# Worcester,Conway and Pangbourne etc



## derek2776 (Nov 22, 2005)

I always enjoy visiting this site but am a little surprised that there is no mention of M.N.Training Establishments like the Worcester or Conway.
I appreciate that it is many years ago now since some of these colleges closed but there must be a few old fogies like me who would like to swap memories. In these politically correct days I wonder how many parents would send their children to a school where you would sleep in hammocks, have no personal space, be allowed out for just two hours a week and have punishment(including the cane)inflicted by senior boys!Lets be hearing from you! (*))


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## Derek Roger (Feb 19, 2005)

I met a few Conway and Worcester cadets in Liverpool in the early 60s . They were deck and engine room cadets / Appretices . Mostly with Blue Flu .
That was at Riversdale Tech. Liverpool . .
Nice Fellows .
We started a Rugby club ( Riversdale RFC )and were quite sucessfull getting to the semi finals of the Local Bank Tournement ( Martins Bank I think ??? ) Also played Conway and Normal Colledge Bangor who we beat 3 - 0 ( I scored the winning try ) only 3 points for a try in those days ! 
The day we beat Bangor was the day Arkle and Mill House had a two horse race . What a spectacle ! Arkle Won as history will show . Our game was delayed by about an hour so both teams could watch !

I have a picture of that team in 1963/4 which I will post as some members will probabley recognise some of the lads . 

Happy Days !!!!
The Brocks / Blue Flue and Elder Demsters / Shell apprentices all got on very well despite the usual rivalry .

But when the Rugby Club Played we had great support from all the lads ( And lassies from IM Marsh College ) We could count on about a hundred or so supporters at every game .

Other notable teams we played were Wilmslow ( Whom we unexpectedly Beat ! ) 
Birkenhead Park ( Who beat us in the Martins ? Bank Cup )

The BBC ( London Team ) who included Jimmy Edwards and the Chap who played in Z Cars as Fancy Smith / Also in I Claudius . That was a warm up game before Twickers where we watched England and France Play . We all stayed at the mechant Navy Club Hotel that night .
Captain Rooney was the organsier of the Club and he did a great Job .


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## ian jackson (Feb 18, 2005)

*Conway Pangbourne et al*

Derek
You didn't mention which of the ships you attended but I can tell you that Conway has a very strong Old Boys association and a couple of web sites. One is the official site and the others are for talking to each other. Just type the name into Google and I'm sure that it will come up with a lsit.
If you have problems just let me know

Ian


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## derek2776 (Nov 22, 2005)

Hello, Fancy Smith was Colin Welland and I played amateur rugby league with him in London, he was good company and very enthusiastic, Brian Blessed also played a couple of games with us.


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## derek2776 (Nov 22, 2005)

Thanks Ian, I went to the Worcester 1954-6 and played rugby against Conway (we beat them!) Worcester also has a good site, well worth visiting


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## Derek Roger (Feb 19, 2005)

Derek it was Brian Blessed I played against ( Brian was Fancy Smith as well as I Claudius ) We were to play rugby but it had snowed and there was about 3 inches on the BBC Pitch . We played for about 10 minutes then decided to complete by playing soccer with the rugby ball !! By Half time there was a vote for the showeres and Bar which was unanimous . England won the game I think and we all headed for Picadilly and Soho. On of my class mates had a brother who played clarinet in Ronnie Scotts Jazz bar and we got in free ! Yippeee ( as apprentices we were continuously broke .)
We eventually found our way back to the Mechant Nay Officers Hotel for a late but well deserved sleep .


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## cheddarnibbles (Feb 12, 2005)

derek2776 said:


> I always enjoy visiting this site but am a little surprised that there is no mention of M.N.Training Establishments like the Worcester or Conway.
> I appreciate that it is many years ago now since some of these colleges closed but there must be a few old fogies like me who would like to swap memories. In these politically correct days I wonder how many parents would send their children to a school where you would sleep in hammocks, have no personal space, be allowed out for just two hours a week and have punishment(including the cane)inflicted by senior boys!Lets be hearing from you! (*))


Nice one Derek. 
I ,for one,will follow this thread with great interest. Modern politics would have us abandon nostalgia altogether but there is currently a campaign in UK to make our history (and the study of it) important . These establishments played a very important part and I'm thankful for everything I learned in 1958 at Warsash.
Never mind the gambling casino John, get back to what you were good at and make sure my tea and toast is hot when you bring it up to the bridge tomorrow morning !!!!!!!


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## DURANGO (Aug 22, 2005)

cheddarnibbles said:


> Nice one Derek.
> I ,for one,will follow this thread with great interest. Modern politics would have us abandon nostalgia altogether but there is currently a campaign in UK to make our history (and the study of it) important . These establishments played a very important part and I'm thankful for everything I learned in 1958 at Warsash.
> Never mind the gambling casino John, get back to what you were good at and make sure my tea and toast is hot when you bring it up to the bridge tomorrow morning !!!!!!!


 How could we abandon nostalgia especialy the kind of nostalgia that we have to remember , i was a boy in H.M.S. Worcester at the age of 15 although i was only there as a skivy for me it was a way of getting to sea at an early age , i still have fond memories of those days late in 1957 i spent 5 months in her before joing my first ship we did a round the world and i still wasnt 16 when we arrived back at tilbury being in her taught me a lot and has stood me in good stead all my life come to think of it she would have made a great place to stick todays young offenders mind you they would have to tone down the disipline a bit could not have them having to put up with the conditions we had to put up with , i would do it all again no problem all the best mates .


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## Bearwood (Oct 13, 2005)

*Royal Merchant Navy School*

Can I 'chip' in on this one please? The Royal Merchant Navy School, Bearwood, saw many of its old boys follow their fathers into the Merchant Navy -some of them transferring to King Ted's, the Worcester or the Conway, before joining shipping companies.

We have a thriving Old Royals Association with a reunion at Bearwood each year. The school is now known as Bearwood College and the Royal Merchant Navy School Foundation still exists (working also with the Royal Seamen's Orphanage Foundation) to provide educational assistance to the offspring of MN personnel. Anyone who would like more information about this should send me a private message.

On 30th August last I organised a Tyneside Reunion, held in South Shields which was attended by 59 Old Royals, the oldest being 88 who had served in the Atlantic Convoys during the Second World War, and the youngest chap was just 58! Of the 59 only ten were girl ex-pupils - girls are harder to track down because they have this annoying habit of getting married and changing their surnames. The majority of the chaps at the get-together had spent at least part of their working lives at sea in the MN.

As Alumni Correspondent of the OR Association, I am always anxious to make contact with fellow ex-pupils or to hear news about them for publication in our annual newsletter and on our website.

On 9th November the RMNS Foundation, the Old Royals Association and the College (supported by the School Colour Party) will be represented at the MN Memorial on Tower Hill and will lay wreaths.

Sylvia R Lambert (nee King)
at RMNS from 1945 to 1953 and
Alumni Correspondent for the Old Royals Association.


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## olddog96 (Nov 24, 2008)

Hi All I worked aboard Worcester not as a cadet but as a catering boy.Was there about 6 moths from Jan.1956 until Aug.1956.Signed on my first ship T.E. Edenfield (Huntings and Sons) 9th Sept.1956. Had a good time aboard Worcester,was good training for what was to come about.


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## barnsey (Apr 19, 2007)

For all those lads who were in the Stewards department on Worcester I will attach the deck plans of Worcester III for your nostalgia .... we have gradually ammassed a huge amount of archives on the ship, Worcester cadets, the boats and do***ents ..... items I never ever thought I would see again.

Send me a private message if you would like to discuss....

I was aboard, as a cadet from Oct 1955 through to July 1959 ... I was only thirteen and a half when I joined ... !!

I have posted, in my Gallery the very last photos of the ship in Bruges being broken up ....

Barnsey


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## strickline (Aug 12, 2011)

Glad I've triggered memories of Pangbourne Worcester and Conway, I remember the boy stewards on the Worcester, although \i was a cadet in her 1952-55 (should have been 55, but I missed a term through illness (operation).
I was beaten by the Chief Cadet Captain in the cadet captains cabin on the orders of the chief officer Donner for having my hair cut by one of the cadets in the shape of a D.A. whichwas the latest fashion in the 50's. The cane stung like hell and it seemed never ending. His name was Pete Prenkard and he live in Cornwall today, but I hold no bad feeling he was only carrying out orders!
I joined Frank C Strick and co ltd (red and blue chevrons on the funnel) sailing to the Persian Gulf and then down to Mauritious for sugar and back to Europe etc for discharge. I was apprentice, crew were Lascars and Indian etc but chinese chippy
Happy memories
"Strickline"


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