[tweediekiwi]

All that history about the Southern Garden is fascinating. I have probably heard Dad talk about it at some time but I'm sure he didn't know all of it. When he shipped out from Grangemouth ( or Port Bannantyne?) in 1957 the CE, Magonegall was all Dad called him (a large and very fit heavy drinker who came to the ER in clean overalls and white gloves!), called him to his cabin and showed him a plan of the ship. Macgonegall pointed to a pipe above his head and asked Dad where it went and what it's for, so he spent about a week crawling all over the ship finding out. Then he was spot-tested every time he saw the Chief or one of the engineers. He spent a lot of time on refrigeration, working on the salt flat cleaning coils and maintaining generators, packing glands and fixing steam leaks before he got to work on the main engine. I guess that's what 6th Engineers did?

With Salvesens he also sailed on the Hadrian Coast and the Fidra, coasting around Britain and trips to Norway for timber. He loved Norway and was always talking about how clean and beautiful Oslo and Trondheim were.

Dad took me on board the Southern Garden one day when I was four. As we walked along the deck, Captain Magnus Polson(?) approached with his full uniform on. I'd never seen anything like it and, as kids do, I asked the wrong question. "Are you a sailor?" He and Dad had a laugh and he said yes, he was a sailor. Great memories.

And I get the Dusty Springfield reference now ... I thought you were taking about someone's nickname, a guy who pulled pistons or something. Sorry, bit slow some days now.