# prince of wales sea training school



## chrisk

hi there just thought i would shout out for any ex (pwsts )boys who may be out there ,it was bp tankers training school for engine room boys in dover i was there for 4 months from 1973 its a school not mentioned as far as i can see but was a long established training school that must have seen many hundreds of lads thru to the sea,we usually did 3-4 months then to sea for 2 years or so then back to dover college of tech to sit our city+guilds. i left with thirteen other newbies to join a tanker (british merlin)in stockholm needless to say we had the toughest of introductions to the engine room as !boys! scavenge digging being one of our frequent passtimes and bilge diving the other!! 
anyhow hope some old boys are out there


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## Trader

Hi Chris,
There are a few Prince of Wales old boys on here but I am not one of them although I live in Dover. I sailed with quite a few of them.

Regards, Alec.


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## borderreiver

Yes there is a few of us around
I was there in 1960 great time joined Port Montreal as a deck Boy
did a year trip
wages for trip still in the post office bank


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## glancon

Hi, Iam also Ex PWSTS, Ingham 1950. If you don't already know, there is an old boys website here http://www.pwsts.org.uk/. You would be made very welcome if you signed up and it's free. We are having a reunion in Norwich on the 1st August 2009, it would be great if you could attend. 

Glancon


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## RNW

I too was a PWSTS product.
The year 1969, Chippy, The Bosun, Sludge, Chippy, and Captain Vine.
That school has never left me to this day, I still think of the days we had to run around the light house, lower the lifeboat, try to have a *** on the roof, jump over the wall on Friday nights, and get back before being discovered.
All on 50p!!
A great school, run by a wonderful Captain Vine who I admired then, and still do.
For those who attended the PWSTS, and haven't found the site, you must have a look
http://www.pwsts.org.uk/.


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## borderreiver

Went on the run to the South Forland light house. Could not understand why no one was with me The rest had gone down to the bech the other side of the harbour and were swimming in the sea.


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## johnny.x

johnny x here i was there early 68. i was to understand its closed now?


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## clonguish

My late Father was an old boy of PWSTS in the days it was in Limehouse in 1937 later I was in King Teds across the road in 1970 Mind you he worked his way from the F'csl to get his Masters Ticket, never forgave me for becomming an Engineer Lol


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## borderreiver

My father never forgave me going on deck. I still do not know one end of a spanner. which is why 2 nd eng always throw them at me


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## Billieboy

borderreiver said:


> My father never forgave me going on deck. I still do not know one end of a spanner. which is why 2 nd eng always throw them at me


My son is something like you, two left hands, could break any toy within ten minutes. Bikes, mopeds, a total mystery, still have six boxes of meccano in the attic, Lego was a little better, but not much! now he's a lawyer married to Phd. pension Fund Board advisor.

At least, he didn't go to sea!


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## johnny.x

Billieboy, do you know p.w.s.t.s?


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## Billieboy

johnny.x said:


> Billieboy, do you know p.w.s.t.s?


Sorry Johnny, never heard of it, although I did spend many happy hours in Limehouse, mostly at Old Friends, the Chinese restaurant, in 1967.


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## johnny.x

Billieboy, ifound site & got me details of when i was there. Did you mean the old limehouse traing school? that was before pwsts


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## Billieboy

No Johnny, Limehouse the area of London down the Commercial road past Poplar.


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## johnny.x

Billieboy, was on br poplar, poplar on london use ter go down there on me sat arvos when o was at boarding school in wanstead. got sent there when i was little fer being a handful at home. Best thing me old folks did, didnt ave ter put up with em only in me hollidays!!


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## johnny.x

Any you pwsts still around i was in derwent68 , 4188. 1or2 got kicked out when i was there. smoking, drinking usual stuff. bit naughty meself at times, always getting extra duties on the front door!! Chippy use ter feel sorry fer me an let me disapear when sludge n others ad gone! great days!!!!


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## jon b

yes we still exist was there in dec 74 chippy chasing after rosa 

captain vine and Hadleigh and commander Burgess were the teachers last saw the place its a dump 

i can remember the first day as side boy i put the mn flag upside down it was torrential rain and i never checked the flag when it went up it did not go down to well they were great days


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## Mike Griffiths

*P.w.s.t.s*

This thread brings back a few memories, I did my 4 months in 1966,and did my first 8 months on Br Confidence.£23:10 shillings a month as an Engine room boy,went on the pool afterwards in London and Liverpool ,and then foreign flags. Mike Griffiths


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## borderreiver

Had a great time there in the 60s
Joined port line as a deck boy on 7 pounds a month. got more collecting mt beer bottles. pay still in the post office bank.


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## Colgrace

Was at PWSTS in 1967, Derwent class, left in Sept and joined Port Napier. Best times of my life.


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## paul1947

hi all
ex pwsts 1962 and all training was about deck crew till the middle sixties then went engineering due rank of GPR (both deck and engine room)
and yes pwsts do have a website and we also have reunions.
hi owen (glancon) nice one adding school website.

www.pwsts.org.uk


please join it you will also find pwsts on youtube


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## Mike Skeet

*Mike Skeet*

A bit late to reply, but have just read the thread.
I was at the PWSTS at ingham in 1959 for 6 months. Enjoyed it very much. 1st ship Orion for 4 trips as deckboy and JOS then sailed on all sorts of ships deepsea and coasting. left in 1958 as 2nd Mate to settle ashore and get married. Worked as a fireman in the London Fire Brigade for 30 years. Now long time retired and living in North Devon


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