# All you wanted to know about Marconi..........



## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

http://markpadfield.com/marconicalling/museum/html/archivehome.html


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Mark Padfield? Any relation to the other well known Padfield?

John T


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

I didn't know there WAS another well known Padfield.


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## djmorton (Apr 10, 2006)

sparkie2182,
There is Stan Padfield - ex R/O staff clerk Marconi East Ham Depot.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

sparkie2182 said:


> I didn't know there WAS another well known Padfield.


Well known in Macaroni circles (or should I say Spaghetti Hoops).

John T


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Stan is still going strong.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

All clear..........tks.

Spaghetti hoops............hee hee


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Ron,

Stan certainly had the gift of the gab. His link calls to ships were a joy to listen to. 
RO on ship demanding relief and under no cir***stances would he stay or go somewhere else - after a few mins with Stan they were putty in his hands and agreed to just about anything. Usually being promised extra leave or a move to some ship he desired or if he stayed maybe a course on some new gear etc. Whether any of his promises ever came to fruition I do not know but I am sure some of the members will tell us.

Hawkey01


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## jimg0nxx (Sep 1, 2005)

On my last trip to sea, on a link call to Stan I asked for relief after the promised 4 months as I was getting married - he willingly obliged. He was less pleased when I arrived back at East Ham Depot and proffered my resignation as I was giving up going to sea. He said (jokingly???) had he known that he would have left me out there. I mostly found him reasonable to deal with.

Jim


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I don't remember receiving or making any link calls with any depot. My time 'under' Stan was largely on ships with liner-like' schedules and dedicates reliefs and so not needed. I never realised it was normal practice.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

*Stan Padfield*

As the British MN contracted and shipping collapsed in the London River and Docks, the Marconi office at East Ham was gradually reduced in staff numbers and functions until it was eventually closed and sold off. Some staff were made redundant, others took early retirement or transferred to other depots or to Chelmsford.

Eventually the number of R/Os was so few that they could easily be handled from a single office at Chelmsford and all the depot Staff Clerks took the retirement, redeployment or redundancy route. Stan became the office administrator/storekeeper at the far smaller replacement office in a factory unit at North Woolwich (near Tate & Lyles), behind the satellite station.

He continued there until that office, in turn, was closed. In spite of the changed cir***stances he always looked after the Company's best interest. To the end he remained pleasant and helpful to all - I never met anyone with a bad word to say about him. He was always immaculately turned out, never lost his temper, never let a customer down and although the nature of his job did not always allow him to meet every requirement of every R/O, even those that he had to place on the grotty ships (of which there were plenty) or at short notice before leave was fully expired, had to admit that it was done sympathetically and politely. If you agreed to go on an undesirable vessel on the understanding that you would get a better deal next time, he always came through. More than could be said about his predecessors at East Ham or his colleagues at some other depots.

More than could be said about me, I'm ashamed to admit.


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## djmorton (Apr 10, 2006)

Stan Padfield
[/QUOTE]

If you agreed to go on an undesirable vessel on the understanding that you would get a better deal next time, he always came through. More than could be said about his predecessors at East Ham or his colleagues at some other depots.

[/QUOTE]

True Ron,
Once he asked me to 'do him a favour' by coming back during leave to do a quick trip to Carribean and back to UK after which he would get me a "good ship". Did so and after leave joined a new-build in South Shields - Hain's "Trefusis" for maiden voyage. All 'good' Ships after that.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Maiden voyage = "good ship"?

Really?


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## djmorton (Apr 10, 2006)

sparkie2182 said:


> Maiden voyage = "good ship"?
> 
> Really?


Really !


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Wow.........

A novelty.


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## Dumra (Sep 24, 2006)

Had many dealings with Stan at East Ham, a gentleman and always kept his promises.


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

It's a pity the staff on the counter, presumably Stan's underlings, were utter morons.


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## Paul Braxton (Jul 21, 2005)

Don't know about 'utter morons', Naytikos, you must've come across some different ones to me. The gent who handled the cash, expenses, etc, for example. He was a really good guy, I think his name might have been Sid. (If you're out there reading this, Sid, then thanks very much for all the chats and expediting travel arrangements, etc, as well as handling all that lovely cash). He had the neatest, tiniest writing I ever saw. Could insert a complicated and wordy comment or note in the tiniest space and easily read afterwards. 

Stan Padfield and his oppo, Cliff Finter, were a couple of real gents. They made a good team. Stan was sharp as a razor. Towards the end of my time at sea, by '82, lots of R/O's seemed to be sitting at home, still on paid leave well after the allotted leave had run out from the last ship. I can remember Stan ringing up sometimes to say that the prospects of another ship out in the immediate future weren't good, and would I like to think about coming ashore? All put very subtly, of course, but a constant drip feed of pressure. I can still remember the absurd feeling of guilt when I eventually reported to the East Ham depot and compared the wonderful job I was doing to the shore wallahs.
Different to when I started in '69, of course, when you were often yanked back off leave at a moment's notice, with lots outstanding, just to fly out to some ship. Always a panic about that, it seemed from the depot. He had a way of making you feel like you were really doing him a personal favour, giving up on your leave like that; lots of promises of "better ship next time", or "we'll get you on the Kiwi/Oz/Caribbean run after this one"...
Come to think of it, it was always a bit of a shock to answer the 'phone when you'd spent so much time on leave that it all felt somehow 'normal', then hearing the dreaded dulcet tones of (I think it might have been Sally at East Ham) with: "Marconi Marine... I have Mr. Padfield on the line for you"...


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## Bob Murdoch (Dec 11, 2004)

Well my only dealings with Marconi East Ham was in December 1959, and the counter staff were great. Ensuring I got my 8 months back pay and everything sorted out in time to get to Euston to catch the 12.15 (?) home to Glasgow, with the assurances that I would be left on leave till I sat the 2nd part of my 1st Class at James Watt.
Enjoyed my time with Marconi and do not regret joining them as a young 16 year old.
Cheers Bob


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## Steven Lamb (Apr 18, 2009)

"Stan the Man"
Definitely 'silver tongued' !
Once threatened me with a 9+ month trip on an old Bank boat (Hollybank ?)
Instead I got a 6 month trip on the Ivybank (just 4 yrs old) & my missus joined me.
Some boy Stan - enjoy your retirement

Rgds
Lamby


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## Barrie Youde (May 29, 2006)

sparkie2182 said:


> I didn't know there WAS another well known Padfield.


Yet another well-known Padfield was Peter Padfield, widely-respected author of "An Agony of Collisions", "The Titanic and the Californian" and other valuable works of note.

I rather think that he was a Second Mate in BI.


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## NJMC (Jan 15, 2014)

Sparky, great old post of yours ( 7 years old) I came across while researching a Marconi co device. However, I still have had no luck in tracing it. It is a Bearing corrector. A handheld calculator with rotating rings. There are some photos in my original post.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Mike


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