# Good Morning! Riversdale Tech PMG 1962-1964 students?



## Chas York (Jan 6, 2008)

CQ CQ CQ de Chas --- Any ex Riversdale Tech PMG 1962-1964 students out there? If so, any of you still at sea either as REO or maybe converted to Deck/Engine? I finally swallowed the anchor in early '94 after many happy years on UK, plus Greek, Norwegian, French, Japanese and HongKong owned/managed FOC ships. The only fellow student I've managed to trace is John Gutteridge (ham G3PEZ) who is now Electronics Officer on North Sea rigs.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Stayed to get 1st PMG - 8th March 1963. Later came back for a Radar Cert. Came ashore after a few years into the 'same' job at GKZ whence I took my money and ran in '97.

David
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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Looks like there were just the two of us then Chas !!

David
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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

Hey! Steady up! There's three (me). I was there from 1963 (thanks to dear old Mr Griffiths who gave me my aptitude test and accepted me) until 1965. I had a short seagoing career with Marconi but brought it to an end when marriage hove into view (which didn't materialise, but that's another story).


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## ChasD (Mar 27, 2008)

*Riversdale*

Hi Guys, did radar early 64 at Riversdale, in the - then - new block overlooking the river. Far too fond of a pie & pint at the 'Eggy', top of the road ! 

Chas


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## davewilliams (May 24, 2010)

*Riversdale tech*

Hi guys..........yes, there's still some of 'the auld salts about'.............I was at 'Dingle versity'........from about 1962 to about '64? (ish).......I can remember guys called dave O'Neill,Fowley?,......lectures called Mr Brown, Mr Cotton,.......sorry, can't remember any more., I did PMG, Radar cert, and city and giulds........joined marconi.....sailed with manchester Liners,Booths, Harrisons, Empress boats, thence long trip with Geordie firm (W J Tatem's).........thence came ashore did a degree and moved 'down south'...........spent next 30odd years in SSR radar..........retired 5 years ago..........but still keep the old morse going with amateur radio, G0ODE.......any of my old classs mates out there?

Dave Williams


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

Dave,

Your mention of Foley tells me that we must have been in the same class. I was a year or two older than the average student because I had worked for L'pool solicitors before taking that route (remember a guy with a mop of curly hair whose nickname was Prof? If so, you've got me). There was a guy called King who sadly didn't see the course through. Ian Cardownie was another class member. John Dunne was an unforgettable character. If I tried hard I could come up with several more names.


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

Another one here. Chas, I remember you quite well and we used to travel back to Wallasey together by train although I can't remember if we were in the same class at any time. I left in early 1964 with 1st Class and the only time I ever went back was about 3 or 4 years later to take some form of transistor course. The lecturer was Gordon Andrews who used to detest me and at one stage sat by me before I had got my 2nd Class and said "Selman, do you think you are really cut out to be an R/O, I think you may have chosen the wrong career" I recall with distinct pleasure when Andrews asked me when I was going to get my Radar ticket I replied that I had got it 3 years before in Greenock.

Chas I recall a QSO with you somewhere off the coast of Arabia when I was on a Moss/Brocklebank tanker and you were on a Greek I think earning about 3 times as much as me.

Hope you are well.


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## M29 (Apr 20, 2007)

Chas York said:


> CQ CQ CQ de Chas --- Any ex Riversdale Tech PMG 1962-1964


Hi Chas, just thought I'd join in as this thread looks a bit thin considering the number of guys that went to Riversdale. Technically, I don't qualify as I was in the big crop of students 1964 to 1967. We started with three large groups that where soon wittled down to two classes. We all more or less succeeded, most doing 2nd class and radar, with some of us staying on to do 1st Class. 
We do of course have most of the lecturers in common. We had Mr Parker, Mr Teasdale and Mr Bonner?? in year one, Mr Brown, Mr Andrews and Ray Pilgrim for Radar, part two etc. Also remember Mr Cotton. I'm wracking my brains for the name of our favourite lecturer, a short guy of scotts origin who taught mostly practical and was ex IMR (Mr Bruce?) He was a brilliant lecturer and new all the examiners well and their favourite questions. Happy days.
Couple of student names who went through with me, Richard Walton and Simon Tudor-Jones/G3UMZ (crossed the bar).

Best Wishes

Alan


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

I did MRGC at Riversdale in 1978. There were a few seagoing ROs on the course but it was mostly made up of people finishing their three year stint. The writing was already on the wall for British shipping and ROs, sadly a lot of the students had already realised that they were never going to sea. I thought it was scandalous that they were still luring students onto the course when they could have been studying something more useful.

I can't remember the names of the lecturers but they were all pretty good. Could that one Cotton be anything to do with a rep/technician of the same name in the Marconi depot in Takoradi?

John T.


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## davewilliams (May 24, 2010)

RayL............Hi, but sorry can't remember..the lectures were a Mr Cotton, Mr Bonner,Mr Lauchlin?/Mr Drysdale...........rooms F36 and F37 equipment rooms......?..........therevwas ca fella from The Dingle (Dingle Dave).......dave O'neil.........is he still out there?......there was a chap who used to be on Trawlwers......come back for his PMG........I gather Riversdale is now gone........shame....I did drive past about 10years ago......derilict.........and the 'eggyarms'.......is nuffin sacred?..........cheers now


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

Dave, Mr Lauchlin was I suspect Jim Laughlin or Jim Laughland, can't quite remember now. Brian Cotton went on to become a Professor at Southampton University and is now a very capable Chairman of the Radio Officers' Association - I know because I am his deputy! I remember Ray Pilgrim arriving and he was something of a novelty because of his broad East Anglian accent which was not very commonly heard on Merseyside. Nice man, I really liked him.


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## davewilliams (May 24, 2010)

Tony Selman said:


> Dave, Mr Lauchlin was I suspect Jim Laughlin or Jim Laughland, can't quite remember now. Brian Cotton went on to become a Professor at Southampton University and is now a very capable Chairman of the Radio Officers' Association - I know because I am his deputy! I remember Ray Pilgrim arriving and he was something of a novelty because of his broad East Anglian accent which was not very commonly heard on Merseyside. Nice man, I really liked him.


Hi Tony.............yes I had a lot of respect for Mr Cotton..........(tall thin chap with glasses?).........give him my kind regards if you see him. (tell him I'm still tapping a key 45 years later!) I see from another letter that we lost Simon Tudor-Jones.........I remember him well........|You mention the Radio Officers association. I was not aware of it. Can you enlighten me?..I left the sea after some 8 years , managed to get a degree in Electronics (bribed the examiners!) and immersed myself in ATC radar.........any news of any of the other 'shipmates'


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

Hi Dave
Brian Cotton is indeed tall although not perhaps quite as thin as in your day! I attach a link to the ROA website and if you would like more information please send me a PM and I will gladly give you more details. Personally I love it but not everyone likes old salt type reunion associations.

http://www.anything-it.biz/roass/default.htm


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

Dave,

Only just spotted your reply of a week ago. Pity we didn't have class photos taken as we would be bound to remember each other with a picture to look at. You meant, I think, Mr John Laughland, Mr Teesdale (not Drysdale). Mr Bonner had served at one of the Chain Home radar stations during WW2. Another student you may remember was Tim Haigh from Shropshire. Brian Morrison was another.

Mr Bruce once employed a researcher to tell him his family history but suddenly became reticent on the subject. It turned out that one ancestor had been hanged for sheep-stealing and he felt ashamed of it.

Yes, it's sad about the demolition but I did get over there before it started and took some photos that you might be interested in. First they would need to be digitised, however.

I was in touch with Mr Brown just before he passed away (just one letter each). He lived in a bungalow in the Isle of Man. Can you remember the occasion when he came to address us all and warned us not to get into any kind of argument at sea? I took it to heart and always tried to obey that advice, difficult though it sometimes was.

Regards, RayL


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## Christopher Knight (Nov 17, 2009)

Hi everybody,
I was not in the 1964 brigade at Riversdale, but I did study there between 1971 & 1974, MRGC, DOT Radar ticket, MRRT etc. When I was a Riversdale there was a lecturer called Jim Loughlin, together with Geoff Brown, Ronnie Griffiths, Brian Cotton, Ray Parker, Gordon Andrews, Eddy Bruce, John Dempsey, Peter Jackson, Gerry Harris, Gerry Ludden, I am sure there were others but the memory is not what it was! In 197/798, the writing was on the wall for the British MN, so I moved into the oil and gas industry, also changed profession, moved away from electrical/electronics and into mechanical/chemical process. Dave Williams was talking about Dingle Dave, could this of been Dave White, born in Dingle and studied at Riversdale around 1964/65! By the way my name is Chris Knight, which I missed earlier, from the wirral though now married to a geordie so living in the NE, cheers!


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## davewilliams (May 24, 2010)

Hi Chris, guys............no it was Dave O'Neill...........lived down one of those roads that led down to the 'cast iron beach'............yes remember all those lectures names now........was it that long ago....? I still go back to Liverpool about every 1-2 years.sad to see it now.........hardly a ship on the Mersey.........(my father was a Liverpool pilot)......and the Pier Head......what are they doing (to what was once one of the most beatiful sea fronts I've see)......maybe I'm just getting old!........any one got any pics of 'old Riversdale'?


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## freddythefrog (Dec 15, 2007)

For my sins I too was a Riversdale Guy 1965 to 67.
Great college and lecturers, many happy memories.
cheers 73's de freddythefrog


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## freddythefrog (Dec 15, 2007)

Dave Williams
Have just uploaded a picture of Riversdale Tech tonite(sunday) in the Marine radio section. Hope you remember it well and that it brings some good memories back for you. cheers freddythefrog


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

I took photos of the building as it awaited demolition about six years ago. If I ever digitise them I will post them here, although they make sad viewing. A housing estate now covers the old site.

Somewhere I still have my old college scarf - black with a broad yellow stripe covered by two narrow red stripes, I seem to recall. Must seek it out and put it on one day just for old times' sake.


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## M29 (Apr 20, 2007)

RayL said:


> Somewhere I still have my old college scarf - black with a broad yellow stripe covered by two narrow red stripes, I seem to recall. Must seek it out and put it on one day just for old times' sake.


Ray, I always wanted a Riversdale scarf but at the time, there was a rumour (true or false?) that Ringo Starr had been to Riversdale on a building course or similar. So every time Hope Bros (or was it Horne Bros) got some scarfs in, they sold out very quickly to Beatles fans. 

Odd to think now, that we all turned up to College in Blazers, college or MN ties but that was normal for the times.

Best Wishes

Alan


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

Hi Alan,

I think that rumour may have been correct as I'm sure I've heard it elsewhere - possibly when my wife and I took the Beatle Tour a few years ago. It isn't too far-fetched.

For the summer vacation in 1964 I was employed in the catering department of the Isle of Man boat 'Tynwald' and went ashore in Dublin with one of my colleagues. Without warning me in advance, he successfully fooled a group of kids out playing that I was Ringo's brother.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I have one too. It was also used by Nurses at Walton Hospital...........

David
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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

<<Somewhere I still have my old college scarf - black with a broad yellow stripe covered by two narrow red stripes, I seem to recall. Must seek it out and put it on one day just for old times' sake.>>

Well, well, well! I've found it! For any nostalgic soul who would like to recreate one for him/herself, the dimensions are: 5ft 3in long x 9.5 in wide. Black, but with two yellow bands overlaid with narrow red bands. Starting from one side, 1 3/4" of black then 1/4" of yellow, 3/4" of red, 1/4" of yellow and 2 3/4" of black, then 1/4" of yellow, 3/4" of red, 1/4" of yellow, and finally 1 3/4" of black.

Break over! Time to put it on and get back to college.


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

_<<Odd to think now, that we all turned up to College in Blazers, college or MN ties but that was normal for the times.>>_

Reference the knitted MN tie that so many of us wore (I had quite forgotten about it until prompted).

I got so used to wearing mine that even after my sea career was over and I was in industry ashore, I continued to wear it for the next four years! It was finally laid aside in favour of a bright psychedelic-style tie (a conscious attempt to 'get with it').


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

Something about the college that has returned to my mind after an absence of decades, is the fact that it was renowned as being the best-equipped radio college in Britain. We students didn't know this until an Open Evening was held in 1965 and in the effort to put on a good show the vaults were raided.

Clearly we had the good fortune to be trained at an exceptionally well-financed M.N. establishment, and we also had the good fortune to experience it in its hey-day.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

That's funny, I think they said that at Hull too!

John T.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

My abiding memory from 1963 was excellent scouse and beetroot in the 'refectory' !!

David


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## RiversdaleNeill (Sep 5, 2014)

Dave, where have you been hiding? Have U still got the Triumph Herald (chuckle, chuckle). Drop me a line. Dave Neill without the cockles, mussels, shrimps and prawns not to to mention the vinegar.


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