Look At Life

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[purserone]

Hi Shipmates,

                A short 10 minute film of Down London River 1959.

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzNLg457eUU

                Enjoy,

                Roger.

[Stuart2007]

Excellent video. I liked London when it was like that- life on the Thames. Instead of the way it is now- full of thatcherite suits with their executive flats and no life or soul in the place.

[clanky]

I saw a red flag flying at the back of one of those boats, it had what looked like a union flag in the top left corner, I'm sure I have seen one of those before but it was a long time ago.

There was also a comment about sailors leaving to look for wealth and adventure or some such nonsense, the only thing sailors ever look for is beer and girls (or beer and boys for some).

Great video though, a great find, thanks for posting.

[VirtualSkipper]

8:15 'And timber from Russia...'

Wouldn't think the USSR trades with the UK at that time. 

[Stuart2007]

Those red rectangular cloth things with a Union Flag in the corner?

Those are de rigour on canal boats, broads cruisers and inflatable dinghies- in fact about every floating object on INland waterways.

I wonder why they don't have them on sea-going vessels anymore...

[Stuart2007]

8:15 'And timber from Russia...'

Wouldn't think the USSR trades with the UK at that time. 

Why not? Just because our leaders kept us under their boots by worrying the population about green blooded evil Russians, and their leaders forced the same fears on them about us- it doesn't mean we can't all trade. There were no trade barriers ironically.

One highly respected ex-Mariner from this forum could tell you some stories about his trips to Russian ports not much after this time.

[Traddles]

Thanks Stuart,
Nice to know that I am highly respected, I greatly appreciate it. Yes, I sailed on a bulker which was on charter to the Government of the USSR. We carried grain from wherever they could lay their hands on the stuff into Russia or her satellites. So yes, we did business with the USSR, as they did with us. (My ship at the time was the M.V. "Wayfarer" registered in the greatest port in the world,---LIVERPOOL, and we flew the red duster of course.)
If you check News Letter no. 11 in the link here you will find an article I wrote about a visit to Leningrad many years ago, 1975 in fact, and some stuff about an early version of Satellite Navigation aboard that ship.

http://www.rickspage.co.uk/HarrisonDocs/MikeStoddart/No11/index.html

Angus.