# How Did You Choose Your First Employer?



## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

This has all started because I found a load of old paperwork recently as we have just moved house. This included – letters – application forms and other associated paperwork to do with my years just after obtaining my PMG in October 1964 and going to sea.
I remember quite vividly sitting in the local library in Bridlington looking through what I presume would have been Lloyd to obtain addresses of companies to apply to for a job as a trainee RO. 
Also attached is a price list for uniforms. Who sent this I cannot remember as it was exactly at the time I got my ticket. It is very nostalgic, especially the prices. Also one letter from Sugar Line – the typewriter could have done with a new ribbon! I wonder how many companies now would have added the final paragraph giving another possible employer; I would imagine none at all. 
After all my hard work and endless letters I eventually ended up with MIMCO. I have previously stated that the replies were usually – we are not taking trainees at this time only fully qualified RO’s. 
So do you have any memories of your search for a job and who eventually did you join and was it good or bad. 
I must say I enjoyed my ships with MIMCO, lucky maybe.

Hawkey01


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

I got my PMG II the next year, 1965, and it was a huge let-down when company after company sent me rejection letters. My problem was that, for some inexplicable reason, my 'year' at Riversdale in Liverpool had not been given any radar training, and all the companies were demanding a minimum of PMG II + Radar cert. It was quite a relief when Marconi accepted me quite readily, and after my first trip (the tanker 'Naess Sovereign') they sent me on a 1-month Radar course in Cardiff (studying the Radiolocator IV radar).

On my next ship, the cargo ship 'Speybank', I remember the captain (Bank Line's Commodore Stan Holbrook) being dead impressed when, after initial bafflement during a troubling fault, I suddenly remembered an episode during the course and was able to go straight to the guilty valve (say V168, or maybe V462 on the complicated circuit diagram) and clear the fault by replacing it.


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## Ian J. Huckin (Sep 27, 2008)

Well, when I decided that agricultural college was not for me (in 1968 at age 16) I went up to London to meet with a buddy and ended up deeply hung over on a Monday morning wandering around the streets having missed my train "back darn sarf"

In my bleary meanderings I passed by the BSF and saw pictures of lads my age in far off exotic places (not Seven Islands, Murmansk or Nouhadibou). I thought that was the life for me so entered their dank portals.

I decided then and there I wanted to be a Marine Engineer Apprentice and as there was only one Company left with any vacancies I joined the North Yorkshire Steam Shipping Company, which was managed by the Bolton Steam Shipping Company. My parents signed me away over an unfranked stamp with the image of HRH Liz2 and I was at college in So'ton about three weeks later. Never regretted an instant of it. All I do regret now is that after 26yrs deep sea I upped and left. I miss it all way too much.


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## 7woodlane (Apr 20, 2009)

There must be something in the air at Bridlington that drew us and others to look at the sea for a career.
I remember seeing Marconi's advert (for sea-going R/Os) on the notice board at Bridlington school. I thought, that looks good. See the world, wear a uniform and all that. A massive attraction to me who just wanted to get out of school as soon as possible. So I did, went to Hull Tec, after a struggle came away with my PMG2. Joined Mci. It seemed everybody did that in those days. Went on their pre-sea course at Hamble. A short spell back home and then the inevitable telegram. Joined the Mooltan in the Royal Docks via Marconi's East Ham depot. Sailed June 1953 for Australia. Unbelievable days weren't they ? Your first trip, big ship AND Australia, and the places in between. £21 a month for starters. That isn't a mistake although it is probably all that I was worth.
By the way, is " Marconi International Marine Radio Communication Company Limited" the longest address anyone ever put on an envelope ?
David Whitehead.


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## gwzm (Nov 7, 2005)

I had a lucky escape. I had provisionally agreed to join Marconi after passing 1st Class PMG and radar at the James Watt Memorial College, Greenock, in 1963. In the meantime, the Principal, Mr Fleming, had passed my details to Brocklebank who invited me to an interview in the Glasgow offices of Paddy Henderson with the Brocklebank Senior Radio Superintendent, Ben Lonsdale, who offered me a position there and then.
I enjoyed my time with Brocklebank and the only regret I ever had was that I didn't stay longer before I gave it up and came ashore. 
Happy days indeed.
= saalams es bv de gwzm + VA


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

I have no regrets at all of joining Marconi for my initial training. I joined an almost brand new Shell O boat - OPALIA - with the relief Capt. It was all so new and exciting. A good trip, just short of 8 months. So I was by then a fully fledged RO! The relief Capt was Alec Brown - a real gent. I soon heard all about the permanent Capt, who was to return. One James Britain. All Shell men from that era would know him. I will not go into his idiosyncrasies nor his dislike of Chinese food, great on a Chinese crewed ship. We used to run the radio room as though we were a H16 vessel and he insisted on it when approaching either loading or discharge ports. Next was a MIMCO special which ran to some 14 months. Amazing times. 
I feel fortunate that I had a whole career based around radio and communications. I would not have missed it for the world. 

Hawkey01


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

I did a similar thing after obtaining my mrgc in the late '70s and then discovering that nobody was hiring, went to the local labour exchange I think it was, and got a list of just about every shipping company that had ever existed and wrote to all of them. 2 years was nearly up and I hadn't heard from any of them, so I was all set to go to GKA when Safmarine phoned out of the blue, and I ended up with them for my entire career as an r/o. Sometime after that Kelvin Hughes dropped me a line, but I decided to stay where I was. 
I thought Safmarine was okay, pay could have been better but I guess everybody says that, and I still live in Capetown now, no longer in the radio business though ....

= Adrian +


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I did my ticket at Riversdale. They advised staying on to do the 1st PMG so I did and emerged in March 1963 with a shiny new 1st. A few days later a telegram arrived from AEI to say if I reported to their Liverpool Depot (subterranean as I remember), there was a job for me. Like Ray, I was offerred the Naess Sovereign. Ten years on from my colleague David, my starting pay was £40/10/0 per month. The Chief RO wanted to do a tax year so off we went to Rotterdam on April 4th to join it in drydock and whilst new gear was being installed - T50MH. When I was taken off after 8 months, I was told to get a radar cert. There was a few months spare before the next course at Riversdale, so my first 'solo' was the Marchon Trader in Whitehaven - all 1900 tons of it. A bit different to the Naess Sovereign. If I had been able to find a quiet corner, I would happily have died from the 'mal-de-mer' . The next few trips to CNP though cured me for life.

David
+


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## Andy Lavies (Feb 12, 2006)

Family emigrated to South Africa. Dad died. I was sent to boarding school which I hated. At 15 I did a bunk and hitch hiked 400 miles to Durban. "Ettrickbank" was in port and shy an apprentice and the rest, as they say, is history.
Andy


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## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

My first employment Deep Sea was from the Schools Placement Office. I signed on has a Cadet on the American Lancer while my Z Card said I was an Apprentice Engineer. I finished school the day before Thanksgiving in 1975 with a brand new Third Assistant Engineers License. The day after Thanksgiving I went to the Union Hall and took an open board day thirds job on the American Lancer. When I was onboard the ship for a few hours my roommate at school for the last 18 months showed up has a watch third. The Chief Engineer did not like the fact that his two new thirds just got out of school.


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## Derek Roger (Feb 19, 2005)

I didnt select them ; they selected me because my father had been with them before .


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

No choice in OZ....AWA (basically local arm of Marconi) or nothing....


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## Bob Murdoch (Dec 11, 2004)

I failed part two of my 2nd class PMG in the January, 1958 so signed up for the radar course just starting. Sat and passed that in March just in time to re-sit my 2nd Class part 2. Wandered down to the James Watt the following week to see how things were going and the results were just going up on the noticeboard. I had passed, so was into the office and signed for my ticket and was gone for Glasgow on the next train. Did not talk to anyone at the college.
On arrival Glasgow, I rang BP but after hearing my age, still 16, they had no vacancies. Went up to Paddy Henderson's offices and presented myself as looking for a job. Again one look at my very youthful face and they laughed me out of the office. Went to IMR but could not find them at the phone book address, so up to Marconi. This time I was cunning, I carried my tickets in full view.
Was signed up and had arranged a uniform advance before lunchtime.
Two weeks later, first ship,British Rail's Falaise, running Soton to St Malo. A nice litle ship especially if you were ancient and lived in the Soton area. However, I only had a sit alongside the chief for a couple of hours, then did my watch every night on my own from 1am till berthing, about 7am from then on.
Second ship the Golfito. Great ship not so great chief.
Do I regret joining Marconi? Not a bit. Always found the staff to be friendly and helpful and enjoyed the uncertainty of the next ship/next run. 
When I went to NZ to the Union SS Co, it became boring as hell, running back and forward to Aussie. Nowt against either country, far from i,t loved them both, but the short runs and rarely a new port was tedious.
Incidentally, in 1958, when I joined Marconi, the starting pay was £32 per month. When I went to NZ the starting monthly was about 60% higher than my then Marconi salary, plus overtime.
Great days.
Bob


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Great stuff(Applause). Like the stories, especially Andy - just like a book - boy runs away to sea. 
The other amazing thing is that when I was in my final year at school I really had no intention of going to sea. We lived at that time in a small village in Bedfordshire which as you all know is a long way from the sea. My brother had a friend who was a Apprentice or 4th Officer who would drop me a line or two occasionally. Always full of interesting info and places. Seem to remember he was with Shaw Savill. I looked at going to sea as an apprentice and had info from Warsash. That put the wind up me for a start - with early morning runs and other horrible things. How I came to see the advert for my radio school in Bridlington is lost in time. Being and RO seemed a lot more sensible than having to run around in the cold to become a deck officer. Very naive then as you will gather. So off I went to the wonderful Bridlington. 

Keep the stories coming.

Hawkey01


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

Further to my earlier message, it might be of interest how I came to the RO career at all, for it amounted to an unlikely change in the course of my life. After leaving boarding school at 15 - no qualifications whatsoever because I was so anxious to escape the place - I became office boy to a small firm of solicitors in Liverpool and after an amalgamation I served the firm as a clerk for a total of four years.

Playing about with a new radiogram that my mother had bought, I one day tried stuffing the TV 'H' aerial into it and listen to all the stations I could find (the improvement in reception was fantastic). At the top end of the band I could hear Morse traffic (I now realise that it must have been ships arriving or departing on the Mersey) and I was thrilled by the different 'hands' that were so evident.

At the age of 19 I realised that the clerical life was not for me after all and someone suggested training to be an RO in the M.N. In view of the earlier anecdote, I was mentally ready for such a challenge and found the whole notion appealing. Thank God for Mr Griffiths, the Vice-Principal at Riversdale who carried out the induction exam and deduced that I was suitable material despite my lack of academic achievement so far. Without this I would have stalled and 'died' at that point.

It amuses me to think now that, when I was a clerk in the solicitor's office, I had no idea that two marvellous ships had just gone down the slipways in faraway places - the Naess Sovereign in Nagasaki in about 1960, and the Speybank at Swann Hunters at Wallsend in about 1962 - and they would soon be my home for several exciting months! At that time I had no idea that my life was about to take that fresh direction.

At Riversdale I was one of the slightly older students on the course, for the typical age was 16 and I was 19.


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## IMRCoSparks (Aug 22, 2008)

After leaving school, I joined the City of London Police as a cadet. Realizing that being Mr Plod was not going to be for me, I elected to do my National Service, (where I could have been deferred). Joined the Royal Navy and the careers officer said "what do you want to be - a signalman, telegraphist, writer or cook?"
So spent 30 weeks training to be a telegraphist. Joined HMS Apollo. Not a good experience - http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=29642

But really liked the sea life. Applied to BST in London to do my PMG. I think I was influenced by one of the older students doing his 1st class who suggested IMR might be my best bet.
Must have impressed my chief on Sylvania with my morse typing skills, so progressed to Queen Mary and then over three years on Caronia. Great days.
I often wonder that if I'd elected to be a "cook" those years ago I might have ended up running the Ritz restaurant - or, more likely the local greasy spoon turfing out the drunks (using my rusty police training!)
Ken


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Ken,

yes I think that you would not be alone in wondering If! I had done, as in your case, been a Cook and not an RO. I have often thought in a similar vain. However one of my philosophies is that your life is mapped out for you and as you progress along the way you are given turnings and cross roads to choose from. Which one you take depends on your future life. A bit Buddhist I think. It must be the heat and certainly off topic. Looking forward to a cold glass of vino when the sun gets over the yardarm.(Pint)

Neville - Hawkey01


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## Klaatu83 (Jan 22, 2009)

I got my first sea-going job by the most incredible luck. I ran into an acquaintance in the lobby of the World Trade Center in the middle of rush hour, which was the busiest time of day in one of the most crowded places anyone could possibly imagine. The chances of running into somebody you know in a place like that have to be pretty close to zero! He told me the Military Sealift Command was hiring and gave me their address. The next day I went there and they hired me on the spot.


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## Naytikos (Oct 20, 2008)

I have never applied for a job in my life. 
At Plymouth, where I did my ticket, they seemed to tell MIMCo the names/addresses of everyone who hadn't actually made a positive effort to get a job elsewhere. I got a letter telling me to report to Avonmouth Depot a few days after getting the envelope from the Post Office. 
Didn't stay very long, but that's another story.


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## Vital Sparks (Sep 19, 2007)

Always wanted to go to sea and was messing about with electronics by the age of 10, so only one way to go really. At the time BP were the only company taking on radio cadets and they got 1000 applicants for 20 places. An interesting deal, the up-side, go to college, all expenses paid, with a small wage thrown in, and a job at the end of it all. The down-side, pass every exam first time or get fired. MRGC, Radar and MEC/ENEM mandatory.


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## Rhodri Mawr (Jul 6, 2008)

I originally wanted to go to sea as a deck officer, but eyesight would have been a problem there. I was advised by someone (can't remember who but he did me proud) to try as a radio officer. So, in 1964 at the tender age of 16, off I went to Newport College to study PMG. Emerged from there with 1st Class ticket in June 1966 wondering which companies I should apply to. Didn't need to worry - I was put in touch with MIMCO in Cardiff who invited me for interview to see if my face fitted. At the interview they had a look at me - yes, two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears- you look OK - and by the way did you bring your deep sea kit with you? Bolton's RIPON was just emerging from drydock at the end of the 1966 ratings' strike and there was a job for 2nd RO if I wanted it. Did not need asking twice and within the week I was away. Never looked back. Joined Cayzer Irvine in 1968, ended up serving on more or less every type of ship they had and went all over the world with them. Great times. Would happily have done it all over again.

Cheers
Rhodri


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## Ray Mac (Sep 22, 2007)

Did my sea training at GSS, Reported to the Pool in Sunderland and joined my first ship as Galley Boy. Oh happy days(Thumb)

Ray


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

Was interested in radio from a young lad - learnt the morse code and comms procedures whilst in the ATC (Air Training Corps) at age 13 so the seeds were sown early. Left school at 16 for Brunel Tech (Bristol) on the MRGC/Radar 3 year course which was highly enjoyable!

However.......very few seagoing jobs in 1979......tried the usual suspects with no joy. Landed myself a technician's job at the BBC Monitoring Service at Caversham Park (Reading) but was soon invited for interview and morse test at the GPO Maritime Radio Services HQ in London (successful). After training at GKA for a few months I remained at GKA and stayed there till the bitter end.....

Still involved in Maritime Radio as one of the editors of ALRS Volume 6 (Pilots, Port Operations and VTS).


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