# South Shields College



## jep1916

I see many colleges mentioned on this post. However, why has nobody mentioned South Shields College ? I did all my tickets there and remember with great respect Mr Morton and Mr Jackson.

I also remember a quote from a BP Engineer taking his tickets there regarding all the cadets who were attending the college at the time.

" The town is ridden with all these cadets ".

However a lot of cadets found true love in South Shields and ended up marrying quite a number of the local girls.

I now believe that the college has been opened up to all sorts of training, not just as a Nautical College.


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## chadburn

The only name I remember from South Shields is Mr Butler.


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## G0SLP

When it moved to its present site it was 'South Shields Marine and Technical College', so it has been open to other learning for a long time.

Yes, good old Shields, aka "The South Shields Marriage Bureau"...

Names I remember? Messrs Perry, Atkinson, Sowerby, Elsom, Shepherd, Glenwright, Pascoe, Matthews, Ferguson, off the top of my head. More will come to mind, no doubt.

Also Beattie & Joan at the MARTEC, plus Captain Collingwood, the Warden at Dr Winterbottom Hall.


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## Robert Hilton

jep1916 said:


> However a lot of cadets found true love in South Shields and ended up marrying quite a number of the local girls.


One at a time is enough.


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## john shaw

I think you'll find SSM&T has been mentioned quite a lot on SN, if you just search the forum, not least of all here

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=46977&highlight=south+shields


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## G0SLP

Robert Hilton said:


> One at a time is enough.


(Jester)

However, these days, with where many of the cadets who pass through the college hail from, you never know... (EEK)

...although the old saying about it being difficult to get a Shields lass to move away from her Mam still rings with a great deal of truth... (==D)


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## chadburn

G0SLP said:


> (Jester)
> 
> However, these days, with where many of the cadets who pass through the college hail from, you never know... (EEK)
> 
> ...although the old saying about it being difficult to get a Shields lass to move away from her Mam still rings with a great deal of truth... (==D)


Try taking an Aberdeen lass away from her Mother(Jester)


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## david freeman

REmember Baily's in Beech Road? A den of Jazz and iniquity-Great time was had by all. They did move later but the time I am talking about was61/62?


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## MikeK

david freeman said:


> REmember Baily's in Beech Road? A den of Jazz and iniquity-Great time was had by all. They did move later but the time I am talking about was61/62?


The Bailey brothers then moved onward and upward, opening the Latino in 'Shields and other night clubs all over the UK. The Cellar Jazz Club in Beach Road opposite the Town Hall, was opened below their mothers' long standing establishment above - Madam Baileys School of Dancing


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## Jon Vincent

I Contacted the College a couple of years ago to see if they had an old students association, the lady I talked to was very pleasant but as there was no demand, strange when you think that Taylor and Earle wrote books that were the standard in every marine college through out the land. Gone without trace.


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## dunsteaming

*south shields*

I was at South Shields staying at missions to seamen hostel when I studied for second mates ticket inmarch to july 1958


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## david freeman

Jon Vincent said:


> I Contacted the College a couple of years ago to see if they had an old students association, the lady I talked to was very pleasant but as there was no demand, strange when you think that Taylor and Earle wrote books that were the standard in every marine college through out the land. Gone without trace.


All I remember was 'STOKOE's ' reference book on naval architecture.


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## jimthehat

david freeman said:


> All I remember was 'STOKOE's ' reference book on naval architecture.


Never dipped a toe in the waters up there,except stood by a new ship up in Sunderland.My eldest grandson is doing his HND in nautical science up in South Shields at the moment and says the girls are nice,
jim


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## lekie

*South Shields 1970-1973*



MikeK said:


> The Bailey brothers then moved onward and upward, opening the Latino in 'Shields and other night clubs all over the UK. The Cellar Jazz Club in Beach Road opposite the Town Hall, was opened below their mothers' long standing establishment above - Madam Baileys School of Dancing


Stayed in rooms Beach Road 1972 ( electricians technicians ticket 1st part ) and then flat in Emery Street 1973 ( 2nd part ).
Rupert's Night Club , Ocean Road curry houses and if I remember rightly Seamanship Mission situated around middle dock area near town market square.
Happy memories


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## Ron Stringer

Was there in 1964, initially in digs in Horsley Hill Road, convenient for the College by day and for the Latino and Bailey's at night. Later moved to the Lawe Top so rarely got South of the Ocean Road pubs during the week, with only weekend trips to the Latino.


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## MikeK

Ron Stringer said:


> Was there in 1964, initially in digs in Horsley Hill Road, convenient for the College by day and for the Latino and Bailey's at night. Later moved to the Lawe Top so rarely got South of the Ocean Road pubs during the week, with only weekend trips to the Latino.


Then you must have got familiar with the Harbour Lights and Lookout then. What was the name of the other pub down towards the old radar school in the North Marine Park ?

Just been on a trip to the Lawe Top, courtesy of Google and that pub next to the radar school was indeed the Lookout. the other pubs overlooking the Tyne were the Beacon and Turks Head, the latter now demolished.


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## Ron Stringer

MikeK said:


> Then you must have got familiar with the Harbour Lights and Lookout then. What was the name of the other pub down towards the old radar school in the North Marine Park ?
> 
> Just been on a trip to the Lawe Top, courtesy of Google and that pub next to the radar school was indeed the Lookout. the other pubs overlooking the Tyne were the Beacon and Turks Head, the latter now demolished.


Can't remember them all. Going down Lawe Road from the top I only remember the MN Hotel on the right and then at the bottom, on Ocean Road was the big black and white pub, the Marine. A bunch of us used to gravitate to the Pier Hotel on Ocean Road, a block or two nearer the town centre. One friend often used to venture even further into town to visit the Eagle Vaults, where he claimed there was "more female company" than the Pier (where there was none).

Went through South Shields a few years back and everything behind Ocean Road (to the South) had been knocked down and redeveloped as had quite a lot of the Lawe Top. The MN Hotel looked as though it had been converted into apartments but I didn't stop to investigate further.


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## MikeK

Yes the MN Hotel was turned into sheltered accommodation for a while then done up into apartments.
If your friend strayed as far as the Eagle Vaults, he might as well have looked in at the Mechanics, then had a trip 'owa the watta' to the Jungle to round the night off !
I was brought up in Shields and it was only after I went to sea that I found out what a reputation it had with fellow seafarers !
I moved out to spread the word a while back and still go back now and then. One thing will never change on the Lawe Top and that is the amount of dog turds in all directions, talk about tip toeing in a minefield !

Mike


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## dannic

Many happy years in Shields, '75 - '79 as engine cadet, 144 Beach Rd with Ma Reynolds to start with, 4 to a room, in kids bunk beds! Some of us were bigger than others at 16 years old! College was great as it is still a tech college so hairdressers, secretaries, all sorts there, very cosmopolitan. Ernie Glenwright was our class tutor, what a smashing bloke, never been to sea, but great teacher in workshop practices - never forgotten it. George Elsom, miserable so-and-so, George Sowerby, very different style of teaching! "Kappil Dev, a well known cricketer at the time, is a puff" was one of his opening lines in class filled with Indian students. But he had a pass rate second to none. Anyone remember the great food fight in the refectory in 1978/9? 

Dannic


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## JohnBP

Happy memories, spent first 6 months at Middle Dock, stayed at Ma Burns, folk would juss walk through the house from front to back as a shortcut, keep your door locked. Second 6 months at Westo Marine college, moved to 10 Urfa Terrace in the Law, pints at the Jungle on a Friday night, easy pickups, many wall bangers... happy times..


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## GrahamBurn

I was there 71-73 phase 1 BP, John Powell was our course tutor and electrotech lecturer, can't remember too many names now, Karl Mungai took us for PE, Dennis Spawls.
I went to Poplar for my phase 3 but returned to Shields for tickets at various times over the years, I'll have to have a think and try to remember some more names.
Would love to get in touch with anyone else who was there with me and catch up.
Graham


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## coverstory

Jon Vincent said:


> I Contacted the College a couple of years ago to see if they had an old students association, the lady I talked to was very pleasant but as there was no demand, strange when you think that Taylor and Earle wrote books that were the standard in every marine college through out the land. Gone without trace.


Glad to know that my father, John W S Taylor, is remembered by some!


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## martin.littlebury

Was at SS for Phase 3, 1974-75.Didn't much enjoy my time in Shields. Used to go to the Harbour Lights on Lawe Top quite frequently, chatted with the locals there.

A couple of years later, I got friendly with a bloke back home in Essex (he's now the only person I still keep in regular contact with in UK) who, when I mentioned South Shields, said that his uncle drank at a pub called the Harbour Lights, did I know it? I often wondered whether I'd spoken with his uncle.


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## Loptap

Came to this thread EXCEPTIONALLY LATE!!!...



G0SLP said:


> (Jester)
> ...although the old saying about it being difficult to get a Shields lass to move away from her Mam still rings with a great deal of truth... (==D)


I did just that - met my "to be" and still current wife whilst doing my PMG - although I did do two years at sea after qualifying discovered that apparently not every girl loves a sailor - she disabused me of the notion of a life at sea! Left to work at IBM (Greenock) and get married - and of course she had to leave her mother. Spent 6 years at IBM (but apart from the first every Christmas was either at MiL's - or MiL and FiL visited us) then moved to South Africa - but even that didn't stop MiL's visits. Back to Camberley, Surrey after 8 years - stayed there over 30 years but after FiL died MiL also moved to Camberley.
MiL died 3 yrs ago - AND WE MOVED BACK TO SOUTH SHIELDS!
Now just a 5 minute walk from the college. The "Marine School" is now much smaller - and is just an annex although there are more facilities down on the river. The original marine school in Ocean Road (which was still in use at the time I was at SSM&TC is now a pub - the Kirkpatrick.


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## DougW

Ron Stringer said:


> Can't remember them all. Going down Lawe Road from the top I only remember the MN Hotel on the right and then at the bottom, on Ocean Road was the big black and white pub, the Marine. A bunch of us used to gravitate to the Pier Hotel on Ocean Road, a block or two nearer the town centre. One friend often used to venture even further into town to visit the Eagle Vaults, where he claimed there was "more female company" than the Pier (where there was none).
> 
> Went through South Shields a few years back and everything behind Ocean Road (to the South) had been knocked down and redeveloped as had quite a lot of the Lawe Top. The MN Hotel looked as though it had been converted into apartments but I didn't stop to investigate further.


The Merchant Navy hotel has indeed been converted into flats. When I left BP in 1986 I started up my own electrical and mechanical contracting company. We did all the electrical and fire system work for the conversion. Lovely big flats with good sea views to the upper front aspect.


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## George matthews

jep1916 said:


> I see many colleges mentioned on this post. However, why has nobody mentioned South Shields College ? I did all my tickets there and remember with great respect Mr Morton and Mr Jackson.
> 
> I also remember a quote from a BP Engineer taking his tickets there regarding all the cadets who were attending the college at the time.
> 
> " The town is ridden with all these cadets ".
> 
> However a lot of cadets found true love in South Shields and ended up marrying quite a number of the local girls.
> 
> I now believe that the college has been opened up to all sorts of training, not just as a Nautical College.





G0SLP said:


> When it moved to its present site it was 'South Shields Marine and Technical College', so it has been open to other learning for a long time.
> 
> Yes, good old Shields, aka "The South Shields Marriage Bureau"...
> 
> Names I remember? Messrs Perry, Atkinson, Sowerby, Elsom, Shepherd, Glenwright, Pascoe, Matthews, Ferguson, off the top of my head. More will come to mind, no doubt.
> 
> Also Beattie & Joan at the MARTEC, plus Captain Collingwood, the Warden at Dr Winterbottom Hall.


Hi just came across your old email,. Sad. to say a few of the staff. are no longer. with use ,good old days at the college,good cadets had some fun with them,when i left at 65 things had changed alot to much bull****. and paper. work, could go on but it would. bore. you,thanks. for. the mention in your email,hope you are well and covid free


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