# Middlesbrough Pool



## Billy1963 (Jan 4, 2006)

Unfortunately I did not go to sea until 1980 and most of the real ships had gone by then. I was on the new Middlesbrough Pool situated in the Dundas Arcade in Middlesbrough town centre. When that closed in the mid 1980's I was moved up to South Shields Pool until that closed but by which time I was contract with P&O.

What I am looking for is does anyone have any memories of the old Middlesbrough Pool. I've looked every where for information and can find no information or details of it what so ever on when it was opened/closed etc.

Rgds Billy


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## peter drake (Jan 16, 2009)

Hi Billy

I signed off and then on the Ravensworth in Middlesbrough in Dec 62 but sorry i can't remember where it was. You may know that two members were elected to the shipping federation in Middlesbrough in 1892 but at that time I think it was an insurance club for ship owners.

Pete


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## GRAHAM D (Feb 13, 2007)

Is that a slightly older Billy MCGee I see on your profile.
Not sure if I've got the right Billy here, but if that is you we sailed together for quite a few years on the ELK. 
If that is you we had some laughs on there with Deggsie and the boys.(Thumb) 
Graham


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## Billy1963 (Jan 4, 2006)

Hello Graham,

Yep thats me (Thumb) Some ship the Elk was. Five years of madness and mayhem (Pint) . Deggsie is still on the go as we get a Xmas card from his family every year. Sadly his wife Mary passed away last year. Still meet up with Alan Genter (Hull), Andy Heath (Manchester) and fat **** Micky Graham once in a while. Alan is still at sea and Andy has his own landscape gardening business. As for Micky he's still mad as a hatter. He keeps going back to sea every now and then. Bumped into Mad Mac at a Boro game a few years back and also Billy Roe at a MN parade in Redcar. I'm even lead to believe Jimmy (Mary) Meadows is still on the go.


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## Geoff Clode (Sep 22, 2009)

Hi I remember going to the Mercantile Marine Offices in I think Wilson st for an assessment as an Engineer about 68. (boro) Then going to the pool. At the time their was a Cruise ship sailing, began with A maybe Arcadia?. Anyway they were desperate for crew! They signed anybody on and I heard later the voyage was a disaster- the crew were telling the passengers to xxxx off and just got pxxxxx up all the time. After that they moved the pool elsewhere. The last time I went to the pool was Watergate Buildings in Newcastle!


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## Hamish Mackintosh (Jan 5, 2006)

The officer in the Middlesborough pool did me a great favour in 1949.I had just left Gravesend sea school and they had sent me to report to Middleborough pool, he pointed out I wasat the wrong pool and to report to the nearest pool to my home, which was Goole(I lived in Leeds at the time) I said I thought Goole was just a coasting port and would rather be going "deep sea"He said "go on the coast for a year lad ,as there is no rating of Deckboy on the coast, you will sign on as JOS"which I did, and missed a whole year of washing dishes


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

Geoff Clode said:


> The last time I went to the pool was Watergate Buildings in Newcastle!


Bill Williams was the man at the Newcastle pool, I was at sea with his brother Tommy, now, sadly, long across the bar.


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## GRAHAM D (Feb 13, 2007)

Hi Billy, nice to hear from you, and to hear how the boys are going on. If ever you are in bridlington, give us a ring at the Coastguard station and call in for a cupper. I still hear from Andy as well.


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