# The Brook-boats



## youngcornwall

I was on the Winchester Brook in 1963, are they still going?


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## youngcornwall

Shipping company Comden and Longstaff, if it helps.(Thumb)


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## BillH

youngcornwall said:


> I was on the Winchester Brook in 1963, are they still going?


No. Long gone. Taken over by Everards the latter now associated with Fishers of Barrow.


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## janathull

I was in Clare, Warwick, Somerset and Sussex. Good firm to work for. If I remember right the office was St Marys Axe London. Cheers janatull


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## redgreggie

I was on the Cornishbrook in 1966, first coaster I had been on.

Some 'memorable' days on her, we won the world cup, and the skipper let me watch the whole game, I worked in catering.
Then we were in Newcastle, I think,the cook and the majority of the crew went ashore for a drink, we sailed without them, I was only the catering boy but I was the only one left in catering and did all the meals and all the other usual jobs that I could fit in, obviously feeding every-one was the min job!
I didn't have any complaints.
And the bosun was the only guy left on deck, he was a big guy, from Hull, I'd sailed with him before on the Baltic Jet.

The skipper was a good old guy, he had this 'straggly' budgie in his cabin, he use to tell me to whistle through to the bridge if ever it attacked me when I was doing his cabin, attack me, huh, it had all on keeping on it's perch, it was that old.

Enjoyed my time on the ship, that is until the replacement cook joined.


Ray..............in Batley.

By the way the company was called Comben Longstaff.


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## caseman

I was on the 'Cardiganbrook' in 1960. Good ship. Skippers were L J Mahoney and J Gillings. Mate was G Weightman and 2nd Mates D Metcalf, W Canning, N O'Driscoll. She had the Transactic R/T, Reliance, AKD, Seaguard and 1017.

Regards
David/G4CMQ


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## janathull

Hi. The story I heard was that when they built the 2 big ones it bought the company down. As far as I know Everards never took the big ones over so dont know what happened to them. Regards janathull


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## price

I sailed as mate with Capt. Maloney for a couple of years, after he left Comben Longstaffs, 1964/6, he was quite a character, we got on fine.
Bruce.


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## redgreggie

Does any-one know the name of the skipper of the Cornishbrook that had the straggly budgie?





Ray..............in Batley.


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## ray bloomfield

In the mid sixties I did about 2 mths on the Dorsetbrook as a galley slave. At 7pm I had to take the 2nd mate a tea/coffee, not the AB though. Think the old mans name was Ferguson, the only time he spoke to me was when I signed on.
Not realy my scene so went on the Ipswich barges after that. Great life, but even some of thier skippers thought they were much superior to us.


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## jmcg

Four months on Caernarvonbrook middle trade. A good company to work for. Joined her in London just after one AB set himself on fire in his cabin -suicide.

A few trips to Archangel, Murmansk, Bayonne, Lisbon and Cadiz. Good payer, good crowd and top class feeder. 

Cook /steward was queer but a good guy with the food - served personally to all.

BW

J


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## stevemim

Was on the Chesterbrook 68/69 

stevemim


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## tom

steve. i was on the chesterbrook 1968. captain lock ,then the mate a mr hislip
got promoted to skips, john gilligan joined as galley boy in dublin. 
tom


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## dundalkie

I was on the Westminsterbrook mid 1965. First trip to sea as galley boy. left her in Goole later in the year to go deepsea. should have stayed on her. There is a book published by the World Ship society "Comben Longstaff & Co by K.S.Garrett" ISBN 090561758827. It gives a readable history of the company and has b&W photographs of all the ships. The westminsterbrook was still in service on the Central American coast up to a few years ago. I wonder is it still in service.


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## stevemim

*chesterbrook*

(K) (K) (A)


tom said:


> steve. i was on the chesterbrook 1968. captain lock ,then the mate a mr hislip
> got promoted to skips, john gilligan joined as galley boy in dublin.
> tom


Hi Tom,
Dont remember a captain lock, Skipper John O Keeffe,to the best of my memory,Chief Engineer was from Oldham,a steward ex R.N. from Cornwall,was John Gilligan the John Gilligan? our paths must have crossed,a happy ship as I remember,
Regards,
Steve.


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## tom

Hi Steve
havent looked at this tread for a while. yes i joined the chesterbrook
in new ross 17/i/68 .left her in ardrossan 9th may 1968 . it was caption lock 
then the mate john hislip took over he came from some part of down , Y E S
it was the famous john gilligan joined her in dublin as galley boy, also one of his friend,s as pantry boy but i dont remember his name ,, tom


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## stevemim

(Thumb)


tom said:


> Hi Steve
> havent looked at this tread for a while. yes i joined the chesterbrook
> in new ross 17/i/68 .left her in ardrossan 9th may 1968 . it was caption lock
> then the mate john hislip took over he came from some part of down , Y E S
> it was the famous john gilligan joined her in dublin as galley boy, also one of his friend,s as pantry boy but i dont remember his name ,, tom


Hi Tom,
Small world,John Gilligan,eh,cant say I remember him, joined August 1968 in Waterford paid off 23/12/68.so maybe I never had the pleasure of his company, a very happy ship as I recall and a good company towork for,
Steve.


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## Andrew Craig-Bennett

Only had two dealings with Comben Longstaff - well, one, really - one was when one of their ships was towed in on LOF (by a Bugsier tug, IIRC) in the mid-70's and the other was shortly afterwards when the SOMERSETBROOK had just been sold to Greek owners and had a most peculiar and tragic interaction collision on her first voyage after sale, resulting in an M notice.

I seem to remember that the tow in on Lloyds Form occurred because the company had the "Blue Funnel" rule about taking a tow from a sister ship if possible, which was done, but for some reason something went horribly astray with the insurance wire.

Known as "the Blue Funnel of the Home Trade" - good people and good ships.


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## Mariner44

I joined the Cardiganbrook in Newcastle during the seamen's strike, as 2nd mate. Captain was Smith, from Sunderland. A few months later I joined the Clarebrook after an incident in the North Sea when half of the timber deck cargo was lost in storm....and the 2nd Mate was fired for incompetence. I'd sailed with this person previously, when he was also fired on that occasion (a problem drinker and a liability).

Coasters were a great experience after deep sea tankers....but b.....y hard work.


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## Geoff Rae

Andrew Craig-Bennett said:


> Only had two dealings with Comben Longstaff - well, one, really - one was when one of their ships was towed in on LOF (by a Bugsier tug, IIRC) in the mid-70's and the other was shortly afterwards when the SOMERSETBROOK had just been sold to Greek owners and had a most peculiar and tragic interaction collision on her first voyage after sale, resulting in an M notice.
> 
> I seem to remember that the tow in on Lloyds Form occurred because the company had the "Blue Funnel" rule about taking a tow from a sister ship if possible, which was done, but for some reason something went horribly astray with the insurance wire.
> 
> Known as "the Blue Funnel of the Home Trade" - good people and good ships.


Interesting that you refer to Comben Longstaff as the Blue Funnel Line of the Home trade, as we, in Blue Funnel, chartered Caernarvonbrook and Clarebrook for about ten months in c.1971 as part of an investigation of the short sea trades.
Coincidentally, their last voyages, under our charter, were carrying Far East cargoes dropped off by some of the deep-sea fleet in southern continental ports. On final arrival at Gladstone Dock, Liverpool, they berthed at Holt's regular discharge berth and were amazed by being met by lines boats and a full mooring party on the wharf. Total personnel about three times the crew numbers! As the actual person responsible for the short sea investigation, this episode was the most hilarious event of the whole study! Normally, the ship put her bow against the wharf and a member of the crew climbed up a wooden ladder and handled the lines, single-handed. I don't remember the Captains's name, but he said he felt he was in nirvana!


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## Andrew Craig-Bennett

I need to correct a mistake: CLAREBROOK not SOMERSETBROOK


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## seaman38

redgreggie said:


> Does any-one know the name of the skipper of the Cornishbrook that had the straggly budgie?
> 
> 
> Ray..............in Batley.


Bit late I know, his name was William (Bill) Taylor, his long time first mate was Harry Brant.


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## granty

Hi
I was in the Winchesterbrook Autumn 68 Capt Moyes and summer of 69 the Warwickbrook Capt Mullaney Capt Mcvicker both very good Ships 
Granty


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## oldsalt1

Corkbrook was brand new out of Clelands yard on the Tyne when I joined her as catering boy alongside the Commissioners Staithes at Howdon. 7th May 1964. A pierhead jump.
A school pal and myself had wanted to go on deck but both failed the eye sight test and were waiting to go to either Gravesend or the Vindi to learn all about catering. The school we attended in North Shields had a pre sea training course and we had attended there for over 18 months. I suppose this helped us get the job through the Shipping Federation which must have been short of boy ratings at that time. So there we were both signing on as catering boys. We had only been told of the job the afternoon before and on the morning of joining had to run around Union Office, Mercantile Marine Office and photographer. 
My pal worked in the saloon and looked after engineers and me in the galley and looking after the mates. The Old Man mostly looked after himself. 
The cook was Arthur Hall from Penzance. This ship suited him well as Newlyn was a regular loading port for Longstaff ships. He treated us well considering that we couldn’t even make a bunk up between us when we joined.
I was on there for over four months and looking back I enjoyed it. The early starts and late finishes were hard to get used to as any first tripper would find. £5-2-1d per week plus overtime at 2/6d an hour. We were on Foreign R/A articles and paid £1-12-6d per week for our food. The furthest southerly port we got to was Bayonne to load sulphur, once for Eccles and the second time for Cork. We got to Goole a lot, Portishead, Ayr and Newlyn along with other ports around the coast and near continent carrying mostly coal and stone but took a cargo of steel from Port Talbot to Dunkirk once and baled wool from Wapping to Goole.
The Old Man was Wilkinson, mate Gillespie, 2nd mate Karpuk (Peter the Pole as he was known).
Chief Engineer, Mapletoft, 2nd Engineer Russell and 3rd Owens.
Deck crew came and went regularly
The engine room cleaner was a guy called Bill Smith (Paddy) from Belfast. He was the only one of the compliment I met up with again. It was in the County Hotel in Immingham one afternoon about six years later. I was cook on a Baron boat and he was sailing as 2nd Engineer on an old Liberian cargo ship.


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## price

caseman said:


> I was on the 'Cardiganbrook' in 1960. Good ship. Skippers were L J Mahoney and J Gillings. Mate was G Weightman and 2nd Mates D Metcalf, W Canning, N O'Driscoll. She had the Transactic R/T, Reliance, AKD, Seaguard and 1017.
> 
> Regards
> David/G4CMQ


I sailed as mate with Capt. Leonard James Maloney OBE, after he left Longstaffs, from 1964 until 1967. Capt. Maloney was very experienced and competent master. I found him to be very fair with a very dry sense of humour. I was told that his OBE had something to do with him being master of the Londonbrook when she was the first merchant vessel to go to Omaha Beach, June 1944. I don't know how true this is but I am convinced there is some truth in the story. We got on well together.


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## Ashleigharkan

jmcg said:


> Four months on Caernarvonbrook middle trade. A good company to work for. Joined her in London just after one AB set himself on fire in his cabin -suicide.
> 
> A few trips to Archangel, Murmansk, Bayonne, Lisbon and Cadiz. Good payer, good crowd and top class feeder.
> 
> Cook /steward was queer but a good guy with the food - served personally to all.
> 
> BW
> 
> J


Hi 



I hope you don't mind the message but I saw your comment about how you were on the caernarvonbrook a month after someone set themselves on fire in suicide. I was just wondering what year this was?



I'm doing some research for my grandmother about her brother who died on the caernarvonbrook from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide from a fire, 2 people died that day (one being my great uncle) but my gran never really found out what had happened, my grans getting older and I'd love to help her with some closure.



Thanks

Ashleigh


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## rubysunn

Some 'memorable' days on her, we won the world cup, and the skipper let me watch the whole game, I worked in catering.


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