggy took us over to Huskisson to see a "traditional" ED, I cannot remember which (Maybe Deido or one with four letters, starting with E) which was being sold out. It was an opposed cylinder B&W I remember him saying, in his clipped, sardonic way,"Take a good look, you won't, thankfully, see one of these again - except in a museum". The next week, he took us to see an S boat (Shonga, I think), a 6RND65 with CPP.

Rgds.
Dave

Oh, the woe on the Super P's: 9RD90 with the rotary exhaust valves and only two Allens on the bottom plates, forced to run on HFO! I remember the discussions between the 2/E and C/E with lots of in-chipping from the two 3/E's regarding when to change over and burn the "precious" (a la Lord of the Rings) MDO. Lots of work, but a good training.

Rgds.
Dave

Seeing all the----
 

----'Posts' about various diesels and the 'horror's' of working on them:cloud: am I glad that 'Brock's'/ ACL were steam outfits! Not good for the 'Owners' as they were quite 'thirsty' but relatively easy-going for we in 'The Black Gang'! Phil

Hey Phil,

I was involved in the reactivation of the LNG carrier, Nestor, in Loch Striven. Amongst other works, they were relining the "plastic" in the boilers. I was "in charge" of the contractors but I needed a translator (Wee Ronnie Curley) to understand what the Glasgow fitters were saying/asking! Nestor was the vessel with the twin Allen V18's.

Anyway, I worked with the 2/E over a few days tracing and understanding the burner controls. Loaded, at sea, the fuel mix would be 10%HFO and 90% LNG boil off. The 2/E was concerned about the system for refiring the boiler in the case of a "flame out".

The system called for CO2 flooding of the furnace and boiler top plate to purge any remaining LNG and then switch over to 100% HFO or MDO to light the fires and, when the burners were fully on, ease back on FO and ease up on LNG.

The 2/E's concerns were founded. There was a fault in the control logic which could permit the boilers to refire on LNG which would have been catastrophic! We jointly wrote a tech report detailing our findings, the system failings and our concerns to be taken care of in the guarantee dry docking that we were preparing the vessel for. I was pleased as punch when Daggy called me in to discuss the report and give him the down and dirty! The vessel, and her sister Gastor (both PoR Bermuda), never carried a paying cargo while under Blue Funnel and were, eventually, sold to the Nigerian national oil company at a massive loss (one of the reasons BF went under so quickly).

While surveying the control system, the 2/E said to me that he dearly hoped not to be named to the vessel when sailing because he reckoned that it would take about 1000 tons of MDO to warm the ship through and he did not want to have the responsibility and have to explain the massive fuel chit at India Buildings for a "dead" ship!

It was the only steam ship (albeit, laid up) that I worked on.

Rgds.
Dave