# Riversdale Technical College Liverpool



## Derek Roger

Today 3 rd Sept 2006 is 43 years to the day since I started my apprentice ship with Thos & Jno Brocklebank Limited at Riversdale Tech . 
3 rd Sept in 1963 was in fact a Sunday and is the day I found the Aigburth Hotel while scouting my way around the college.

Any other " Aiggie " patrons of that era ??
Derek


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## trotterdotpom

Happy days, Derek, you struck gold on the first day. I heard a lot of "Aigee" yarns from a Scouse Electrician who was a regular. After starting study leave at Riversdale (about 15 years after you) I too bumped into the place. On my very first "session", in walked my Lecky pal - I never looked back! My niece attended John Moore University, the new look Riversdale Tech, during the early '90s and also became an Aigburth Arms fan. I hear it's still going but in a re-vamped style - maybe not to the taste of former patrons. I also hear that Riversdale is now a housing estate - that's progress.

John T.


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## Jeff Egan

Attendend Riversdale for three months each year 1965, 66, 67, 68 Aigburth Arms for a pie and a pint was favorite lunch or Scallop and chips from the chippy on the other side of the road.


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## Derek Roger

I heard the Aigburth Hotel is long gone since they widened the road from where the old dual carrigway ended ( by the cricket ground ) right through to Speke.
The last night we were all in the front Lounge in 65 things got a bit out of hand and a piece of the wooden trim from behind the padded seat which went around the perimeter came away in my hand ?. Its probably the only piece of the place still in existance.


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## Derek Roger

Corrction . I have just posted my Indentures in the Galery and found the date to be 62 not 63 . 44 years ago since I strted work ; what happened to the time !!!!!!!
Happy Days .


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## Jeff Egan

Came away in your hand Derek how could that have possibly happened (*)) (*))


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## R870708

*Aigburth Hotel Riversdale*

Still the best pint of Guiness that I recall and the mushy peas and chips from the chippy not far from there kept us alive after sailing in the Mersey over the river at the Tidal Pool.

Prior to going to Riversdale I went to Dundee college of Technology in Bell Street with Captain Creelman as one of the tutors, head of college was Captain Alan Gardiner.

Stuart Watt was anothe Gadget as was Stewart MacDonald who I understand sailed with BP for quite a few years, any takers on current whereabouts of any these folks would be appreciated.


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## Derek Roger

Your local in Dundee would have been the " Bread " Bredalbane Arms . Jimmy Stirling was the owner.
Best pint in " The Aiggie " in the early 60s was a pint of "D" which I remember was diamond '; dont know who made it but it was strong and good .
The other favorite there was " brown mixed "


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## Razor

Derek Roger said:


> Your local in Dundee would have been the " Bread " Bredalbane Arms . Jimmy Stirling was the owner.
> Best pint in " The Aiggie " in the early 60s was a pint of "D" which I remember was diamond '; dont know who made it but it was strong and good .
> The other favorite there was " brown mixed "



Double Diamond, brewed by Ind Coop I presume?


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## trotterdotpom

Derek Roger said:


> ........
> The other favorite there was " brown mixed "


In Bristol a mixture of half a pint of brown ale and half of bitter used to be known as a "brown split" - there were a couple of pubs around town where you wouldn't be game to ask for one!

John T.


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## R870708

Memories of the "Bread" are to say the least hazy!
Although I hailed from the three "j's" Jute, Jam and Journalism city, it was a parting of sweet sorrows on my first departure for my first trip of 18 months.

The times we spent at the boatshed, along the waterfront at Broughty Ferry, sailing and rowing the old whaler, which had to be brought back up the beach each time on wooden rollers over the stony beach, would now be classed as "barbarism" or at least cruelty. If we had any issues with what we were being asked to do the penalty was to carry one of theses rollers, a hefty lump of wood, whose name I forget, for 30 or 40 feet over our heads!

My other memory's of Riversdale (70/71) was living in a single occupancy room in the Tower Block with a view over the Mersey rather than the dorm style of living which a few of my other classmates had to do, I recollect they were apprenticed to an Irish outfit which had a red hand on the funnel, any takers as to the Company?


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## Razor

My other memory's of Riversdale (70/71) was living in a single occupancy room in the Tower Block with a view over the Mersey rather than the dorm style of living which a few of my other classmates had to do, I recollect they were apprenticed to an Irish outfit which had a red hand on the funnel, any takers as to the Company?[/QUOTE]

Head Line?


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## trotterdotpom

Razor said:


> My other memory's of Riversdale (70/71) was living in a single occupancy room in the Tower Block with a view over the Mersey rather than the dorm style of living which a few of my other classmates had to do, I recollect they were apprenticed to an Irish outfit which had a red hand on the funnel, any takers as to the Company?


Head Line?[/QUOTE]

Correct - Head Line with the Red Hand of Ulster.

John T.


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## John-M

Happy days.

Spent many a night in the Aiggie. Fond memories of the young lassies from Calder Hall, I M Marsh and Notre Dame teacher training colleges!

John M


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## Derek Roger

I M Marsh !!! 
The lassies used to follow Riversdales Rugby team during home games . One of our local fixtures was with the police cadets at their campus and they too of course frequented the Aiggie and went to I M Marsh dances .
There was intense rivarlry and the lads on both sides played up to the lassies
watching ( There was more boxing I think than rugby played on such fixtures 
My brother Cameron who followed me at Riversdale met a young Lass at I M Marsh whom he married ( Poor lad had a shortened career with Brocks when he was required to " get a shore job " )


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## John-M

Not just follow. I can remember a couple of games between the I M Marsh lassies and the Riversdale lads!
Seem to remember that there was always lots of ripped shirts.

The landlord of the Aiggie used to let us cash cheques (max £2). What we had to do before cashpoint machines.
That £2 wouldn't last long on a night out these days!.


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## Bryan Neary

I was at Riversdale from 64-66 and remember the Eggie well. The beer (Walkers of Warrington) was pretty foul and most people seemed to drink it half and half with a bottle of Brown Peter (also awful tack!). My digs were in Alma Road. I made a nostalgic trip back about fifteen years ago and was disappointed to discover that the new Eggy was an ultra-modern soulless sort of place - nothing like the establishment which lost all it's tables and chairs to a pyramid on the main road one Saturday night!


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## M29

*Riversdale 64/66*



Bryan Neary said:


> I was at Riversdale from 64-66 and remember the Eggie well. The beer (Walkers of Warrington) was pretty foul and most people seemed to drink it half and half with a bottle of Brown Peter (also awful tack!). My digs were in Alma Road. I made a nostalgic trip back about fifteen years ago and was disappointed to discover that the new Eggy was an ultra-modern soulless sort of place - nothing like the establishment which lost all it's tables and chairs to a pyramid on the main road one Saturday night!


Hey Bryan, remember me? Where did you go after we left College.
I went into Bibby Line until 1975 when I swallowed the pick. Now teaching at City of Bristol College.

Alan Melia


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## Chouan

I was there, on and off, of course, from '74-9. Interesting place. There was a strange bloke who used to announce the time in the mornings over the loudspeaker system, in a very curious voice. The chippy (greasy annie's we called it) was terrible. But, once you've a few pints inside you, things like that didn't seem to matter!
Peter


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## Peter Martin

Mon Dieu! Cashing cheques! Me too. The landlord's name was Terrence Rattigan. No relation, I think to the literary genius.


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## Derek Roger

Chouan said:


> I was there, on and off, of course, from '74-9. Interesting place. There was a strange bloke who used to announce the time in the mornings over the loudspeaker system, in a very curious voice. The chippy (greasy annie's we called it) was terrible. But, once you've a few pints inside you, things like that didn't seem to matter!
> Peter


When i first went to the "Chippie " across the road from the Aiggie I ordered a meat pie and chips and was astounded to find it full of potatoes ! With little meat . In Scotland Meat Pies actually had Meat as the main ingredient .

It was almost as bad as the " Mince " tatties and carrots and my digs . This was a sort of gravy with little mince ' lots of old wooded carrots served over a sloppy mashed potato mess . One of the lads took his dinner and put in in a bag and took to to Riversdale to our HR Rep who was also the PE teacher who had " recommended this place " Nothing happened so he moved ! I stayed as the land lady was deaf and we cou;d come and go as we pleased . Once I showed her how to make porridge ( with salt instead of sugar ) and then at least we had a hearty breakfast with porridge we could eat and the usual egg bacon and toast .
In retrospect we didnt do too badly on our pittance of a living allowance .

Three of us used to buy a loaf of bread and 6 pence of chips for lunch ; cut the loaf in 3 ( very accuratley ) then eat the innards of the loaf and stuff it with the chips and any sauce / butter we could get our hands on . Not too bad (a real Chip Buttie ) this was then washed down with a bottle of brown ale which cost 10 pence . The meal itself cost 1 shilling and 4 pence split 3 ways which meant someone was always a penny down !! On average it meant lunch was one shilling and three pence ( Including the beer ) We had our priorities set correctly I venture .
Happy days Derek

PS There was a bookie along the road called Joe French ; In my 2 year I became quit interested in th horses and managed to clean him of six pounds and change for a 4 shilling bet . He was not well pleased and had to scrape around the back of his drawer to pay me out ( I lived well for the next couple of weeks .) Also picked 3 out of the first four in the Grand National Team spirit ; Out and About and Purple Silk . I did not Pick Red Rum who I think ran 3rd . Again I did well but would have done great if I only knew how to bet forecasts !!!
Oh Happy Days


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## Peter Martin

Greasy Annies; of course: But on 'High Days' & 'Holidays' it was by bus to 'Chius' - toward the Dingle. Chicken & mushrooms in a foil container and yet another plastic spoon to add to the collection wedged neatly between the notice board and the wall in your 'cabin' at River House.


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## Chouan

My most memorable experience, circa 1977, Second College Phase, I think:
Thursday evening, after dinner, en masse, waiting for Top of the Pops in the lounge, watching Tomorrows World. There was an item about some new sailing rig for dinghies.
Engineer Cadet:
"Designed by an engineer"
Deck Cadets (plural):
"Electrical Engineer"
Engineer Cadets (all of them, shouting):
"At least he wasn't a Navvy!" 
Deck Cadets (Full throat):
"At least he's been to sea!"
Silence from the Engineer Cadets, some of whom have up to another 18 months at college yet before their first trip.


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## Peter Martin

John-M said:


> Not just follow. I can remember a couple of games between the I M Marsh lassies and the Riversdale lads!
> Seem to remember that there was always lots of ripped shirts.
> 
> The landlord of the Aiggie used to let us cash cheques (max £2). What we had to do before cashpoint machines.
> That £2 wouldn't last long on a night out these days!.


Remember that well! Landlord's name was Terrence Rattigan - without literary illusions!


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## Phil C

Anybody remember the name of the chap who ran the domestic section at riversdale house. He always had a duffel bag over his shoulder.
Phil


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## oceangoer

Between voyages I often used to live at the Blue Funnel hostel/house in Riversdale Road (1958 - 1962). Hutson was in charge of the Middies at the time (BluFlu 2nd Mate who had eyesight problems and came ashore).

The Aiggie Arms was a haven through those years although the beer wasn't the best. In the end I resorted to what they do in Middlesborough (a pint touch ........ 98% bitter and 2% lemonade on top). Some very friendly young ladies used to frequent that pub, l fell in love several times


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## luigi

Phil C said:


> Anybody remember the name of the chap who ran the domestic section at riversdale house. He always had a duffel bag over his shoulder.
> Phil


I think it was Mr Sewell? Looked like an old hippie.


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## Chouan

Seward, I think. Pleasant bloke. He wore a suit that was far too big for him on what was laughingly called the "formal dinner" on wednesday nights.


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## Phil C

Thanks both for that, yes I think it was Seward.


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## oglebilluk

*Riversdale Technical College and the Aigburth Arms*

To bring you up to date in a frustrating way.

The "Aigy" that we knew so well is long gone - it became a car showroom

However the owners of the site must realise that we are getting no younger and, as if by magic, the boarding is now up around the site advising that it is about to become sheltered housing - getting ready for us once again

Bill


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## Pat Kennedy

I had the most terifying experience of my life at Riversdale tech College.
I was working for a company which supplied and maintained Compressed air breathing apparatus on board ships, and a Blue Funnel Superintendant engineer named Denis Naylor, conned me into giving a short talk on the servicing of said equipment to "a few officers"
It turned out to be a gathering of 25 Blue Funnel Captains and Chief Engineers, who all vied with each other in asking difficult questions.
This was my first ever experience of public speaking, and nothing will ever be so hard. I was a nervous wreck when it was over, but Denis pressed a large scotch on me and said, "you did really well, want do do another next month?"
I politely declined.
Pat


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## stevesmi

I was at Riversdale in 1970,71,72 as a Radio Officer student so didn't mix too much with the non-R/Os. I wonder if any ex-Riversdale R/Os are reading this?


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## freddythefrog

Was at Riversdale tech as trainee R/O 1965 to 1967, did all my tickets here, some good lecturers and a great crowd of Radio lads on the courses, had some great times, how time flies.Ah! the memories. I would do it all over again if i could---no regrets at all.
Derek--did you not have some "gaffer tape" to fix the piece of wood back 
together or did you need a souvenir?? from the pub up the road--ha-ha.
good old days eh!! regards ftf
PS shame it has all been knocked down now and a housing estate built in place of it.


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## Derek Roger

freddythefrog said:


> Was at Riversdale tech as trainee R/O 1965 to 1967, did all my tickets here, some good lecturers and a great crowd of Radio lads on the courses, had some great times, how time flies.Ah! the memories. I would do it all over again if i could---no regrets at all.
> Derek--did you not have some "gaffer tape" to fix the piece of wood back
> together or did you need a souvenir?? from the pub up the road--ha-ha.
> good old days eh!! regards ftf
> PS shame it has all been knocked down now and a housing estate built in place of it.


I still have that piece of wood lurking somewhere in a drawer : No doubt all that remains of the Aiggie !
Happy days Derek


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## Barber Hector

I picked up on this forum before going to bed the other night and it caused a sleepless night. I was at Riversdale Tech Sept 1955 to Easter 58'ish and left with 2nd class PMG certificate and part one of First Class. Joined Holts and came back 6 months later and finished off my 1st class.
But those years were absolutely crap. Aged 16, no money, in digs at Penny Lane and a long way from home. Study study and more study. Dark days but it did pay off.
Riversdale in those days was so new it actually under control of Liverpool University and we all had Riversdale Tech blazers with their badge and 'University' scarf.

When I first read the above comments on Riversdale, the Aigburth Arms Hotel came up foremost in discussions and initially I wondered why I never saved up a few pennies and visited the place. Then I realised I wasnt old enough ! So I guess the above contributors were some years older than me.

Mr Kinsman was the Principal, George[?] Brown was head of department, lecturers were Mr Thornton, Mr Griffiths and Gordon Andrews. There was another chap who used to fill in on occasion but cant remember his name.

Holt's baby farm was across the road and the lads looked very smart in their uniforms. There were a few Alfred Holt chaps in for upgrading their certificates and I thought that is the future company for me.

And I never looked back.

A contibutor to the forum mentioned that Riversdale was now a housing area, which is a shame, but the sports field alone would be gold in the eyes of some developer. Perhaps someone could enlighten me on its present situation.

I remember Holts Personnel Manager Charlie Metcalf trying to dissuade me from returning to college to complete my 1st Class because he would have to pay me an extra ten bob [I think] per month ticket allowance !
For my sins I spent a year on the UK coast, coasting some ships with a passenger licence that required a 1st class certificate. I was sick to death of Glasgow's Elderslie dry dock by the end of my penance !!


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## CrazySparks

*Riversdale*

I was at Riversdale 1973-1976 on the R/O's course. I was 16 years of age, fresh and innocent from North Wales. It was one of the best periods of my life and set me up for so many things. I well remember some of the excellent yet humorous lecturers by face if no longer by name (although Jackson, Parker, Gerry, Cotton, Harris come to mind). They were excellent teachers and I remember them all with great affection. The anecdotal tales they told us motivated us well in our studies, keeping us keen to get our tickets.

The fact that the college is no longer there is a great sadness to me, but more than that, its passing marks the carelessness with which the UK treated its once great legacy of maritime skills, which should have been nurtured and developed. In particular, marine electronics remains a substantial industry globally, and the UK should be a key player, demanding skilled people from such institutions as Riversdale. 

It strikes me that one can find a good many pages on the web for the other radio colleges, but very few for Riversdale - sad. Anyone got any good photographs of the place in the 70's?

I learned to drink in those 3 years - and man - did I learn well!

Best 2 U all.


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## David W

Being a Garston lad by the time I had been barred from the Aigburth, the Heath and the Garston my leave was up and it was time for another ship.


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## M29

freddythefrog said:


> Was at Riversdale tech as trainee R/O 1965 to 1967, did all my tickets here, some good lecturers and a great crowd of Radio lads on the courses, had some great times, how time flies.Ah! the memories. I would do it all over again if i could---no regrets at all.
> Derek--did you not have some "gaffer tape" to fix the piece of wood back
> together or did you need a souvenir?? from the pub up the road--ha-ha.
> good old days eh!! regards ftf
> PS shame it has all been knocked down now and a housing estate built in place of it.


Freddy
You and I must have studied together or just one year apart. I was there 65/66, went to sea 67.

Brown was Head of the Radio Section, Griffiths was no 2. Andrews ran the Radar section. Ray Pilgrim (radar) was also there. (he is on friends re-united). Mr Parker taught Tech Elec. Mr Bruce taught "cabin" and Mr Teasdale (slightly crazy) ran labs. There was an older guy who taught radio who said "erm" every other word and I'm now ashamed to say that in boring lectures we would plot "erms" against time on a graph. He had the SG Brown headphone swindle and we all bought these of him. Cotton was also there and became involved in the Association of Marine Radio Colleges. Happy days!

Alan Melia


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## degsy

*Aigburth Arms*



Derek Roger said:


> Today 3 rd Sept 2006 is 43 years to the day since I started my apprentice ship with Thos & Jno Brocklebank Limited at Riversdale Tech .
> 3 rd Sept in 1963 was in fact a Sunday and is the day I found the Aigburth Hotel while scouting my way around the college.
> 
> Any other " Aiggie " patrons of that era ??
> Derek


The Aigburth Arms Hotel was,sadly, knocked down and they built an effin monstrosity and called it "The Kingsman" . In memory of the Liverpool Kings Regiment, the walls where adorned with pictures from the First World War. Some of these where quite gruesome. I remember my mother and father coming back from there and saying "never again they should not have knocked the Aigburth down" Like most pubs now it has gone through a few changes, at present its a carvery bar, if you like that kind of alehouse. The Aigburth was an old alehouse with bags of character, however us local lads did'nt do particularly well with the women down there. They where attracted to exotic seafaring types from Riversdale or the intelligentsia from Liverpool Uni's hall's of residence who used to frequent the place. Still had a few goodnights there.(Pint)


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## CrazySparks

*Riversdale College*

Interesting.
When got to Riversdale in 1973 the Kingsman was already there and the Aigburth Arms was just off Elmswood road. Happy memories of both really. 
Oh! And we were still drinking Brown&Bitter! Gallons of it.


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## freddythefrog

Hello M29 alan
Yes i remember you quite well, think you wereabout 6 or 9 months ahead of
of me at Riversdale, you probably with Simon Tudor-Jones class (RIP). Yes remember all those lecturers name as well but what about Gerry Ludden he very good in my mind and Johnny Halton too.
I stayed on for 1st class and radar thats maybe why we left around same time, me in june 67. Happy days indeed alan. 73's de ftf


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## luigi

CrazySparks said:


> Interesting.
> When got to Riversdale in 1973 the Kingsman was already there and the Aigburth Arms was just off Elmswood road. Happy memories of both really.
> Oh! And we were still drinking Brown&Bitter! Gallons of it.


Maybe you're thinking of 'The Kinsman' which was at the top of Beechwood Place (opposite Greasy Annies) - as opposed to The Kingsman?


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## CrazySparks

*Kinsman*



luigi said:


> Maybe you're thinking of 'The Kinsman' which was at the top of Beechwood Place (opposite Greasy Annies) - as opposed to The Kingsman?


Aha!!! You're right, Luigi. Guess I'm getting old and doddery!


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## luigi

CrazySparks said:


> Aha!!! You're right, Luigi. Guess I'm getting old and doddery!


Join the club!!!!!


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## Phil Houghton

*Riversdale College*

My friends flood of memories come back to me when I read about this college. I was their in 77 and comuted every day from St Helens on the train. Whilst I was their sanctions where in place on the teaching front so you could expect not to have any lessons till late afternoon, this being the case it was the norm to visit the Sportsman in St Johns precinct and on to the Hoffbrau house to watch the dancers and sup stynes. by the time you got back to lesson if capable it went by in a blur. still passed though. later after coming ashore I was working for a stevedore firm in Goole and whilst also being the companies trainer I met up with an External verifier for the qualification I was deliverring who on checking my CV was only a senior principal at Riversdale during my time their. So we spent most of that visit reliving the past. I also remember Ivor Thornton (get in the Barrell) doing Rule of the Road. Going away to Conniston for the week or weekend to Lawson House and spending many an evening in the Ship inn in Conniston supping Hartleys. Yes good times. What about the Chinese chippy for spring roles, where he would shout as you entered the door 'Wha you want'!!!


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## "Paddy" walsh

*Riversdale revisited*

All those memories flood back now as I read all the "posts" on the " Aiggie".
Sad to know its gone, as I guess is "riversdale house" the old B.F. hostal were i first stayed in 1961 before all the expansions started. The Aiggie and the pies over the road are good memories as were the girls from the teaching college who had such grand accom. !
Had planned to revisit all that area on day on a trip back to the U.K. but will now strike that one off the "bucket list".
Thanks to all for the postings and good to see the odd AH man about from my time.


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## Derek Roger

"Paddy" walsh said:


> All those memories flood back now as I read all the "posts" on the " Aiggie".
> Sad to know its gone, as I guess is "riversdale house" the old B.F. hostal were i first stayed in 1961 before all the expansions started. The Aiggie and the pies over the road are good memories as were the girls from the teaching college who had such grand accom. !
> Had planned to revisit all that area on day on a trip back to the U.K. but will now strike that one off the "bucket list".
> Thanks to all for the postings and good to see the odd AH man about from my time.


Paddy the pies were terrible !! Could not get a real meat pie ( Scotch Pie ) just the meat and potatoe version with very little meat > We used ( 3of us ) buy a fresh loaf of bread ; cut in in three and then get a shilling of chips ( split in 3 ) and stuff them into the loaf . A real "Chip Buttie " If we were flush we could get some Margarine to lubricate the mess!

Not very norishing but kept the hunger pangs at bay . This allowed us to have a brown ale or 1/2 pint at lunch for at least 3 days of the week before pay on a friday . 

The Riversdale meals in the canteen were quite good but a bit expensive ! Aiggie and a chip buttie was the order of the day .


Happy Days Derek


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## Paul Baxter

*Riversdale Tech*

The best was a Brown mix. A newcastle bottle of brown over a bitter.

Do any of you remember the tale of two middies going through the wall of the house opposite the cricket Club.
In a Hilmam Imp?
We where both stone sober that thursday night even being at the Blue Angle as well.


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## M29

freddythefrog said:


> Hello M29 alan
> Yes i remember you quite well, think you wereabout 6 or 9 months ahead of
> of me at Riversdale, you probably with Simon Tudor-Jones class (RIP). Yes remember all those lecturers name as well but what about Gerry Ludden he very good in my mind and Johnny Halton too.
> I stayed on for 1st class and radar thats maybe why we left around same time, me in june 67. Happy days indeed alan. 73's de ftf


Freddy
thanks for reply, yes Halton was the "erm" man.
Yes, I was with Simon Tudor Jones, Jim Laughlin, Richard Walton etc.
Gerry Ludden came from a private radio school that closed down and yes, he was good, especially on radio circuits.
Jim Laughlin went into lecturing, Richard Walton joined Marconi depot in Liverpool.
All the best
Alan


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## Ron Stringer

Richard Walton transferred from Liverpool to Marconi's Chelmsford office and worked for me for a while. Moved to the department dealing with offshore comms and the last I heard was working for Shell offshore in the Shetlands. That was probably 20 years ago.


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## andyp1

I did Phase 3 Engineer @ Riversdale back in 82/83 and lived in the newer single cabin accommodation next to the original "Aulis" house of Ocean Fleets, although we still used the dining hall attached at the rear of the houses.Phase 1 & 2 cadets lived in the tower block towards the back end of the site
The Kinsman Pub was still the college local and the beer was truly terrible, thank god for the off licence over the road which sold draught beers / wines / spirits.
The young ladies of IM Marsh and others were still as predatory, cheered us on playing rugby at the Oydessey Club next door and played a mean game of hockey.
I had reason to go back to Liverpool recently with work, the old college site & Halls are now fashionable riverside mews houses, however the old Ocean Sports Club ( the Oydessey) is now a sports club.
The Swan in Wood St is still going - it was like a time warp going back, and rumour has it that the Cabin Club is still open, but the old Royal Infirmary Nurses Home is now a car park.
Happy Days(Jester)


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## KiwiSpark

M29 said:


> Freddy
> thanks for reply, yes Halton was the "erm" man.
> Yes, I was with Simon Tudor Jones, Jim Laughlin, Richard Walton etc.
> Gerry Ludden came from a private radio school that closed down and yes, he was good, especially on radio circuits.
> Jim Laughlin went into lecturing, Richard Walton joined Marconi depot in Liverpool.
> All the best
> Alan



RIP Simon Tudor-Jones. Worked with him on RFA Black Rover, he 2 R/O, gunnery officer, also known as DWARFO - and anyone who knew Simon will know that he was vertically challenged!! Nice guy, sad to hear his loss.

I was at Riversdale 85-88. First year at Riversdale Rd. after that ended up in the city centre in temporary place until the radio section could be set up in Mabel Fletcher college in Old Swan. Madness!

Jim Loughlin is a friend, know him and his family well. My uncle used to be a priest at his church but unfortunately lost contact with him when we moved down to NZ 2 years ago. I know he was working for the RIS down in the midlands last I heard of him. 

Happy memories of the place, Gordon Andrews, Willie Williamson to name a few, and Jim of course.

All the best to ex-Riversdale people.


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## Geoffrey Stone

Bryan Neary said:


> I was at Riversdale from 64-66 and remember the Eggie well. The beer (Walkers of Warrington) was pretty foul and most people seemed to drink it half and half with a bottle of Brown Peter (also awful tack!). My digs were in Alma Road. I made a nostalgic trip back about fifteen years ago and was disappointed to discover that the new Eggy was an ultra-modern soulless sort of place - nothing like the establishment which lost all it's tables and chairs to a pyramid on the main road one Saturday night!


I was living in digs at 144 Alma road at the same time - any connection?


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## Fahad

*Livepool (Riversdale Friends)*

I studied in Liverpool from 83 to 1988. I remember my British friends i.e. Tony Wignal from Liverpool Mr. Whithead...etc

Anyone rememer me, please email me on ([email protected])


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## David Allsop

I was at Riversdale as BP Deck Cadet in 1980.
Stayed at Kinsman House in Beechwood road. Always remember Derek on the tannoy, "good morning its 0h seven thirty hundred hours"
And whenever an external call came through to the common room it would be announced on the tannoy, great sport getting him to announce " phone call common room Marc Bolan, etc etc".....
I remember the lunchtime orals with the legendary Ivor Rutherford, your turn in the barrel boy. sound one short blast on the ships whistle alter course to starboard and pass round the stern... he got me through those dreaded orals.
Few names I remember Alex Wetton, Dick Biscombe, Ian Starkie, Ian "bones" from RFA" John kennedy, Farhad Cheoum Kherabadi,a foreign Cadet I think, Miss Jones, Tim Leary, Craig (Bo) Story, 

great to hear from anyone around that era.
I have photographs which I will post
Best reagards
David


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## jonboysez

I was at Riversdale about 1975-76 I think, on 1st year of OND marine engineers course. I was a trainee engineer cadet with Bibby Line, but I only stayed about 6 months - home sick (I was only 16 and not from a seafaring background) - I decided engineering wasn't for me after all, but I have fond memories staying at Kinsman House and visiting the Aigburth Arms and a soul music club in Liverpool on a weekend. I too remember that bloke on reception who did the wake up calls on the tannoy of a morning - he sometimes got it wrong "it is now 7:30, I mean 8:30" didn't he have a slight German accent? Anyway he was a good chap, he used to leave the fire door open round the back stairs so we could get in in the early hours of a Sat/Sun morning after a night out, otherwise it was a case of throwing stones up at one of the windows as the front door was locked at around midnight. I rember a formal meal (was it Christmas?) we had in the dining room with the top table occupied by the important folk (maybe the principal of the college was there I can't remember) - anyway I want to own up to what happened after the top table had vacated - whilst the meal was on a cork fired onto our table, so I sneakily throw it over my shoulder back to where I thought it had come from, then someone else on that table throw it back onto our table (this was whilst the top table was still occupied) - the cork was going back wards and forwards for a while followed by bits of orange peel etc - when the top table had vacated fully, a barrage of brussel sprouts were fired at the table nearest the back wall - they all ducked on that table and the wall was plastered with them! I also remember when we had just moved into Kinsman House dorms us freshers were visited one night by the older students and they turned over every bed in the dorms, some with folk still in them - they got a roasting for that! I wish I could remember the names of the other Bibby Line engineer cadets in the dorm with me - there was a lad surname Taylor from Yeadon, and a lad from Sunderland who I used to go down Liverpool with on a Saturday night clubbing, and a lad from Derby (Paul?) About a year or two after I had left Bibby Line they had one of their ships go down off Japan sunk without trace and there were cadets onboard so I think what might have been if I had been unlucky enough to have been on it - I hope none of the lads I knew were on it. I'm now a boring accountant still living in Huddersfield!


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## GARYJONES

Crikey - what amazing memories flood back reading these posts. I was there in 1970/71 as a deck cadet with NZSCo. My other NZS shipmates there were Carl Rolaston (Roly); Bruce Hardy; Lawrence Mowatt (Mo); Tim King; Phil Jarman; Andy Wilson; Martin McCartan (Mac); and Roger Jones (the 'Vicar'). 

Anyone remember me/us?

Fond memories of 'Greasy Annies'; crowding round the TV watching TOTP; and smuggling a girl or two in from IM Marsh.

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be!!

Gary (Jones)


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## Orchidea

freddythefrog said:


> Was at Riversdale tech as trainee R/O 1965 to 1967, did all my tickets here, some good lecturers and a great crowd of Radio lads on the courses, had some great times, how time flies.Ah! the memories. I would do it all over again if i could---no regrets at all.
> Derek--did you not have some "gaffer tape" to fix the piece of wood back
> together or did you need a souvenir?? from the pub up the road--ha-ha.
> good old days eh!! regards ftf
> PS shame it has all been knocked down now and a housing estate built in place of it.


I was there same time as you but didn`t complete the course as I was commuting by public transpoprt from Southport can you imagine that in `65?and went to sea as a purser.Do you remember Eddie Murphy or John Saphier? that lecturer with west country accent,Parker and of course Mr.Teasedale.


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## Jerry wes

I was at Riversdale between 1975 and 1978 as a deck cadet for P&O. My main memory was from the Tower block, the Engineer cadets glued to the TV on a Sunday evening watching the Muppet Show. The really awful Mild at The Kinsman, Greasy Annie's and of course the Cabin Club on Wood Street ever weekend. Happy times


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## david.hopcroft

I was at Riversdale 62-63 doing PMG 2 then PMG 1. Back in 64 for a BOT Radar Cert.

The view of it all on Google Maps is pretty depressing - looks like yuppy flats.

David
+


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## oglebilluk

I too well remember Riversdale Tech; starting there as an Engineer Apprentice with the mighty Brocklebanks as recently as 1955 (or so it seems!)
Also the 'Aiggie' and further up the road a small Bents pub which had a cosy warm fire for a cold day.
As I now live in the area I'm aware of the many changes. The original Aigee was demolished and ultimately a car showroom was built; after several ownerships this too was demolished. Now they are building RETIREMENT APARTMENTS on that site - so they are ready to welcome us back. The attached thumbnail is the site plan and artists impression now posted on the security fencing.
For good measure I've also posted to my gallery some pictures taken in the vicinity.
Enjoy the memories
Bill


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## Derek Roger

Before our finals I used to study at the Aiggie at one of the tables by the bowling green. On the evening before our Math final George Harwood our math teacher was bowling ; he came over and asked why I was studying in a pub . I explained that my digs were too noisy ( land ladys son was a budding Beatle and always making a din with his Guitar)
George looked over my shoulder at the suff I was working on and said " I wouldnt bother with that ! turned over a few pages of my notes and said " wouldnt bother with that either " He did not tell me what to study but it helped knowing what not to bother about .
Indirectly the landladys son and the Aiggie helped me with Math .

Happy Days Derek


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## peteloud

I started at Riversdale the same time as you, Sept. 1962. (49 years ago). I was with Shell Tankers, but gave it up before my apprenticeship was up. I left to do a B.Sc. with CEGB. 

It was sad to give it up, I was a bit of a ship freak and spent my weekends going round the docks ship-spotting and going aboad a few varied ships. I decided that a degree with CEGB would lead to a better career.

In my first year I lived just behind the Aigburth, but out at Crosby in my 2nd year.

I remember that my salary was £158 per year in my first year, although we did get £4 7s 6d a week subsistence.


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## Derek Roger

Its 50 years ago today ( also a monday ) that I started with Brocklebanks as an apprentice at Riversdale .
About this time of day we were all up at the Aiggie getting to know one another .
I think I will have a beer . 
Happy Days Derek


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## peteloud

*50 years ago.*



Derek Roger said:


> Its 50 years ago today . . . . . I think I will have a beer .
> Happy Days Derek


We must have started on the same day. I was with Shell.

I was having a beer when notification of your posting came in. I was stood at the rail, with my beer, looking at the poop deck . . . . of a narrowboat, on the marina where I now live.

Since my early leaving of Shell I only met three of my Shell class-mates. Glynn Turnbull, who did the same as me and left Shell to do a B.Sc. and work for CEGB. I only met him once a couple of years after jacking in, and have no idea what happened to him.

I met up with 'Haggis', Ron Young a few years ago. He was living in USA but retired to Scotland a few years ago. We stay in contact.

I also met up with 'Clog', Colin Parsons. This is a very sad tale. Check out the story at,
http://www.peterloud.co.uk/indonesia/jalan_jaksa.html

Is there a British Merchant Navy anymore?


----------



## Peter Eccleson

This thread is a great 'nostalgia jogger' -I was at Riversdale on the R/o course in 1970 - 1971 when we were 'evacuated' from the Wireless College , Colwyn Bay after it closed. Great memories of the Aigbuth Arms and nights out in Liverpool. Went back in 1973 to do my radar ticket but had more 'disposable income' then as an employed R/O. Shame he place as gone!


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## Varley

Peter Eccleson said:


> This thread is a great 'nostalgia jogger' -I was at Riversdale on the R/o course in 1970 - 1971 when we were 'evacuated' from the Wireless College , Colwyn Bay after it closed. Great memories of the Aigbuth Arms and nights out in Liverpool. Went back in 1973 to do my radar ticket but had more 'disposable income' then as an employed R/O. Shame he place as gone!


Pete, I think our move came from internal pressure not external vacuum! David


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## Peter Eccleson

*Riversdale*

Dave....I believe that you are correct! was the vacuum formed by removal of available cash??? Never did really explore the reasons 'Kipper' shut the show down.


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## Jimmytwo56

I was at Riversdale from 72 to 74. My first year I lived in Kinsman House. The caretaker / doorman was a polish gentleman. Have happy memories of that first year. 16 years old and had my first pint in a pub in Garston . A new pub was opened on the main Aigburth road , across the road was a chippy "greasy Annies" where I had my first taste of a meat and potato pie. On Sunday's a group of us played war games with miniature soldiers, wish I could remember the gentleman who ran it. I do remember that the meals were awfull .


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## Varley

Peter Eccleson said:


> Dave....I believe that you are correct! was the vacuum formed by removal of available cash??? Never did really explore the reasons 'Kipper' shut the show down.


Pete, At the time I thought we all assumed that the cost of fitting the needed SSB and tighter tolerance kit wasn't 'worth the candle'. David V


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## Peter Eccleson

Dave - I am sure that a 'bit of marketing' at the time would no have been misplaced. A sob story to Marconi, IMRC and KH would have produced the goods at little to no cost no doubt. Ah well! That's nostalgia for you.


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## Ron Stringer

Peter Eccleson said:


> Dave - I am sure that a 'bit of marketing' at the time would no have been misplaced. A sob story to Marconi, IMRC and KH would have produced the goods at little to no cost no doubt. Ah well! That's nostalgia for you.


I know that Marconi gave "special discounts" for equipment supplied to radio colleges (I suppose all our competitors did likewise) but not having been involved on the sales side, I don't know the amounts involved. But I would point out that by 1988, when SOLAS was amended to adopt GMDSS, it was already crystal clear that there would be no further requirement for ships to carry a dedicated radio officer - GMDSS had been over 10 years in the making! 

The UK's Dept. of Transport had reversed its previous policy of setting high standards for the construction, manning and operation of British ships and instead had stated its intention to apply only the minimal standards set by IMO. So it was probable that someone responsible for the funding of Riversdale, recognising that the British shipping and shipbuilding industries were in steep decline and that the remaining businesses were already moving away from the UK, decided that further investment was not justified by the foreseeable reduction in demand for British officers and crews.


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## Varley

Ron Stringer said:


> I know that Marconi gave "special discounts" for equipment supplied to radio colleges...But I would point out that by 1988, when SOLAS was amended...
> 
> ... minimal standards set by IMO...


Ron, Pete and I are talking of 1970 not 90. We and others of Colwyn Bay's first MRGC intake were turfed out after year one, decanted to Riversdale. Year two only did practical (bar morse of course) but Colwyn Bay was equipped with Oceanspan era kit with not a semiconductor (of more than two electrodes anyway) in sight - I guess the lecturers would have needed some upskilling as well. With publically funded colleges still providing radio courses I suppose there may also have been issues with student grants. All in all I suspect the return on additional investment was unattractive (or perhaps suicidal).

I cannot resist adding that I don't think the standards of IMO are the problem or that much different from UK (having been largely drafted from them). I grant perfomance specifications like echo sounders - UK; phasing not permitted, IMO not mentioned. Radar; target colour to be independent of return strength - were different and, by and large, less stringent. The issue is how 'spritually' Johnny Foreigner adheres to them. An owner can have a good ship registered under the least attentive flag. He can also have a British registered wreck. Perhaps it is because that same wreck would have had to have British officers that it could trade despite its disadvantages. Any fool can run a competently designed and built vessel when its young - it is in its teenage years that finessing tells.


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## Ron Stringer

Varley said:


> Ron, Pete and I are talking of 1970 not 90. We and others of Colwyn Bay's first MRGC intake were turfed out after year one, decanted to Riversdale.


Apologies for misreading your posts. I thought you were referring to the closure of Riversdale, not Colwyn Bay.

As far as the comparison of IMO recommendations with the UK equipment performance standards is concerned, the crux was that in the 1980s (and subsequently) the DoT was under Government direction to reject all attempts to modify the old UK specs (largely dating from the 1960s) in order to reflect developments in technology. I was a member of various UK industry working groups and committees involved and the DoT/DTI civil servants were very unhappy with the change. 

The official justification was on the grounds that the old UK specs satisfied the existing IMO standards and the UK government was committed not to demand anything of a higher grade for their shipping. It was deemed to be a handicap on the British shipowner to demand any higher standards or the adoption of new ideas. So although technology moved on, the UK carriage requirements and standards stood still, until others had caught up. They now move only when IMO (a facility for determining the lowest common denominator and then adopting it for future application, after a decade or two) deems necessary.

UK companies that had developed more advanced technology were unable to sell it in their home market - shipowners in general fitted only what the regulations demanded. Denied a home market, they had great difficulty selling overseas. 

An example of an alternative approach was the development of anti-collision radar where, following its development by American manufacturers and some high profile marine incidents, the USA unilaterally demanded the fitting of anti-collision radar on all vessels (regardless of registry) in certain categories when visiting the USA. All vessels, note, not just its own flag ships. Not much evidence there of sticking to IMO standards. Only US manufacturers benefited from the new carriage requirement.

Later, when carriage of ARPA was strong-armed through IMO, which country had manufacturers offering such products off the shelf?


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## david.hopcroft

Ron - 

I did my PMG at Riversdale in 1962-63. The main Tx It was an Oceanspan (VII I think) that we were told was from the spare Radio Room on the Gothic during the Royal Tour. Had you heard of this before, or can you confirm it ?

David
+


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## Ron Stringer

david.hopcroft said:


> Ron -
> 
> I did my PMG at Riversdale in 1962-63. The main Tx It was an Oceanspan (VII I think) that we were told was from the spare Radio Room on the Gothic during the Royal Tour. Had you heard of this before, or can you confirm it ?
> 
> David
> +


Sorry, no I can't help with that and although I know the MIMCo technician from So'ton depot who sailed on that trip, I regret to say that he will not remember what happened to the additional gear fitted for the tour.


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## david.hopcroft

Thanks for that Ron. 

It was however the last time I saw Marconi gear. Job offers were a little scarce at that time. Mr Brown had already suggested we stayed on after the PMG 2nd to try for a 1st, which many of us did. I had a fairly quick offer from AEI and so my first trip was with a T50MH and G11/12. I went back for a BOT Radar on the Locator at Riversdale, and went straight to a BTH RMS2 !

Mr B at Riversdale also advised that we tried for a C & G Intermediate Telecomms as it would be easy for us. Good advice also - it was !
David
+


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## Scelerat

Jimmytwo56 said:


> I was at Riversdale from 72 to 74. My first year I lived in Kinsman House. The caretaker / doorman was a polish gentleman. Have happy memories of that first year. 16 years old and had my first pint in a pub in Garston . A new pub was opened on the main Aigburth road , across the road was a chippy "greasy Annies" where I had my first taste of a meat and potato pie. On Sunday's a group of us played war games with miniature soldiers, wish I could remember the gentleman who ran it. I do remember that the meals were awfull .


I was there on Phase 1, '75 and phase 2, in '77, I think. I was lucky enough to be invited to the bloke with the wargames stuff. The entire ground floor of his house was devoted to the hobby, with a vast array of very well made scenery and well painted figures. However, the only game I was involved in degenerated into an unpleasant argument about the ability of a jeep to avoid being hit by a german anti-tank gun, which got very silly, and very serious, so I never returned.


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## Derek Roger

peteloud said:


> We must have started on the same day. I was with Shell.
> 
> I was having a beer when notification of your posting came in. I was stood at the rail, with my beer, looking at the poop deck . . . . of a narrowboat, on the marina where I now live.
> 
> Since my early leaving of Shell I only met three of my Shell class-mates. Glynn Turnbull, who did the same as me and left Shell to do a B.Sc. and work for CEGB. I only met him once a couple of years after jacking in, and have no idea what happened to him.
> 
> I met up with 'Haggis', Ron Young a few years ago. He was living in USA but retired to Scotland a few years ago. We stay in contact.
> 
> I also met up with 'Clog', Colin Parsons. This is a very sad tale. Check out the story at,
> http://www.peterloud.co.uk/indonesia/jalan_jaksa.html
> 
> Is there a British Merchant Navy anymore?


Do you remember "Bronco Lane " ? either Shell or ED,s who wouod take his guitar up tothe "Aiggie" and entertain us .

Cheers Derek


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## Tony Selman

Ron and David. You must have both been there at the same time as me but at this distance I cannot recall either of your names. I went there in September 1961, dramatically failed my 2nd Class part 1 first time and then went through to get 1st Class with no further failures leaving Riversdale in very early 1964. I can recall the Oceanspan VII but do not recall the Gothic story. I must say that I also do not recall jobs being particularly hard to come by then, certainly when I was looking anyway. I got a job with Brock's within the first hour of starting to look and as far as I can remember I don't think any of my peer group struggled either. I know Brian Cotton and Jim Loughlin very well, I will ask them about the Gothic Oceanspan story.


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## Tony Selman

I have now heard from Brian Cotton. He trained at Riversdale in 1955-56 and it was said then that the Oceanspan 1 at that time was ex Gothic but that it was fairly quickly removed. We are tracking back further with Albert Owings who worked at Riversdale for a long time and he may well know for sure. For those of you who may remember him Albert is a WW2 R/O veteran who was sunk 3 times and is still going strong and turns up to the ROA AGM every year. I think he is about 90 now.


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## trotterdotpom

Brian Cotton wasn't the Marconi Manager at Takoradi depot in the early '70s, was he?

John T


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## ppgflyer

Attended Riversdale from 1974~1977, CGLI option. Cunard Line 1977~1985, now living in Los Angeles.

Lived in a Flat on Whitehedge Road, flat mate was Peter Duff.
Fond memories of The Sportsman's Arms and the band there called Supercharge. What a great time of my life those three years were.

Went back and did my Advanced Marine Radio & Radar ticket plus CGLI Full Tech Cert in Radio & Telecommunications.
Teachers I remember, George Dempsy and Miles O'Shea, Brian Cotton. 

A Navi friend of mine, Phill Edawards (Barbados) told me about a site called "Friends United", when I entered "Riversdale College" in the search there were several folks that showed up, but I remember being speechless when I discovered the photo's someone posted of C-block being demolished. So sad.
There were also photo's of a class trip to the Lake District, when we went it snowed, anybody else remember their trip up there?

Was back in the UK in January and was going to take my son to show him the college, but as it's gone there was no point wasting the gas.

Greg.


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## seagem (Cornish)

*Aiggie Days*

'Bronco' was EDs and a year ahead of me (Riversdale '63-'65 and '66-'67) as an engineer cadet in River House. There was another guy (anyone out there to remind me?) in the same year with a banjo. We could drown out the Tamla Motown, no problem.

Landlord of the Aiggie was Paddy Threlkeld and I used to like a dram of Dewars Ancestor Scotch, which the brewery allowed him 12 bottles a year. I think I did four of them for him and it was 2/6d a tot, rather than 2/3d like the rest, and he had to fetch it from the Cocktail Bar, where we lads never ventured. When cash was tight, a pint of mild in the public bar was 1/4d. As mentioned in another post, Paddy would always cash a cheque.

Cheers is indeed the correct salutation,

Cornish (as I was known in those days, otherwise Greg Morcom)




Derek Roger said:


> Do you remember "Bronco Lane " ? either Shell or ED,s who wouod take his guitar up tothe "Aiggie" and entertain us .
> 
> Cheers Derek


----------



## Derek Roger

seagem (Cornish) said:


> 'Bronco' was EDs and a year ahead of me (Riversdale '63-'65 and '66-'67) as an engineer cadet in River House. There was another guy (anyone out there to remind me?) in the same year with a banjo. We could drown out the Tamla Motown, no problem.
> 
> Landlord of the Aiggie was Paddy Threlkeld and I used to like a dram of Dewars Ancestor Scotch, which the brewery allowed him 12 bottles a year. I think I did four of them for him and it was 2/6d a tot, rather than 2/3d like the rest, and he had to fetch it from the Cocktail Bar, where we lads never ventured. When cash was tight, a pint of mild in the public bar was 1/4d. As mentioned in another post, Paddy would always cash a cheque.
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers is indeed the correct salutation,
> 
> Cornish (as I was known in those days, otherwise Greg Morcom)


Our paths must have passed in the Aiggie at some time then . One of our players in the Riversdale Rugby Club : Mel Wilson with Blue Flue ; ordered a pint of Shandy ; half and half to quench his thirst after a game . He was unhappy as he was charged the same as a pint of bitter ( expected to pay for the half pint bitter only ). It caused a bit of a row ! He was told that as it was mixed it was classed as a cocktail . Thereafter he would order a pint ; drink half of it and top off with the free lemonade that was on the tables for the peasents who put in in their Scotch .

Happy Days . Derek


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## Hartonman

I was there off and on from 1965 to 1968, a pie and a pint most lunchtimes in the Aiggie or scallope and chips from the chippy across the road.


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## seagem (Cornish)

*Alma Road*



Bryan Neary said:


> I was at Riversdale from 64-66 and remember the Eggie well. The beer (Walkers of Warrington) was pretty foul and most people seemed to drink it half and half with a bottle of Brown Peter (also awful tack!). My digs were in Alma Road. I made a nostalgic trip back about fifteen years ago and was disappointed to discover that the new Eggy was an ultra-modern soulless sort of place - nothing like the establishment which lost all it's tables and chairs to a pyramid on the main road one Saturday night!


Bryan,

In another memory that might have been about number 4, or perhaps 6, with Mr Mines and his wife Gina? Our paths may well have crossed there.

They were my digs for the Phase 3 (engineering) year of 1966-67, there being insufficient room in River House. There were about 9 of us, from a variety of companies, resident at £4.00 a week, paid for, in my case, out of the £5/5/- company subsistence. Meals were served with a dog escort, a Great Dane leading and an Alsation as rear-guard. If we said 'Boo' to the 'Dane, it scarpered, but no one said anything to the Alsation. It was a grand house in its day and looks, from Google, as if it is well refurbished now.

Whilst there, I bought my first car - an oil burning, '56 Morris Minor Series 2, with the 804cc, overhead valve, A30 engine and a split 'screen. We could pack in either 6 (or 7) of us for the run around to Riversdale. The middle passenger in the front, Phil Robinson of ED usually (his dad was an old man with EDs), had to do the gear changes for me! (What seat belts? There weren't any.)

Anyway, I/we survived to have memories!

Greg Morcom


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## Donga

*Gilly*

Hi Gregor,

Great to hear your memories, in such detail, but they were great days with an engineering training that was second to none. It has stood me in good stead throughout my career. So many memories & where to start. A group of us, with Bronco at the head, used to go down the Dock road, singing up a storm in the pubs. I`ve always tried to look out for him in pop groups over the years but to no avail. He was more talented than many that made it big, including the Beatles. Remember the Smallwoods, Captain & Mrs, how I fancied her, a mature lady with poise. River house used to be locked up, I think at midnight, so the fire door was the only way in after the bewitching hour. Captain Smallwood cottoned on to this & was waiting one night for any miscreants, of which I was one. Remembered Phil, who was prematurely bald & the original hippy. He held the record for the best lift while hitch hiking in Europe, a lift by US Army helicopter to Aachen. There`s a book of memories in our many hitch hiking exploits. So many names are flashing through my brain, Dai Waddell, who left to do a degree & played football like Garth Bale. Mike Smith ?, who was asked to leave. I`ve forgot the cir***stances. Rod or was it Rob, whose room was on the top floor & was drown off a beach in Lagos. Big Mac, not the MacDonald variety but the original from Old Swan. I sailed with him on a few occasions but his most infamous exploit was in Blackpool where we went to celebrate after our final exams. It was Scots week. We were in a pub on the front when one of our lads was attacked, I`m not sure whether it was Mike Gardner or Howie. However the group that were doing the attacking didn`t realise how big, in all senses, our group was. It was the wild west.
The police arrived with dogs but the only one of our group to be taken in was Big Mac. Good to hear from you Greg.

Peter G


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## Turbine6

Started at Riversdale in 69, first year in digs and then in Kinsman House tower block. Sad to here it is now a housing estate. Suppose not much need for a lot of cadets these days.


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## seagem (Cornish)

If you are Gilly, then it defines which one of of the two Pete Gs of my year you are - the Lancastrian (Blackburn). The other was from Middlesbrough and I often wondered where life took him. It was Rob Morton who was drowned at Tarkwa Beach. I remember Mick Gardner well but perhaps you would refresh my memory regarding Howie (from Worcester), who, as I recall, was a Shell guy, like Henk and George Hosker. I did call at Henk's old home address, in Bristol, a few years ago and his dad gave me his phone number. We did speak but never met up subsequently.

I went to the annual Elders of Elders Lunch in Liverpool this year (June 2013). There were none of our guys there but someone I spoke to mentioned 'Manxy', (from Bronco's year), who is now back on the IOM. I also spoke to a Burmese deck officer who later sent me the phone number, in Burma, for the Burmese deck cadet I had as cabin mate on my Burma trip, on Yoma, over Christmas, 1965, and I have now spoken to him. There is a chance we might yet meet as his daughter runs a couple of businesses for him in UK and he visits occasionally.

I followed Phil, The Original Hippy, on to the Fian (or was it later, on to Forcados?), where they had made for him, in suitably flowery cloth, by a Lagos tailor, a boiler suit that he used to wear for 'Stand By'. He was always referred to as 'Flower Power' and you might recall that he had a FP wedding on the cliffs at Newquay. Earlier this year, I also spoke to the the 2/Eng from Fian, who is now 82 and has seen better health.

Like Dai, I left (1970) for a degree (Sheffield Poly), where the Riversdale OND seemed to have taken me comfortably through the first two academic years. However, the learning process started when I discovered that the quarto size paper that we used at Riversdale had gone the way of the dodo, replaced by A4, and SI metric had replaced the myriad systems encountered earlier. I retired to Wiltshire from London in 1999 and now spend 3-4 months a year in Fife, whence cam the wee Scot 'Jock' C, although there is no one with his surname there now. It was him who was 'requested to leave' after an incident near Palm Cove, one of the seamier Liverpudlian establishments in which we prepared for seagoing life. Upon reflection, I think that 'Mike Smith' may have been 'Tony Smith' who gave support to try and stop his departure, possibly with the help of his brother, who was a 2/E.

The Rod in the year was Rod T from Amlwch and the class of '63 answer to Big Mac was Gordon Kincla. I have also a couple of stories about Mick Birkett, but for a different forum.

If, like me, you recall a lost youth, and in case you haven't found it already, take a look at 
http://www.elderdempster.org/

'Cornish'





Donga said:


> Hi Gregor,
> 
> Great to hear your memories, in such detail, but they were great days with an engineering training that was second to none. It has stood me in good stead throughout my career. So many memories & where to start. A group of us, with Bronco at the head, used to go down the Dock road, singing up a storm in the pubs. I`ve always tried to look out for him in pop groups over the years but to no avail. He was more talented than many that made it big, including the Beatles. Remember the Smallwoods, Captain & Mrs, how I fancied her, a mature lady with poise. River house used to be locked up, I think at midnight, so the fire door was the only way in after the bewitching hour. Captain Smallwood cottoned on to this & was waiting one night for any miscreants, of which I was one. Remembered Phil, who was prematurely bald & the original hippy. He held the record for the best lift while hitch hiking in Europe, a lift by US Army helicopter to Aachen. There`s a book of memories in our many hitch hiking exploits. So many names are flashing through my brain, Dai Waddell, who left to do a degree & played football like Garth Bale. Mike Smith ?, who was asked to leave. I`ve forgot the cir***stances. Rod or was it Rob, whose room was on the top floor & was drown off a beach in Lagos. Big Mac, not the MacDonald variety but the original from Old Swan. I sailed with him on a few occasions but his most infamous exploit was in Blackpool where we went to celebrate after our final exams. It was Scots week. We were in a pub on the front when one of our lads was attacked, I`m not sure whether it was Mike Gardner or Howie. However the group that were doing the attacking didn`t realise how big, in all senses, our group was. It was the wild west.
> The police arrived with dogs but the only one of our group to be taken in was Big Mac. Good to hear from you Greg.
> 
> Peter G


----------



## john g

Donga said:


> Hi Gregor,
> 
> Great to hear your memories, in such detail, but they were great days with an engineering training that was second to none. It has stood me in good stead throughout my career. So many memories & where to start. A group of us, with Bronco at the head, used to go down the Dock road, singing up a storm in the pubs. I`ve always tried to look out for him in pop groups over the years but to no avail. He was more talented than many that made it big, including the Beatles. Remember the Smallwoods, Captain & Mrs, how I fancied her, a mature lady with poise. River house used to be locked up, I think at midnight, so the fire door was the only way in after the bewitching hour. Captain Smallwood cottoned on to this & was waiting one night for any miscreants, of which I was one. Remembered Phil, who was prematurely bald & the original hippy. He held the record for the best lift while hitch hiking in Europe, a lift by US Army helicopter to Aachen. There`s a book of memories in our many hitch hiking exploits. So many names are flashing through my brain, Dai Waddell, who left to do a degree & played football like Garth Bale. Mike Smith ?, who was asked to leave. I`ve forgot the cir***stances. Rod or was it Rob, whose room was on the top floor & was drown off a beach in Lagos. Big Mac, not the MacDonald variety but the original from Old Swan. I sailed with him on a few occasions but his most infamous exploit was in Blackpool where we went to celebrate after our final exams. It was Scots week. We were in a pub on the front when one of our lads was attacked, I`m not sure whether it was Mike Gardner or Howie. However the group that were doing the attacking didn`t realise how big, in all senses, our group was. It was the wild west.
> The police arrived with dogs but the only one of our group to be taken in was Big Mac. Good to hear from you Greg.
> 
> Peter G


Hi Peter seem to recognise a couple of names although I was at Birkenhead (phase 1) and Riversdale later. Was Howie also known as "stasher" and Mike Gardner an ED apprentice ?....John G


----------



## alan ward

Re post #90
I had the pleasure of sailing with Gordon Kincla twice,once on the Orchidea with Whitco he was,I think 4th.Engineer and then on the Temple Bar when he was 3rd.He`d been working on a power station in Oxfordshire prior to that.Great fun was had and we were together for 6 months and then 4.He married a lovely Icelandic girl called Helga and is still at sea,commuting to ther Falklands.(Maybe he`s retired now)They live outside Reyjkavic when at the last contact she was breeding Icelandic sheepdogs!their children Dylan and Sara are in Brighton.


----------



## Donga

*gilly*

Mike Gardner was an ED Cadet who lived, I think at Formby. Howie was a Shell cadet who was from Worcester & was quite a ladies man but with a top of the range Citreon to drive, the type driven, at the time, by the French police. He had no problem with where to go on dates. I can see all the faces of the ED Engineering cadets in my year but names escape me, it`s not old age, my memory has been poor all my life. I can see a blond haired cadet, privately educated, who`s father was in the RAF at a base in Shropshire. I went down there with him & enjoyed a great weekend with lots of female company. Another was Ray from Wavertree, who was the 1st cadet I went into Liverpool with on my 1st night there. It was a fairly violent introduction to Liverpool. We met two girls in the El Kabala coffee bar on Bold street & agreed to take them home to Old Swan. However on board a bus at Pier Head we found ourselves being attacked by 4 lads. After a short hiatus one of the girls intervened, as it turned out one of the lads was her boyfriend. Needless to say that was the end of that short relationship. Another was Scotie, whose real name I am sure I never knew as he was a very quiet lad, some would say surly. Many faces but few names, but full of good times. I have still got the River House booklet whose Introduction begins with a quote from Kurt Hann, founder of Gordonstoun, as follows " It is wrong to coerce people into opinions; but it is our duty to impel them into experiences"


----------



## andyp1

As a Phase 3 Engineer with Shell, I was fortunate to have guidance on "local matters" from those who were Ocean cadets such as Makko, who knew all the attrctions and pitfalls that went with them ! Some of our intake had spent time in the "Falklands war zone" so had wisely invested their war bonus in new sports cars which were most effective. Happy and very hazy days indeed- an early intoduction into college life was the evening cruise on the "Royal Iris" followed by the official tour of the Swan pub & Cabin Club, where the completion of the membership application form was a rite of passage!


----------



## makko

Oh dear! The beer cruises are best forgotten! Especially extracting Mr. McPherson from some rather dire cir***stances and the brawls at Seacombe Ferry. Another memory, skipping workshop to do "foreigners" with Mr. Pisani. Do you recall my "Import Emporium" which operated at times out of the back of Dom's little van?
Cheers, Glug!
Dave


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## john g

Thanks for info yes it was "stasher" with a citroen with running boards he was at Riversdale for phase 3....Mike Gardner I know well as I worked with him for close on 40 years till he retired early about 5 years ago .....a company based in Birkenhead involved in the food and pharmaceutical machinery business....not seen him since....does any one remember Paul Burkey he as a Shell app if I remember had some flash sports cars in phase 3 ....john g


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## andyp1

Dave, yes the trips to St Asaph to help Dom Pisani on his "foreigners" stay with me- especially the " you can't gas axe that bell housing as it's aluminium" project to fit a new clutch plate in the fishing boat engine. As for extracting Snoopy "Big Nose" McPhereson from challenging cir***stances this was a regular event, usually involving beers / nurses / IM Marsh hockey team / irate admirers of the former 2 / constabulary / taxi drivers / night club owners / pub landlords / take away owners / kebab van owners / ........ !!!!!


----------



## makko

I still laugh about the gas axe! It was a Perkins P-6 if I remember correctly. Also taking the power washer to Dom's van and blowing the rusty, rotten wing off! Nothing a bit of bailing wire couldn't fix......... 

Later on, they used to lend us the farm to ride our motocross bikes. There were however unmarked mineshafts on the land which used to lead to long musings when people were delayed on a circuit. Two of the maddest (funnest) bikes we rode there were a Honda 80c.c. that Dom had "developed" and a Kawasaki Z-200 which I intended to sand race with a 6.5" Metzeler back tyre and street gearing. 

I'm now older but in many senses, none the wiser!

Rgds.
Nobby Dave


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## Derek Roger

Do any of you remember the chap in Shell who used to race Bikes ; came off many a time unharmed . On his street bike in Liverpool on the cobbles he lost it and broke his neck and died . Derek


----------



## makko

Derek,

You have many times asked about "Daggy", the Ocean Fleets Cadet Super.

One of his favourite stories was in regard of the "Mile a CC" club which, literally, died out in the late 70's-early eighties. The story went:

"There were some young men. Engineer Cadets. They studied and wanted to go to sea. They earned good wages. They bought motorcycles. They formed a club. Every weekend, they would ride one mile for each CC of their motorcycle. Some had 50's, no problem. Others had 1,000 or 1,200 CC machines, [pause] not a good choice. One weekend, they decided to all ride together, all seven in the club. They rode wide and far. On sunday evening, two returned to digs. Another two, arrived considerably later after prolonged hospital stays which ended their seagoing aspirations. Three returned late, but a little earlier - Although they arrived in pine boxes - Hee, Ha, heehee, hoho, heeehee, haha. Yes, gentlemen, motorcycles are very dangerous!"
Daggy was a LEGEND, definitely.

One Tuesday evening, after a lecture at Odyssey Works, when he would draw the lecture out so that we would be hard pressed for "last orders" at the Park Hotel, I went to ask him a question regarding steam plant. I found him in the top floor, looking into a Radar hood.
"Ahem! Mr. Dalgleish, I have a question and wonder if you could help", ventured I.
He continued looking into the hood and then raised his head and turned to me,
"Do you know what this is?", he asked. 
"Yes, a radar display".
"Do you know what you can use this for?".
"Yes, spot nearby vessels or landmasses in low or nil visibility", answered I.
"Yessssss..............Or keep an eye on where the cadets are!".
He had a sense of humour, a little black, but our wellfare and success were always at the forefront.......!

Rgds.
Dave


----------



## makko

BTW, anyone who knew Daggy will realize that I tried to literally translate his economy of speech!


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## Derek Roger

Daggy was from Dundee if I am correct . Derek


----------



## jonboysez

Anyone remember the tutor, old bloke with really thick glasses, think he taught electrical engineering in mid 70s, he had a sense of humour - reminds me of Ronny Barker when he was playing "Clarence". He nearly fell over someones bag left in the aisle between the desks one day. If you were one of the first down to breakfast in Kinsman House there was often a sprinkling of dust on the milk in the jugs (they must have been put out the night before) - mind you if you were late down to breakfast there was usually none left!


----------



## hibberd

Razor said:


> My other memory's of Riversdale (70/71) was living in a single occupancy room in the Tower Block with a view over the Mersey rather than the dorm style of living which a few of my other classmates had to do, I recollect they were apprenticed to an Irish outfit which had a red hand on the funnel, any takers as to the Company?


Head Line?[/QUOTE]

I was there then looking over the cricket ground alley way to Riversdale..


----------



## New Haven Neil

jonboysez said:


> Anyone remember the tutor, old bloke with really thick glasses, think he taught electrical engineering in mid 70s, he had a sense of humour - reminds me of Ronny Barker when he was playing "Clarence". He nearly fell over someones bag left in the aisle between the desks one day. If you were one of the first down to breakfast in Kinsman House there was often a sprinkling of dust on the milk in the jugs (they must have been put out the night before) - mind you if you were late down to breakfast there was usually none left!


That was Arnie Kirkbride - took us for electro tech. Poor old bugger could hardly see where he was walking, got me a distinction though!

I was PhI 76-78 and PhIII 79-80, for Bibby Line. Ian Hossack & Mike French, were two other Bibby's names I recall, there were 6 of us I think. I was made redundant in 83 and have worked ashore ever since in a variety of jobs, on the tools in the NHS, retrained in HR, then became an NHS department manager, moved to the Isle of Man (bikes!) and now am office manager of our young offenders team. That seems a long way from Riversdale as an engineer cadet!!

A shame Riversdale is gone, they were good years.


----------



## Varley

New Haven Neil said:


> That was Arnie Kirkbride - took us for electro tech. Poor old bugger could hardly see where he was walking, got me a distinction though!
> 
> I was PhI 76-78 and PhIII 79-80, for Bibby Line. Ian Hossack & Mike French, were two other Bibby's names I recall, there were 6 of us I think. I was made redundant in 83 and have worked ashore ever since in a variety of jobs, on the tools in the NHS, retrained in HR, then became an NHS department manager, moved to the Isle of Man (bikes!) and now am office manager of our young offenders team. That seems a long way from Riversdale as an engineer cadet!!
> 
> A shame Riversdale is gone, they were good years.


Just to say your young offenders are doing really well. No graffiti on the cottage wall for at least a week.


----------



## New Haven Neil

Varley said:


> Just to say your young offenders are doing really well. No graffiti on the cottage wall for at least a week.


We try very hard, with limited resources as you might imagine now the way things are! If you do get repeated grafitti, make sure you report it to the neigbourhood police team - if we don't know about it, we can't do anything. The bobbies are pretty much on the ball actually, as a rule. It's a long way from Bibby Line.....!!


----------



## endure

I was there 1972 to 1975. Did the MRGC/C&G Telecomms Technicians and Radar ticket all in one go. I think we were the first year where you had to do C&G and couldn't just do the MRGC. I was lucky enough to get one of the first cadetships that BP Tanker offered so did my last year there as a proper employee rather than a local education authority grant bod.


----------



## crellintk

*Aigy Arms*



Razor said:


> Double Diamond, brewed by Ind Coop I presume?


If I remember correctly, the brew was indeed just 'Diamond' - a pretty thin and unimpressive drink served from a garish purple coloured pump. Ind Coope later put some unknown extra ingredients in it, to (not very successfully) boost the taste, rebranding it as 'Double Diamond' serving it from an even more garish red/orange pump.

By modern standards, not a terribly good beer, but we still drank plenty of it.

Met my wife at IM Marsh by the way, and she has managed to put up with me for 44 years. They were exceptional girls.

Ken C.


----------



## andyp1

Neil,

If your Ph III time was anything like ours, it would possibly offer a few challenges to some of the young offenders your team looks after (Jester)(Jester)(Jester)

Some of our number have had to resort to going into hiding in South America to escape justice (Gleam)


----------



## M Roseblade

*Riversdale Radio Lecturers*



M29 said:


> Freddy
> You and I must have studied together or just one year apart. I was there 65/66, went to sea 67.
> 
> Brown was Head of the Radio Section, Griffiths was no 2. Andrews ran the Radar section. Ray Pilgrim (radar) was also there. (he is on friends re-united). Mr Parker taught Tech Elec. Mr Bruce taught "cabin" and Mr Teasdale (slightly crazy) ran labs. There was an older guy who taught radio who said "erm" every other word and I'm now ashamed to say that in boring lectures we would plot "erms" against time on a graph. He had the SG Brown headphone swindle and we all bought these of him. Cotton was also there and became involved in the Association of Marine Radio Colleges. Happy days!
> 
> Alan Melia



I was there between the years of 1964 and 1967 and can remember a couple of the lecturers - Mr Teasdale immediately springs to mind. I can remember him sitting all the new students down and asking them to write as fast as they could for a timed minute. After that he asked us to break down what we had written into blocks of five characters - on doing that he informed us that only one person in the room could write at more than 20 words a minute - what chance had any of us got of learning morse code and writing it down at that speed !!! 

He definitely was a bit crazy in the labs !! I remember one day that one particular student was irritating him so he asked him to come to the front of the class. He then asked him to hold the two leads of a megger and continued by getting another student to turn the handle.
Following a huge electric shock the irritating student did not bother him again !!! It wouldn't be allowed nowadays.

Eddie Bruce I can remember being a very short Scottish man with a pleasant nature. I think he at one time was a sparks on either the original Queen Mary or Elizabeth - not sure which. One of the other lecturers used to mix his time by lecturing and then spending time on the trawlers off the East Coast - this meant his tickets were kept valid for seagoing radio duties.

Happy days but difficult to remember - must be getting old !!!


----------



## endure

Anyone there 1972-1975? The first C&G Telecomms Technicians year? There was a lecturer called Eddie who was in his first year at the job who mistook us for schoolchildren and treated us like 12 year olds until we complained to Brian Cotton. Andy Simpson? Brian from Wigan? Michael Pugh from Blaneau Ffestiniog? The bloke from Aussie whose name escapes me. The berk who thought it would be a laugh to key the emergency transmitter while I had my hand wrapped round the antenna?


----------



## billeng

I virtually lived in the joint 64/66, living at ED's River House.

Bill English


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## Derek Roger

billeng said:


> I virtually lived in the joint 64/66, living at ED's River House.
> 
> Bill English


Most of us lived in the Aiggie


----------



## marinemec2004

*Dd*



Derek Roger said:


> Your local in Dundee would have been the " Bread " Bredalbane Arms . Jimmy Stirling was the owner.
> Best pint in " The Aiggie " in the early 60s was a pint of "D" which I remember was diamond '; dont know who made it but it was strong and good .
> The other favorite there was " brown mixed "


"A Double Diamond works wonders!!" -remember that?


----------



## Chris Wakefield

*Riverdale Cadetship*

I was at Riversdale, while doiny my OND Cadetship while employed by CP Ships, starting in 1978/79 and then back for the 3rd phase in 1981.
Stayed at Kinsman house for most of the first two years, and a brief spell in a flat in Garston old road.
Then back in Kinsman house for the 3rd phase, as a baby sitter for the new cadet intake, they had one 3rd phaser on each floor to look after the "babies", but normally meant talking them into buying you drinks in exchange for some salty stories.
Was a good time, and reading the posts brings back a lot of happy memories.
Just remembering the Kingsman at the top of the road, what a dump but as was the closest drinking establishment is where you always seemed to end up.


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## Broadlee

Lots of memories 1975 phase 3 engineering, not only of the college and people but the City as well. Harry Scott was a diamond gezzer 
Never seen so many bleedin shoe shops! the Aigburth road went for miles, I think it was the 85 bus into town, down to the sportsmans, then the grapes and finally the SHE club. ventured once to the Grafton ... first and last. 
The college itself was great, loads of fun, great workshops and full of characters, sad its gone. Cunard guys I recall, Nigel Wight, Bennet, Moran to name a few, other guys from Plymouth Phase 1 went to Sunderland, Leech, Ellis, Bannister .. good guys


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## alan ward

endure said:


> Anyone there 1972-1975? The first C&G Telecomms Technicians year? There was a lecturer called Eddie who was in his first year at the job who mistook us for schoolchildren and treated us like 12 year olds until we complained to Brian Cotton. Andy Simpson? Brian from Wigan? Michael Pugh from Blaneau Ffestiniog? The bloke from Aussie whose name escapes me. The berk who thought it would be a laugh to key the emergency transmitter while I had my hand wrapped round the antenna?


Would that be Eddie Murphy?


----------



## endure

alan ward said:


> Would that be Eddie Murphy?


Yes that was Eddie.


----------



## Taliesin

I spent several weeks there between voyages from 1959 onwards. The place was run by Hutson. Spent most evenings up at the Aigburth Arms where I met my very first 'love-of-my-life'. I remember a passionate evening in a bus shelter where she she whispered to me in the heights of ecstasy "God, you Middies can't half ****!!!".

Happy days.


----------



## makko

Taliesin said:


> Spent most evenings up at the Aigburth Arms where I met my very first 'love-of-my-life'. I remember a passionate evening in a bus shelter where she she whispered to me in the heights of ecstasy "God, you Middies can't half ****!!!".
> 
> Happy days.


How romantic! I was going to relate a personal tale but....!


----------



## Varley

Surely he was only singing?


----------



## Peter Eccleson

Last memory of Riversdale after passing my radar ticket in 1973 after returning to college with some cash in my pocket from 2 years with IMRC was finding my brand new Ford Capri with a dent in the side! Found a mini in the car park (well away from my car) with same colour paint as left in dent on my car plus minor 'scuff damage'.

Got out early and waited for the owner....... Shell cadet. Laughingly denied all knowledge of the incident with his 2 mates as witnesses. 

Devine retribution........ waited until end of my week when exams were over and 'painted' his mini in Nitromors paint remover! Happy days......


----------



## P.Arnold

*Riversdale Radio College 1960's*



Tony Selman said:


> I have now heard from Brian Cotton. He trained at Riversdale in 1955-56 and it was said then that the Oceanspan 1 at that time was ex Gothic but that it was fairly quickly removed. We are tracking back further with Albert Owings who worked at Riversdale for a long time and he may well know for sure. For those of you who may remember him Albert is a WW2 R/O veteran who was sunk 3 times and is still going strong and turns up to the ROA AGM every year. I think he is about 90 now.


Being a relatively new member to SN, I have been looking through the 'older' threads, and would like to add or ask with ref to # numbers

#81, had lunch with Albert Owings 23rd (yesterday) on the lightship Planet moored at Liverpool Maritime museum. It is a twice yearly event for anybody who knows anybody from mainly the marine radio fraternity, sea or land. ie Marconi's, Decca, Sait, IMR, Riversdale lecturers including Brian Cotton, Willie Williamson.

#38 during my attendance 65-67, we also had lecturers Wilkes and Johnson.

#58 Eddie Murphy, wasn't he a student on the above course. I had a PM from Mike Roseblade with some of the names we remembered from the class, but can't remember were I 'filed' the thread.

Do you remember going to the weekly swimming sesh at Garston baths for personnel life saving? .
----------------------------------------------------------------

No use getting older if don't get....... I can swim.
---------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## Phil-van-Bergen

*Ivor Rutherford*

Just heard the sad news that Ivor has died. The following was received last night:

"Ivor Rutherford passed west this afternoon (Oct 6th 2015) after battling with Parkinsons for two years. His wife Jean died in 2013 and his son John told me today that Ivor never really recovered from the loss and was diagnosed with Parkinsons shortly thereafter.

He didn't (as you would expect) take kindly to being ill and the medication did not agree with him.

John contacted me this afternoon at home to let me know that Ivor was going downhill rapidly but by the time I got the message (I am presently in Southampton on business) and had made contact with him, Ivor had died.

One of the great characters has gone and I am sure we all have fond memories of him and his teaching methods.

The funeral is to be next week but I have no details.

Please pass this news on to anyone else you know of who was at Riversdale and was taught by Ivor."

Rgds/Phil van Bergen


----------



## Phil-van-Bergen

Just looked at the area on Street View and everything that was there has been flattened and replaced by flats...


----------



## alan ward

I went back and walked down Riversdale Road from the Cricket Club down to the river.As you said it`s all gone now replaced by flats it brought back many memories of lunchtimes spent watching the raw sewage flow into the Mersey,isn`t it surprising how many condoms passed by considering it,Liverpool,is supposed to be a Catholic city? I went out with girl from La Sagesse,the school just along the road a couple of years after I left Riversdale and her old school is also flats.


----------



## Farmer John

More people living there, less education. Seems a sad comment on progress.


----------



## Rendrag

*River House*

Hi Greg (Cornish)
I'm Mike Gardner and have just found this site. I remember the days at River House and Riversdale Tech well. John Waddell, Big Mac, Phil, Rod Turner who I did two trips with on the Donga. I then sailed on the Mamfe Apapa and Aureol before getting my seconds ticket and came ashore in 1970
I have remained good friends with Howie ( Howard W ) elder brother of Stasher ( Steve W) both of whom were Shell Apprentices. 
I often wonder what happened to all the lads and how they got on in life.
It was me that got attacked in Blackpool.
I see John G has made a post . John was a Brockelbank Apprentice and we were work colleagues for many years before I retired in 2007. 
Cheers
Mike


----------



## Derek Roger

Rendrag said:


> Hi Greg (Cornish)
> I'm Mike Gardner and have just found this site. I remember the days at River House and Riversdale Tech well. John Waddell, Big Mac, Phil, Rod Turner who I did two trips with on the Donga. I then sailed on the Mamfe Apapa and Aureol before getting my seconds ticket and came ashore in 1970
> I have remained good friends with Howie ( Howard W ) elder brother of Stasher ( Steve W) both of whom were Shell Apprentices.
> I often wonder what happened to all the lads and how they got on in life.
> It was me that got attacked in Blackpool.
> I see John G has made a post . John was a Brockelbank Apprentice and we were work colleagues for many years before I retired in 2007.
> Cheers
> Mike


Welcome on board Mike ;m were you in the same year/ class as Bronco Lane ?? Regards Derek


----------



## Rendrag

Derek Roger said:


> Welcome on board Mike ;m were you in the same year/ class as Bronco Lane ?? Regards Derek


Hi Derek
I was at River House Sept 1963 to 65 and back for phases 3 in 66/ 67.the guys I remember at River House are. Mike Birkett (St Kitts) Rod Turner (Amlwch)Phil Robinson (Manchester) John Waddell (Wales) Jim Cullen (Bootle)Bob ? rode a Vespa) Rob Morton ( Died Tarqua Beach) Greg (cornish) Morcom, Jock who left. Pete Gilly? (Blackburn).Howard Wison and Steve( Stasher ) Wilson (Worcester)
Charley Wright, who had an old car Teddy Tap, and was in 3rd phase when we were in 1st phase. Bronco and Billy Blake and Geoff (Tiger) Rawes
Cheers
Mike


----------



## david.hopcroft

I think there was a bit left of the college when I visited in the early 2000's, but nothing to be seen now on google earth. As in #127, my former grammar school - Liverpool Collegiate - is still there, but very much a block of luxury flats. 

David
+


----------



## D1566

I was there for PhIII from 1981 - 82; Must have enjoyed myself as I stayed in Liverpool for another 15 years 
Can confirm that there is nothing recognisable left of the college or River House etc.


----------



## Derek Roger

D1566 said:


> I was there for PhIII from 1981 - 82; Must have enjoyed myself as I stayed in Liverpool for another 15 years
> Can confirm that there is nothing recognisable left of the college or River House etc.


And worse than that the Aiggie is also gone.


----------



## D1566

Derek Roger said:


> And worse than that the Aiggie is also gone.


Longer gone than Riversdale. Its been through at least two incarnations of 'The Kingsman' since then. Haven't been past that way for a while myself though.


----------



## RayL

david.hopcroft said:


> I think there was a bit left of the college when I visited in the early 2000s, but nothing to be seen now on google earth. As in #127, my former grammar school - Liverpool Collegiate - is still there, but very much a block of luxury flats.
> David
> +


Hi David. I did the same round about the same time and all the buildings were still there. I took a number of photos with my old film camera so I'll now re-take them with my digital and post them here in a couple of days' time. Watch this space ...


----------



## RayL

Here's the first shot. We see the college from the Otterspool Promenade side on 6 Aug 2003.







Oops! It seems I need to do a bit of research before I post my six photos. See you later.


----------



## david.hopcroft

Ray

This I think is mid 60's judging by the cars. The lilac & white Triumph Herald was my Dad's, and the car in which I passed my test in 1964. Reg was 518 ELV - strewth !

David
+


----------



## Derek Roger

david.hopcroft said:


> Ray
> 
> This I think is mid 60's judging by the cars. The lilac & white Triumph Herald was my Dad's, and the car in which I passed my test in 1964. Reg was 518 ELV - strewth !
> 
> David
> +


There was a rugby field up there somewhere ; Riversdale Tech Rugby Club used it for training . Derek


----------



## RayL

Thanks David. Your photo is actually much better than the one I was attempting to post so I'll forget about that one. The other five will be of interest, however, so if you wouldn't mind describing the posting up method I will oblige.


----------



## P.Arnold

*Ron Griffiths*

I understand Ron Griffiths has made his last voyage.
He was one of my lecturers during my time at Riversdale, 1965/67


----------



## uisdean mor

Derek Roger said:


> There was a rugby field up there somewhere ; Riversdale Tech Rugby Club used it for training . Derek


Yup - and an extremely large tree at one end. Under whose spreading boughs many a period was spent either turned off completely or cramming some particular detail into ones head.


----------



## luigi

RayL said:


> Thanks David. Your photo is actually much better than the one I was attempting to post so I'll forget about that one. The other five will be of interest, however, so if you wouldn't mind describing the posting up method I will oblige.


The way I post pictures is by means of a hyperlink.

See *here* for instructions I made for posting on another forum. I have shown how to use photobucket but you can use any image-hosting website.


----------



## Donga

Just seen your message, Rendtag, alias Mike Gardner. Haven`t been on tis site for sometime. I`m Gilly, alias Donga which you also sailed on. Had a few mind blowing experiences on her. I`m in touch with Cornish, Gregor. Will let him know you have log on to the site.


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## D1566

Looking up Riversdale Road, from Otterspool direction;
image by Martin Perry, on Flickr
Looking into the former college grounds;
image by Martin Perry, on Flickr
Taken yesterday.


----------



## seagem (Cornish)

*Overdue response*

Mike,

Good to have made contact again.

It was following the notifcation of another post that I found this one for me. I guess that any earlier notification is lost in somewhere in digiland (sounds like somewhere in the north end of Liverpool), or 'the ether', perhaps.

Some other names from our year were Pete Graham (ED, Middlesborough), Henk ('Hank') Krouwel (Shell, Bristol) and Richard Gidman (Mobil, Liverpool). I've kept in touch with Richard since and, although it's always years between meetings, there also developed a connection with his family. When standing by, as a J/E in Liverpool, 300 miles from home and when all the local based crew were at home for the weekend, a phone call to his home would result in an invitation for Sunday lunch, around 4pm. He was always at sea, but there was always a warm welcome from his mum and dad.

I noted, in another Riversdale post, the mention of Teddy Tap. This was sold on to Dick Denning (ED, Dorset). I made, and then lost, contact with him some 6 or 7 years ago, at which time he was in Western Australia, having just retired from his own company. Dick was in the year ahead of us, along with 'Bronco' Lane, and, before starting his own business, had been engineer on a pearl fishing boat in the Pacific. 

Also in River House, one of the Ph3 guys, by the name 'Ferdy' I believe and who was 2 or 3 years ahead of us, had a 2-cyl Bradford van (Jowett Motors). As ever with cars of that era, there always seemed to be more maintenance that motoring, or was it a case of oily fingers being cheaper than petrol?

My first car was a 1956 split screen Morris Minor Series 2, purchased from Ken Norman, who left our year in ED to join the RAF in Shrewsbury. (Before Ph3?) By then I was in digs in Alma Road, off Mersey Road, and we used to fit around 6 of us in for the short run around to Riversdale. Phil Robinson used to sit 'beween' the front seats and did the gear changes for me. The brakes were abysmal and it's amazing that we survived two crossings of Aigburth dual carriageway. I sold it some 4 months later (having run a big end bearing that I replaced, by the roadside, in the rain, in Shepton Mallet; the consequence of oil consumption of 50 miles to a pint). The advert was misplaced in the the 'Deaths' column of the Western Evening Herald and produced some 30 replies. Fortunately, the words 'Owner sailing Monday' didn't put them off.

There are a couple more names for you, Mike.

Look forward to meeting up again shortly.

With apologies to all for repeating anything from ealier posts.

Cheers,

Cornish



Rendrag said:


> Hi Greg (Cornish)
> I'm Mike Gardner and have just found this site. I remember the days at River House and Riversdale Tech well. John Waddell, Big Mac, Phil, Rod Turner who I did two trips with on the Donga. I then sailed on the Mamfe Apapa and Aureol before getting my seconds ticket and came ashore in 1970
> I have remained good friends with Howie ( Howard W ) elder brother of Stasher ( Steve W) both of whom were Shell Apprentices.
> I often wonder what happened to all the lads and how they got on in life.
> It was me that got attacked in Blackpool.
> I see John G has made a post . John was a Brockelbank Apprentice and we were work colleagues for many years before I retired in 2007.
> Cheers
> Mike


----------



## seagem (Cornish)

*Riversdale Road*

I think that Jim Cullen might have been Jim Culkin.

Now, Riversdale Road was always full of dog **** and Jim, bless him, who was also also resident in River House, used to maintain a map showing all the latest deposits. This was fine when heading to the Aiggie, but a bit (s)hit and miss on the way back to River House.



Rendrag said:


> Hi Greg (Cornish)
> I'm Mike Gardner and have just found this site. I remember the days at River House and Riversdale Tech well. John Waddell, Big Mac, Phil, Rod Turner who I did two trips with on the Donga. I then sailed on the Mamfe Apapa and Aureol before getting my seconds ticket and came ashore in 1970
> I have remained good friends with Howie ( Howard W ) elder brother of Stasher ( Steve W) both of whom were Shell Apprentices.
> I often wonder what happened to all the lads and how they got on in life.
> It was me that got attacked in Blackpool.
> I see John G has made a post . John was a Brockelbank Apprentice and we were work colleagues for many years before I retired in 2007.
> Cheers
> Mike


----------



## elephantman

So glad I found this site, it's been great reading all about Riversdale, I was there in 82/83 ( I think) for my engineering finals, remember Iain "Snoopy " MacPherson very well indeed......not so good on other names though.....left the sea in 84 (made redundant) and joined the fire service for 23 years now work for a wind turbine company. 
All the best

David B


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## makko

elephantman said:


> So glad I found this site, it's been great reading all about Riversdale, I was there in 82/83 ( I think) for my engineering finals, remember Iain "Snoopy " MacPherson very well indeed......not so good on other names though.....left the sea in 84 (made redundant) and joined the fire service for 23 years now work for a wind turbine company.
> All the best
> 
> David B


Mr. "Bruun",
Glad to remake your acquaintance - Fellow Jan'80 intake - Dave R.
Send me a Private Message!
Rgds.


----------



## roystrutt

Hi I was there around 1974 - 75 - sponsor was Mobil Shipping - visited Liverpool last weekend and the Aigburth Arms is now a Toby eatery - Cricket field is still there and the college is now housing - Kinsman House now has flats on the site (called Kinsman Court) see attached photos


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## Geoffrey Stone

*Tracing old friends*

I was at Riversdale from 1964 to 1966 (for my OND in Engineering) and again 1967-1968 for the Marine endorsements. I was employed by Cunard and spent much time with Jim Diack including being his best man. Jim's home was Edinburgh. I have long since lost contact with Jim but would really like to find out where he now. Does anyone know????? Another person from that period I would like to trace is Michael Chamberlain whose son is my Godson. He used to live in Liverpool. Both of these guys would be around 70 years old now.


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## oglebilluk

*Riversdale staff 1955*

I've recently been given the attached photo by Keith Scott, who was a BP Tankers apprentice at Riversdale from 1953 to 55. So the initial group.
I was there 1955 to 57 as a Brocks apprentice, so recognise some of the faces. L to R Gordon Kenworthy Neale (Heat Engines), ?, ?, Ken Drysdale (Workshop Practice) and George Harwood(Maths.), I hope I've correctly remembered the subject titles. Can anyone identify the others?The face of the missing gentleman I seem to recognise.
Also many of the postings relating to Riversdale correctly make a strong link to the Aigburth Arms, although I preferred the little Bents further towards Garston which had a warming open fire in the winter. Both are demolished, and the Aigee site now contains sheltered housing. Perhaps upgrading its use for us!
Happy days
Bill


----------



## Graham Wallace

oglebilluk said:


> I've recently been given the attached photo by Keith Scott, who was a BP Tankers apprentice at Riversdale from 1953 to 55. So the initial group.
> I was there 1955 to 57 as a Brocks apprentice, so recognise some of the faces. L to R Gordon Kenworthy Neale (Heat Engines), ?, ?, Ken Drysdale (Workshop Practice) and George Harwood(Maths.), I hope I've correctly remembered the subject titles. Can anyone identify the others?The face of the missing gentleman I seem to recognise.
> Also many of the postings relating to Riversdale correctly make a strong link to the Aigburth Arms, although I preferred the little Bents further towards Garston which had a warming open fire in the winter. Both are demolished, and the Aigee site now contains sheltered housing. Perhaps upgrading its use for us!
> Happy days
> Bill


Bill,

Keith Scott (GK Scott)was actually a 1954 Intake BP Marine Engineering Apprentice. 1954 was not the initial entry

The initial (full) group was the 1952 intake consisting of 51 personnel.

The initial BP Marine Engineering group consisted of 6 guys at Acton Technical College who were brought into the BP fold as they finished their independant two year OND Mechanical Engineering Course (no Marine Engineering endorsement) in the summer of 1962. 
Three actually failed their OND and were let go. The remaining 3 went to Llandarcy Refinery Apprentices workshops for 6 months and went to sea at the some time on the same ship January 1963 and served 15 months as Apprentices.

Graham


----------



## IvortheEngine

stevesmi said:


> I was at Riversdale in 1970,71,72 as a Radio Officer student so didn't mix too much with the non-R/Os. I wonder if any ex-Riversdale R/Os are reading this?


Only just noticed your post from a few years back. I was also there 1970-73 then went to sea with Marconi....were you in the hostel (Kinsman House)? My memory for names is not as good as it used to be but don't think we were in the same class? Were you with Garry Black, Pete Barnard, Alan Cloke etc?

All the best

Ivor (aka John Davies)


----------



## Farmer John

oglebilluk said:


> ... the Aigee site now contains sheltered housing. Perhaps upgrading its use for us!
> Happy days
> Bill


I think it was knocked down and a road widened over it. Could be wrong.


----------



## Chris Meadows

*Roger Green*

Belated so, I feel I must record on this site, the sad passing of Roger Green 22 October 2017, at a far too young an age.
I was at Riversdale with Roger Sept 78 to July'sh 79 on the OND course Phase 3. A great time had by all, especially the football!
Sadly missed.


----------



## Keith Ideson

Just found this site and glad of it. Brings back many happy memories, was at Riversdale between 70 and 74. Remember well watching Top of the Pops in the common room in Kinsman House to the accompaniment of loud bangs on the roof as some joker dropped anything and everything from the rooms above. The Kinsman opened at this time, before that we used to go to Garston but can’t remember the names of the pubs, maybe something to do with the amount consumed. As for Greasy Annies and the ‘ meat’ and potato pies they were an intergral part of college life. We used to get a week in a cottage in Coniston which I believe belonged to the college where we did a bit of walking and a lot of drinking and a good time was had by all. Happy days indeed. Shame it’s all gone.


----------



## New Haven Neil

Ah, that would be Lawson Park - we had a great week there except the bit where two silly buggers got lost and we had to go out in the dark to find them!

Greasy Annie's too - what memory!


----------



## Keith Ideson

Thanks couldn’t remember the name of the place. It was a guy called Les Cusworth took our group there used to lecture on heat engineering at college.Great guy, had to be to teach me but got me through ok


----------



## New Haven Neil

You're welcome. It was mechanics I struggled with but it dawned one day and was OK from then on! Had Bond for Heat, can't remember the others. Power Plant was Nobby Christian....Harry Scott.....good blokes. Arnie Kirkbride for Electrotech, then Kenny. Seems a long time ago - 76-80.


----------



## Keith Ideson

Don’t recognise most of them but will never forget Arnie with the thick glasses, took us for electrics as well. Good to look back after all these years.


----------



## makko

Neil,
You have rattled some cobwebs there - I too had Bond for Heat, Nobby and Kenny for Electrotech - I was there for Phase III in 83. Another guy I remember is Dandy but don't know what subject.
Dave


----------



## Derek Roger

In my days ; teachers were George Harwood Maths ; Lt Cmdr Kenworthy Neal 
Heat Engines ; Mr Endbinder Electo tech : George Saltrese EK,s and many others
who escape me now ; but the names will come back ( brain is on dead slow ahead in fog ) Derek


----------



## makko

Derek, wasn't George Saltrese a BOT examiner at some stage? He seemed to be around forever and then a day!
Rgds.
Dave


----------



## Derek Roger

*George Saltrese*

I very much doubt it . George when giving lessons would come out with amazing stories which usually ended up with him telling us he had invented the item under discussion . We had very little belief in most of his stories ; however they were entertaining . Derek


----------



## Jim Culkin

*Long Time ago*



seagem (Cornish) said:


> I think that Jim Cullen might have been Jim Culkin.
> 
> Now, Riversdale Road was always full of dog **** and Jim, bless him, who was also also resident in River House, used to maintain a map showing all the latest deposits. This was fine when heading to the Aiggie, but a bit (s)hit and miss on the way back to River House.


Hi Greg,

I am replying to your post of 3 years ago so this may not reach you, I hope it does.

I found this site when searching the Net after a recent visit to Liverpool. Good to see that Mike G and Pete Gil are in touch.

Some more names I remember from River House are Bob Mathews, Ray Roberts, Barry Maynard, Teddy Finn and Alan Kevan. From Ferdie’s year I remember Bob Smith and a guy called Fothergill. Alan and I did degrees at Liverpool Poly and I am still in touch with Alan. He lives in Bolton and I live near Market Harborough in Leicestershire.

I have a very, very, very vague memory that I may have produced a dog s**t map but I will proudly take the credit anyway. Of course, It would be different if I had a reputation to loose.

Hope this reaches you, best wishes Jim C.


----------



## seagem (Cornish)

*An age before time, even*

Hi Jim,

Yes, it reached me just fine; good to hear from you.

I was in Liverpool on Saturday (17/11/18) and, after June's Calder College reunion lunch, we visited Paddy's Wigwam, where I wondered where both you and Ted Finn may have ended up.

I left EDs in 1970, having sailed as 3rd on Pegu, and went to Sheffield Poly for my degree. Every job bar one since then had something to do with either ships or the sea, although, whilst in the one that didn't, I did design the hydraulic cylinder that operates Peterhead Harbour bridge.


Bob Matthews came from Chester and I was there a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't recall his surname. Yes, I've reached the point in life where I keep losing my place in the script. Mind you, there's still a lot of EDs, of which I have many fine memories.

Best regards,

Gregor




Jim Culkin said:


> Hi Greg,
> 
> I am replying to your post of 3 years ago so this may not reach you, I hope it does.
> 
> I found this site when searching the Net after a recent visit to Liverpool. Good to see that Mike G and Pete Gil are in touch.
> 
> Some more names I remember from River House are Bob Mathews, Ray Roberts, Barry Maynard, Teddy Finn and Alan Kevan. From Ferdie’s year I remember Bob Smith and a guy called Fothergill. Alan and I did degrees at Liverpool Poly and I am still in touch with Alan. He lives in Bolton and I live near Market Harborough in Leicestershire.
> 
> I have a very, very, very vague memory that I may have produced a dog s**t map but I will proudly take the credit anyway. Of course, It would be different if I had a reputation to loose.
> 
> Hope this reaches you, best wishes Jim C.


----------



## petermc

makko said:


> Derek, wasn't George Saltrese a BOT examiner at some stage? He seemed to be around forever and then a day!
> Rgds.
> Dave


I took up Judo in mid 60s in Liverpool,a George Saltrese was a well known Black Belt instructor at the time. Would it be the same person?.


----------



## j3trooper

*Riversdale & Kinsman House*

I was at Riversdale 1970-74 marine engineering. I remember George Saltrese being a Judo expert and he was kicking on in age back then.


----------



## makko

Maybe that is where I remember GS from, judo! I shall have to ask my Dad when I next talk to him.
Rgds.
Dave


----------



## IvortheEngine

*Riversdale 1970 - 73*



stevesmi said:


> I was at Riversdale in 1970,71,72 as a Radio Officer student so didn't mix too much with the non-R/Os. I wonder if any ex-Riversdale R/Os are reading this?


Hello Steve - I should probably remember you as I was a Marine Radio Student at Riversdale 1970-73. I lived in Kinsman House (the Tower Block Hostel , 6th floor) all of that time.

Managed to pass my MPT and City & Guilds and got a job with Marconi. Had my interview in Pall Mall, Liverpool alongside Pete Barnard who had been in the other radio class but also lived in the hostel. 

I stayed with Marconi until I was made redundant in 1986 and now live in Aberystwyth, Mid Wales which was where I came from originally.

All the best

john Davies ( aka Ivortheengine)


----------



## Donna.endeavour

Hi at Riversdale for phase 1 engineering 84-86 then back in 88 for phase 3. Only girlie doing engineering at the time. Does anyone remember Mr Christian? Can't remember the tutors name that took machine shop who's pride and joy was his Morgan. Good days.


----------



## makko

Donna.endeavour said:


> Hi at Riversdale for phase 1 engineering 84-86 then back in 88 for phase 3. Only girlie doing engineering at the time. Does anyone remember Mr Christian? Can't remember the tutors name that took machine shop who's pride and joy was his Morgan. Good days.


Nobby Christian, remember him well! I did phase 3 in 1983 at Riversdale. We were told that pumps/hydraulics never came up. We did not study hydraulics. They did! All 18 of us in Ocean Fleets had to repeat our exams. I am very au fait still with pumps.
Rgds.
Dave


----------



## makko

*George Saltrese*



makko said:


> Maybe that is where I remember GS from, judo! I shall have to ask my Dad when I next talk to him.
> Rgds.
> Dave


Well,

Talking with my Dad, I got chapter and verse on George Saltrese.

Apparently, he was a bit of a mystery man. He went to sea with Blue Funnel. He was a master of Ju Jitsu and Judo and was on the Welsh Judo Board. According to my Dad, George was a very underrated Dan belt.

His main interest was Mu Shin, the empty mind. The symbol in Chinese is a simple circle in a broad black ink brush stroke. Mu Shin is the concentration of the mind to produce nothing. It can be used as a defence/weapon in very precarious situations. The eyes take on a glassy, dead appearance, the person has no thoughts and become almost hollow, a sort of "living dead". The whole point being, where does the mind/soul go when someone goes Mu Shin? George was very coy on the subject and would allude to time/space travel!

He was also a master of Shiatsu, the manipulation of nerves, making people unconscious/dead and bringing them back. Now a lost/black art in modern Judo.

One day, he turned up, out of the blue, at a Judo grading. he got talking to my Dad and asked him to help organize a Shiatsu course. This, they duly did. George's fee was only petrol money from his home in North Wales.

George set up the Shiatsu Association as head and my Dad became Secretary. However, before it took off, George had a car accident. Although he survived unscathed, according to him because he went Mu Lin a split second before the impact, age took its toll and he passed away.

He left all his papers and writings to my Dad, but Jimmy Griffiths of the Poulton Victoria Judo Club, who was a big mate of George, picked the papers up from George's wife to "give to my Dad". Nuff' said, Jimmy too died and the papers were forever lost.

George shared the same birthday as my Dad. George was "on the square", Woodchurch Lodge.

Apparently (although, looking at the dates, Dad may be confused) George was the leader of the recovery of the HMSm "Thetis" and his photograph featured, aboard the rescue tug, sporting a sidearm in the Liverpool Echo. My Dad has been forever moved by Thetis and the needless loss of life due to burocratic wrangling at the Admiralty.

So there you have it. A little bit of history/nostalgia about a man who created an impression on his students for his love of Marine Engineering and his masterpieces in chalk on a simple blackboard, never to last beyond the end of the class!

RIP - George Saltrese, wherever Mu Lin might have eventually taken you! 

Rgds.
Dave


----------



## John Woodings

Response to Keith Ideson (April 2018). We wee on the same valses on Phase 1 1970-72 & I think Phase 3 in 73/74. Thinking it will be 50 years since we started in September 2020. Are you in touch with anyone else from our year?


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## Joh Heaton

*Phase 3*



John Woodings said:


> Response to Keith Ideson (April 2018). We wee on the same valses on Phase 1 1970-72 & I think Phase 3 in 73/74. Thinking it will be 50 years since we started in September 2020. Are you in touch with anyone else from our year?


John 
Beleive we were under the same roof with Peveril Walsh


----------



## John Woodings

Hi John, good to hear from you. You are correct we shared a flat in Hunts Cross with Bob Dixon, Pev Walsh, you & me. I’m still in contact with Pev but haven’t seen or heard of Bob since we left in Summer 74. How are you, where are you & what happened to you after Riversdale?


----------



## Joh Heaton

John Woodings said:


> Hi John, good to hear from you. You are correct we shared a flat in Hunts Cross with Bob Dixon, Pev Walsh, you & me. I’m still in contact with Pev but haven’t seen or heard of Bob since we left in Summer 74. How are you, where are you & what happened to you after Riversdale?


Sailed with Houlders till 1979 got my 2rd ticket and part A chief’s last job with them was 3rd when I decided to leave they offered me 2nd job but turned it down and left to work ashore . Still live in France in the auvergne region. Have 3 children and am retired since 2015 was in sales and purchasing most of my working year’s changed job’s frequently like on board once you know how it works it gets boring Is Peveril still with Hilary ? I remember leaving Hunts cross before you did the landlord get upset remember the flat was in a bit of a state there was a hole in the side of the fridge? we are all confined in France with this virus that why I opened up nostalgia Well thats the latest great to hear from you Didn’t you live north of Liverpool?


----------



## John Woodings

Joh Heaton said:


> John Woodings said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi John, good to hear from you. You are correct we shared a flat in Hunts Cross with Bob Dixon, Pev Walsh, you & me. I’m still in contact with Pev but haven’t seen or heard of Bob since we left in Summer 74. How are you, where are you & what happened to you after Riversdale?
> 
> 
> 
> Sailed with Houlders till 1979 got my 2rd ticket and part A chief’s last job with them was 3rd when I decided to leave they offered me 2nd job but turned it down and left to work ashore . Still live in France in the auvergne region. Have 3 children and am retired since 2015 was in sales and purchasing most of my working year’s changed job’s frequently like on board once you know how it works it gets boring Is Peveril still with Hilary ? I remember leaving Hunts cross before you did the landlord get upset remember the flat was in a bit of a state there was a hole in the side of the fridge? we are all confined in France with this virus that why I opened up nostalgia Well thats the latest great to hear from you Didn’t you live north of Liverpool?
Click to expand...


Left Fyffes 1 trip after Riversdale & joined Shaw Saville. They were amalgamated into Furness General Shipping & I stayed with them until I joined Houlder Marine Drilling in 1982, shortly after getting my Chiefs ticket. Worked in Oil & Gas Exploration & Production (offshore/onshore) for the rest of my career & retired 3 years ago. Maggie & I have been married 40 years this year, we have two married sons & 1 Granddaughter. We live on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire. 
Are you in touch with anyone else from Riversdale days?


----------



## Joh Heaton

Hi John
Have sent two previous messages and for some reason they been ditched
So you were part of the John Houlder team on the rigs 
Sailed with a few guys that went on the rigs ( dry boats)
PEV sent me some photos from Windermere Christ I had long hair a few months later the French navy cut then short &#55357;&#56865;
When you were with SS did you know Ian Rogers and Paul Holmes ?
Well I’ll cut off and see if this message gets throu
Take care


----------



## John Woodings

Hi John. I remained with Houlder Marine Drilling from 1982-89, then joined British Gas E&P (later Centrica E&P) working on offshore gas production platforms. Went into onshore gas terminal & power station management. Latter part of my career in Offshore & Onshore Project Management. Don’t recall the two guys from SS I’m afraid. Pev said he had been in touch; are you in contact with anyone else from Riversdale? Best Rgds, John.


----------



## Joh Heaton

John Woodings said:


> Hi John. I remained with Houlder Marine Drilling from 1982-89, then joined British Gas E&P (later Centrica E&P) working on offshore gas production platforms. Went into onshore gas terminal & power station management. Latter part of my career in Offshore & Onshore Project Management. Don’t recall the two guys from SS I’m afraid. Pev said he had been in touch; are you in contact with anyone else from Riversdale? Best Rgds, John.


Hi John
Yes I had quite a few exchanges with Pev
No have had no contacts with ex riversdale cadets did have Jimmy Landry 
On the phone in the 90’s 
Names are coming back Forester who I recognize on photos slim with a moustache ( I think ) think he was an Everton supporter
The name Gosling also rings a bell a dark haired chap with strange eyes
Thèse 2 names came to mind at 5 in the morning
Let’s hope some ex cadets read ships nostalgia
Take care John


----------



## Gasser

*Riversdale Tech*

Hi everyone. I've just joined after finding this Riversdale College thread trawling the net. 

I attended there 69-71 studying ONC Mech Engineering. I'm not Merchant Navy, being an apprentice gas engineer with the North Western Gas Board back then - they sent about 20 odd of us to Riversdale straight from school. A revelation !!

All of us traveled there daily from the South Lancashire / Mersey areas and our course was in two 8 week blocks per year over 2 years. Most of us stayed with the NWGB / British Gas / National Grid throughout our careers and are all now retired. We didn't mix with many others at Riversdale probably due to us all commuting there daily.

I've been reading the many interesting memories of others at Riversdale. I'm trying to remember our lecturers, 

Mr Endbinder - Electrical eng
Mr Kirkbride - Was he electrical also ?

One of these did not like us gas engineers and thought we shouldn't be there !!

Mr Lewis - A young guy Mathematics
Mr Fraser - first year mechanical second year maths - a bit of a terror !! 
Other names I cant recall - Heat Engines - a baldish guy with a bit of a lisp (?) - superb lecturer though
Tech Drawing - dark haired guy

I remember the dire pies (and chips with flourescent green peas). A walk down to Otterspool promenade to watch various objects floating by !! One afternoons lectures were done in a Methodist Church at Aigburth Vale - quite a walk.

Sorry to realize it's all gone. Liverpool John Moores university now does a Marine Engineering course and has a state of the art computerised ships bridge simulator - I saw this whilst attending a open day a couple of years ago.

Later I did my HNC gas engineering at Stretford Tech Manchester - a different kettle of fish altogether !!

Thanks for the memories

Gasser


----------



## billeng

Hi Gasser, I was at Riversdale 64/65, Elder Dempster cadet, I think the heat engines lecturer was Lt Cmdr Kenworthy Neal RN. He was terrific and the last I heard of him was that he was teaching at the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania. Bill


----------



## Bryan Neary

M29 said:


> *Riversdale 64/66*
> 
> 
> 
> Hey Bryan, remember me? Where did you go after we left College.
> I went into Bibby Line until 1975 when I swallowed the pick. Now teaching at City of Bristol College.
> 
> Alan Melia


Hello Allan
I only just picked up your message!
I stayed with Marconi until redundant in 1986. Most of my time there was with Bank Line worldwide trading, though as things got worse I spent the last five years or so on their copra boats commuting from Hull via Panama to the South Pacific (first stop Tahiti) then back via New Guinea and Suez.
After that I went F.O.C. and was lucky enough to spend five more years on the Valdivia (Harrisons Clyde) before my last trip on an Israeli-owned shambles when I walked off after three weeks.
Then, courtesy of a couple of well-paying insurance policies, I took several years off whilst I was still young enough, then worked for a local communications company programming mobile radios.

Now thoroughly enjoying retirement researching the old shipping companies. I never realised just how many there were - literally thousands - and that's just the UK!

Bryan


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## Evansp

A few pictures from Phase 3 at Riversdale, 1972-1973, the last one was taken at Lawson Park in Phase 1.


----------



## seagem (Cornish)

Thank you for posting a great set of photos. I did Phase 3 in 1966-67, when the workshop was still setting up. During that time, we took delivery of a 3-drum Yarrow boiler, which came from a Navy survey ship. The plan was always to steam it and run machinery. Did this ever happen?


----------



## taffe65

seagem (Cornish) said:


> Thank you for posting a great set of photos. I did Phase 3 in 1966-67, when the workshop was still setting up. During that time, we took delivery of a 3-drum Yarrow boiler, which came from a Navy survey ship. The plan was always to steam it and run machinery. Did this ever happen?


Sure did! Did my 3rd phase there,shared cunard flat with Paul swindlehurst and Ian Armstrong,magical time of my life.Anyway back to the chainblocks,we flashed aforementioned blr and ran the triple expansion engine and had enough magic mist to gently spin the T/A,quite a good setup really with the cooling tanks as a source of condensing water.


----------



## seagem (Cornish)

taffe65 said:


> Sure did! Did my 3rd phase there,shared cunard flat with Paul swindlehurst and Ian Armstrong,magical time of my life.Anyway back to the chainblocks,we flashed aforementioned blr and ran the triple expansion engine and had enough magic mist to gently spin the T/A,quite a good setup really with the cooling tanks as a source of condensing water.


Road
Great. The T/A was there in '66, but the triple expansion later. I guess that the large, classic, Weir recip feed pump was pressed into service too. I was with EDs and lodged, for Ph 3, in Alma Road, off Mersey Road (Alan Campion was the Cunard rep there) after Ph1 in River House. A magical time indeed.


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## taffe65

Cornish, We stayed at 10, horringford Road Aigburth, us guys upstairs and our lovely landlady miss Anne Dowde downstairs. The privet hedges along that street had a fair few dents in them after our nights in town.


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## Evansp

I had such a fab time at Riversdale that I stayed in Liverpool for 16 years and eventually married an ex Calder College girl


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## seagem (Cornish)

Evansp said:


> I had such a fab time at Riversdale that I stayed in Liverpool for 16 years and eventually married an ex Calder College girl


I've just picked up on your post regarding marrying an ex Calder girl. I met my wife at Calder during Ph.3 (we passed our 53rd aniv. Boxing Day) and she took her first teaching job in Cornwall in '68. We visit Liverpool frequently, living now only a 1/2 hr train journey away. Where did all the ships go? They've even filled in Toxteth Dock, where I have spent a some time, but it is good to see the refurbished India Buildings on Water Street, the former Elder Dempster/Blue Flue/Ocean Fleets head office.


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## Evansp

seagem (Cornish) said:


> I've just picked up on your post regarding marrying an ex Calder girl. I met my wife at Calder during Ph.3 (we passed our 53rd aniv. Boxing Day) and she took her first teaching job in Cornwall in '68. We visit Liverpool frequently, living now only a 1/2 hr train journey away. Where did all the ships go? They've even filled in Toxteth Dock, where I have spent a some time, but it is good to see the refurbished India Buildings on Water Street, the former Elder Dempster/Blue Flue/Ocean Fleets head office.


Yes it’s a great shame when you travel along regent road and look at the dereliction of the old docks. We loved to skive off from Riversdale on a Friday lunchtime, go to the Dominion on Regent road and blah a ship visit in the afternoon


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## britman

I started with Ocean Transport and Trading at Aulis, across the road from Riversdale in September 1972. I was 17. Liverpool was a huge city from my perspective having lived in a little village in Bedfordshire all my life up till then. The mentions in this string about the Aigee Arms and the chip shop across the road bring back so many happy memories!! My first vessel was the E.D. ship Mano, ex Menelaus. Anybody got a picture or some dwt details? In my memory, she was huge but after working with 22,000 teu vessels recently I think my memory may have been distorted by all beer at the Aigburth Arms!!!


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## seagem (Cornish)

britman said:


> I started with Ocean Transport and Trading at Aulis, across the road from Riversdale in September 1972. I was 17. Liverpool was a huge city from my perspective having lived in a little village in Bedfordshire all my life up till then. The mentions in this string about the Aigee Arms and the chip shop across the road bring back so many happy memories!! My first vessel was the E.D. ship Mano, ex Menelaus. Anybody got a picture or some dwt details? In my memory, she was huge but after working with 22,000 teu vessels recently I think my memory may have been distorted by all beer at the Aigburth Arms!!!


I left in 1970 but stood by the Blue Flue (BF) Menelaus in either 1968 or 69. I see that she was renamed Mano in 1972 and in 1977 she became the Oti, another ED name from the past. Launched 1957 at Caaledon Shipbuilding and Engineering, Dundee; B&W engine of 8500bhp by Harland & Wolf, Belfast; 4894 n 9660 dwt.








Interesting to note that River House, The Elder Dempster (ED) cadet hostel next door to Aulis, had disappeared on the creation of Ocean Fleets and its single cadet intake for the combined ED and BF. My local from 1963 to 65 was the Aigburth Hotel, opposite the shops past the cricket ground, but this too disapeard when the dual carriageway was extended. The Aigburth Arms, along in Aigburth Vale, was too far to visit bar just once.

'


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## AndrewNS

endure said:


> Anyone there 1972-1975? The first C&G Telecomms Technicians year? There was a lecturer called Eddie who was in his first year at the job who mistook us for schoolchildren and treated us like 12 year olds until we complained to Brian Cotton. Andy Simpson? Brian from Wigan? Michael Pugh from Blaneau Ffestiniog? The bloke from Aussie whose name escapes me. The berk who thought it would be a laugh to key the emergency transmitter while I had my hand wrapped round the antenna?


Hi, I realise it is an old post, I’ve just joined group. I’m Andrew Simpson. RCT 1972-75, I was in digs with Michael Pugh when at RCT. Brian? was his surname something like Fairfield? He was unfortunate to get appendicitis, so missed a few weeks. Dick Phillips was the other one of us together.


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