# chips on ships



## jg grant

Hi from NZ. Several posts to this thread mention chips for lunch or dinner. I never saw a chip on any ship I was on ,( middle fifties/ middle sixties.A chip pan on a ship would be bleedin' dangerous in any kind of weather. Maybe they were oven fries?
I got some beef dripping from my work and rendered it down. Made chips just like Mum used to make. Magical! But the house stunk for weeks. Ronnie


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## salvina

Most ships I sailed on in early 60s the standard fare on Friday was fish & chips for dinner and Sundays was steak,egg & chips for dinner and they certainly weren't oven chips.


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## Nick Balls

No chip pans! Just a deep fat frier bolted to the deck! Many small supply boats in the North Sea had these. However even these fixed ones can be dangerous dependent on just how the architect drew up the galley plans. The worst thing being to put the thing next to the range!(Please note this if you are designing a small vessel) Having said that I have enjoyed pizza and chips (All homemade) in some very extreme weather conditions.


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## spongebob

Ronnie, the Collier Kaitangata had a big chip pot and wire basket full of solidified beef dripping stored ion the cool room and was fired up, weather permitting, for the traditional Friday night dinner at sea or in port.
The same Cook got drunk ashore in Greymouth one trip and to cover the evening meal he turned up alongside in a taxi with about 27 individual cod and chip servings from the local chippy, one for each crew member.
Captain Champion was not impressed but the meal was spot on.

Bob


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## Binnacle

I would have thought that a British flag ship without a chip pan would be refused a sea worthiness certificate. Thankfully all my time at sea I never sailed without one. 
During a sea cadet camp about 1944 we did a trip on a convoy escort vessel, HMS Philante*. For breakfast we had corned beef sandwiches, lunch time, same again. By tea time we were ravenenous as with the sea air and carrying out a landing exercise on Arran on Carley floats we were ready for a decent meal. The galley skylight attracted us like a magnet as the lovely smell of fish and chips drifted upwards. We quickly responded when the tannoy summoned us to our mess for tea. It was a cruel introduction to service life, bully beef sandwiches again. We then realised after the depth charge demonstration when we were clear of the convoy, that the main purpose had been to obtain fresh fish for the crew's tea. On returning to Ardrossan we hurried to the nearest service canteen for a half decent meal with second thoughts about joining the King's Navy. 
* Later renamed Norge and gifted by the Norwegian people to king Haakon.


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## Ray Mac

Used a Fish Kettle on some ships to do the Fries, still got the burn mark on left arm when lifting kettle onto bench to cool down.(Whaaa)

Most ship by late sixties had Fry Fry's(Pint)

Ray(Gleam)


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## Chris Isaac

Chips?
French fried potatoes please, as to how they were cooked..... no idea!


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## John Dryden

Chips every morning for breakfast in Bank Line,late 60's.Sounds revolting now but did enjoy them with bacon and eggs.


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## Don Matheson

Have had chips with some meal on board every ship I sailed on including North Sea supply boats. On one supply boat in heavy weather the cook used to do Monkfish with chips as he knew very few would be eating. normally myself the skipper 2nd Eng and himself. Great meal and you could have as much as you wanted. Strangely he never burnt himself or set fire to the ship. 
Later on an oil platform the Chief Steward ( camp boss) told me that if you submitted a quote for catering that did not include and price for chips you would not be getting the contract.

Don


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## Trampshipman

jg grant said:


> Hi from NZ. Several posts to this thread mention chips for lunch or dinner. I never saw a chip on any ship I was on ,( middle fifties/ middle sixties.A chip pan on a ship would be bleedin' dangerous in any kind of weather. Maybe they were oven fries?
> I got some beef dripping from my work and rendered it down. Made chips just like Mum used to make. Magical! But the house stunk for weeks. Ronnie


This is something I`d never even have thought of if I hadn`t spotted this thread. Thinking back now though, I can`t ever remember seeing a chip on any ship I sailed in. Nearest thing would be a `roastie`, but we`d only ever get one of them anyway.

Ken.


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## jg grant

Good on ya trampshipman. I see now I was not alone in my deprived adolescence!HaHa. I was on Stanhopes, Gibsons, Salvesens, RFA's, Cairn Thompson,Charlie Hills, NZSCo in the galley and the thought of a chip pan on a ship never crossed my mind.However on Gibsons Abbotsford we ran aground on Inch comb between Grangemouth and Leith with no stores aboard and a crew of about fourteen. We got towed off at high tide and had to go back to dry dock in Grangemouth. I got sent up the road for fish suppers and upset everyone in the chippy when I placed my order, fourteen fish suppers please! The staff were jumping up and down, the punters behind were doing likewise. It almost got physical.Running back through the docks and the crew were hanging over the side urging me to greater speeds with threats and abusive language.That was my only experience of chips at sea.I don't doubt anyones story here but I cannot imagine a chip pan on a ship.Ps There's a great little chippy up the road from here and my Sunday night treat is F&C. They also sell deep fried mars bars but I'm not game for that. Regards to all, Ronnie


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## spongebob

Ronnie, Deep fried Mars Bars in the Bays?
What on earth is the Shore coming to!

Bob


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## John Rogers

None on any of the ships I sailed on,late 40s and early 50s,it was a treat to go ashore and fill the newspaper full of fish and chips.

John.

I think I will dig out the old deep fryer and make some this week,chips with fried eggs,and with some deep fried SPAM fritters added for good measure. If I am going to sin I will sin good.


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## dom

*dom*



jg grant said:


> Good on ya trampshipman. I see now I was not alone in my deprived adolescence!HaHa. I was on Stanhopes, Gibsons, Salvesens, RFA's, Cairn Thompson,Charlie Hills, NZSCo in the galley and the thought of a chip pan on a ship never crossed my mind.However on Gibsons Abbotsford we ran aground on Inch comb between Grangemouth and Leith with no stores aboard and a crew of about fourteen. We got towed off at high tide and had to go back to dry dock in Grangemouth. I got sent up the road for fish suppers and upset everyone in the chippy when I placed my order, fourteen fish suppers please! The staff were jumping up and down, the punters behind were doing likewise. It almost got physical.Running back through the docks and the crew were hanging over the side urging me to greater speeds with threats and abusive language.That was my only experience of chips at sea.I don't doubt anyones story here but I cannot imagine a chip pan on a ship.Ps There's a great little chippy up the road from here and my Sunday night treat is F&C. They also sell deep fried mars bars but I'm not game for that. Regards to all, Ronnie


was on the Ettrick and Yarrow remember having chips for a meal


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## Donald McGhee

John Dryden said:


> Chips every morning for breakfast in Bank Line,late 60's.Sounds revolting now but did enjoy them with bacon and eggs.


Yeah John, I remember the chips every day on the Bank Line ships I was on. Nothing like a big omellette and chips for breakfast. Great stuff. No wonder I am somewhat rotund even now!


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## spongebob

All this talk of chips is getting to me and it is only 10 am.
I might slip over to JR's when he flashes up the deep fryer.

Bob


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## ian keyl

*Chips on Ships.*

In the mid sixties Ben Line tried a dutch system which was like the pom frit mayonaise which you got ashore. They installed a machine which you put in a potato powder added water mixed it then extruded perfectly square ships any lenght you wanted . then deep fried them.

They were not bad to start with and taste was a bit bland not earthy taste like real spuds but after three and half months out to the east and back you ended up with a square a*** hole.

Moto is too many chips are not good for you.
I cant remember when they changed back if they ever did.

Rgds Ian


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## john fraser

ian keyl said:


> In the mid sixties Ben Line tried a dutch system which was like the pom frit mayonaise which you got ashore. They installed a machine which you put in a potato powder added water mixed it then extruded perfectly square ships any lenght you wanted . then deep fried them.
> 
> They were not bad to start with and taste was a bit bland not earthy taste like real spuds but after three and half months out to the east and back you ended up with a square a*** hole.
> 
> Moto is too many chips are not good for you.
> I cant remember when they changed back if they ever did.
> 
> Rgds Ian


Hi Ian, These chip machines were consigned to the furthest corner of the storerooms.never to see daylight again.I remember they were put on board by the "Kardomah" coffee company who had a contract to supply ground coffee.I found out in later years that the "rep" that supplied them with the head office permission was a cousin of the late Capt.Stan.Walker.


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## David W

In the early 1960's, a deep fat fryer, in a cargo ship galley??.

A 2ft square cast iron pan, half full of rendered down meat fat, on a coal burning stove, in the middle of winter in the North Atlantic, the pan may have been secured with fiddles, but the fat was'n't. All because we must give them fish & chips on Friday. This is when nostalgia becomes painful. 
Coal fired ranges tended to be either red hot & roaring up the flue or just about warm with smouldering black stones on the fire bars.


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## Derek Roger

John Rogers said:


> None on any of the ships I sailed on,late 40s and early 50s,it was a treat to go ashore and fill the newspaper full of fish and chips.
> 
> John.
> 
> I think I will dig out the old deep fryer and make some this week,chips with fried eggs,and with some deep fried SPAM fritters added for good measure. If I am going to sin I will sin good.


In Dundee John the deep fried spam fritters done in batter were called "mock chops " for some inexplicable reason > I always thought a chop had to have a bone .
Derek


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## John Rogers

Derek,come out of the bush,we now sell boneless pork chops,sometimes called pork cutlets. I mentioned this before on SN a couple of years ago,in the war years when we had no Cod our Chip shop would sell SPAM Fritters, a slice of Spam placed between two large slice of potatoes and deep fried.

The BH has given me the green light to cook tomorrows meal,Chips,Eggs and Spam Fritters, it will be the order of the day.

John


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## tunatownshipwreck

I remember having chips on a Furness ship in the late 1960s, aged 14 or so. I recall they cooked them in a large pan.


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## TonyAllen

No problem with chips on the china, the hard job was me peeling then cutting into chips ,but they were always nice and brown cooked in dripping just like ashore Tony


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## Pat Kennedy

TonyAllen said:


> No problem with chips on the china, the hard job was me peeling then cutting into chips ,but they were always nice and brown cooked in dripping just like ashore Tony


You're right there Tony lad, twice a week, Fridays and Sundays in the China, but they had other kinds of spuds, some that I never see ashore; sautee potatoes, duchesse potatoes, scalloped potatoes, crocquette potato, Lyonnaise potato, Dauphin potatoes, pommes souflees, rissoles, hash browns, we got em all in the China, and nearly always with some kind of bloody PORK!
Regards, 
Pat(Jester)


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## Union Jack

I can't remember any ship I served in, whether destroyer, frigate, cruiser, carrier, or submarine, which did not have a deep fat fryer - the absence of chips would have created a mutiny! Curiously enough, I also recall that when we sold older warships on to other navies in Africa and Asia, out would go the deep fat fryer and in would come either a yam boiler or a rice boiler!

Jack


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## forthbridge

David W said:


> In the early 1960's, a deep fat fryer, in a cargo ship galley??.
> 
> By the mid sixties most of the ben boats had a deep fat frier in the galley. I know, I installed several of them.


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## TonyAllen

Pat Kennedy said:


> You're right there Tony lad, twice a week, Fridays and Sundays in the China, but they had other kinds of spuds, some that I never see ashore; sautee potatoes, duchesse potatoes, scalloped potatoes, crocquette potato, Lyonnaise potato, Dauphin potatoes, pommes souflees, rissoles, hash browns, we got em all in the China, and nearly always with some kind of bloody PORK!
> Regards,
> Pat(Jester)


ABSALUTELY Pat and they took twice as much potato's but then the china boats carried enought spuds for the whole voyage and then
dumped the surplus over the side the night before docking leaving 2 sacks for the shore gang Tony


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## Pat Kennedy

TonyAllen said:


> ABOLUTELY Pat and they took twice as much potato's but then the china boats carried enought spuds for the whole voyage and then
> dumped the surplus over the side the night before docking leaving 2 sacks for the shore gang Tony


Tony the tradition of dumping over the side was also observed by the sailor's peggy who dumped the plates and cutlery from the last meal before docking at Liverpool. I did it twice.
I think that the seabed between Point Lynas and the Brazil Buoy at New Brighton must be littered with thousands of 'China' plates, bowls, knives, forks and spoons.
Best Regards, 
Pat(Thumb)


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## salvina

On the Salvina in 1964 we left Japan to load phosphates in Nauru for Avonmouth. Before we got to Nauru it was found out that all the spuds in the locker had gone rotten and had to be dumped. No spuds in Nauru so from there to the Panama Canal we only had rice! Do you know how many ways there are to cook rice? Can't make chips with it though!


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## ALAN TYLER

No Chips!!! Friday Fish and Chips, Sunday Steak and Chips. Of course you couldn,t tell the day by the menu!!


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## funnelstays

*Chips*

(Eat)(Eat)
On the subject off chips!
There is a street in St John's NFL called the Hill o'Chips.
It connects Water Street to Duckworth Streetright next to Seabase
Offshore.


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## funnelstays

*More Chips*

www.theexperiment.ca/travel/signal.html
The link to the Hill'o Chips.


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## David W

forthbridge said:


> David W said:
> 
> 
> 
> In the early 1960's, a deep fat fryer, in a cargo ship galley??.
> 
> By the mid sixties most of the ben boats had a deep fat frier in the galley. I know, I installed several of them.
> 
> 
> 
> Such luxury !!
> 
> Most of the ships I sailed in, mainly built pre 1960 but a couple of later vintage, had a 4 hot-plate ??, 2 oven, coal fired stove, a 2 door electric bread oven, a six tier steamer and a Hobart potato peeler that could take about 4 large potato's , but was not allowed to be used as it was wasteful, all it did was convert large spuds into little ones.
> And most important, a stainless steel lined,wooden, bread doggy, that was powered by the 2nd cooks arm's.
Click to expand...


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## Albert Bishop

Suprised this question came up, Every ship I sailed on, in the 50s/60s (mainly tankers) I did chips in a big oval chip pan on the stove top, Never thought it was anything but the norm. Cheers Albi


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## terry davies

*Chips With Chips*



Pat Kennedy said:


> You're right there Tony lad, twice a week, Fridays and Sundays in the China, but they had other kinds of spuds, some that I never see ashore; sautee potatoes, duchesse potatoes, scalloped potatoes, crocquette potato, Lyonnaise potato, Dauphin potatoes, pommes souflees, rissoles, hash browns, we got em all in the China, and nearly always with some kind of bloody PORK!
> Regards,
> Pat(Jester)


Hi Pat, I sailed with a cook on a Glen boat once by the name of Chips Carol,no matter what was on the menu spud wise he would always say " do some chips for the lads are kid". I was peeling two bags of spuds aday.By the time I signed off me thumb was in bits. Can't remember his first name, it might of been chips.regards Terry.


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## Pat Kennedy

Terry, 
I think that might have been Paul Carrol from Wallasey, I went to school with him. I know he sailed in Blueys, so may have been in a Glen boat.
We had a cook like that in the Cotopaxi, always had a dixie full of chips for the deck crowd. Problem was the rest of his output was pretty dire, so chip butties was our staple diet.
Regards, 
Pat


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## John Rogers

Bob was a No Show,fixed him a plate of Egg and Chips with SPAM Fritters and had to eat the second plate myself. Wife gave me a rating 0f 9 out of 10,I cut the large potato slices too thick for the Fritters,I noticed none went to waste,even my Jack Russell was begging for some.

John.


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## Donald McGhee

You blokes mentioning spam leads me to tell you that I am still very partial to a bit of spam, fried up on a Sunday morning with bacon, black pudding, tomato and eggs. 
Spam is a much maligned animal here in NZ and most of my mates think I have a food screw loose! My wife buys me a tin now and then, as I just love the stuff. Especially in fritters with CHIPS!!
It isn't cheap either, although it used to be!

(Thumb)


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## gwzm

Fried fish a L'orly (aka battered) and chips was a standard Friday lunch option on Brocklebank ships in the 60's. Saratoga potatoes (home made crisps) were an occasional breakfast accompaniment.
I drew the line at fried somerset egg, bacon and chips for breakfast on the Manaar - I can still hear the sound of arteries clogging up even after all these years.
Chips were also on the menu on Cunard's Alaunia and Andania on the north Atlantic but were often "off" due to violent ship's motion in heavy weather.
Hapy days,
gwzm


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## spongebob

I was there in spirit John and the imagined taste was great.
Donald seems to have taken his fry up to the limit with his black pudding, sometimes rated at the top of the pops for cholesterol rating. I love it occasionally but those around me being of younger years think that I am deranged or with vampire tendencies.
Black Pud was pretty standard breakfast fare on Union Co ships and the cooks used to cut it into thick rounds before searing it to a crust each side to be crunchy on the outside a creamy within. A bit like a good chip really.

Bob


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## paul rennison

*Chips on Ships*

Aaah,

Chips in beef dripping my gran taught me how to cook em, 
twice fried, first for two minutes in stainless basket, lift em out, then let fat get really hot and fry em again, lovely brown & crisp, I showed the cook (Bob ?) how to do it on my first trip as galley boy on MV Silver Comet 1964, ( the roller coaster) in the big oval pan, trick is not to overdo the amount of fat & the ships motion won't throw it around. As for spam fritters, here in Hull we have fish fritters, made the same way, two big slices of spud with white fish, cod, whiting, or coley etc between them, battered & fried delicious! try em from Royal Fisheries on Dansom Lane or what used to be Curtis's on Hessle Road,
Much later as as cook on Ekofisk platforms, I'd spend half my time filleting huge cod & ling caught off the rigs for the yanks, turned lots of them on to proper fish n chips

happy days

Rennop


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## kevjacko

First trip galley boy on the Dragoon with BP and the chief cook used to make me peel the spuds by hand, cut the chips by hand, wash them off in fresh water, blanch them at 170 until soft, then they got browned off as and when needed.
It was a pain in the ****, then new cookie joined and he asked me what the f*** I was doing and to use the labour saving devices, ie potato rumbler and chip cutter for what they were intended.
Mind you I do chips now the way first chief cook showed me, they do crisp up a whole lot better and if you give the basket a couple of shakes during the blanching process you get a marvellous crunch to them. I am locally renowned for them. Brother in law even insists it does'nt matter where in the country he spends Christmas day but it's imperative he and the sis in law are at our house for chips, turkey, and all the trimmings boxing day.


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## chadburn

I don't think you can beat a Belgian Ships Cook for Chips served up in different way's, shapes and sizes.


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## Bob Murdoch

OK Guys,
Even although I have been reading this thread all the way through and imagining all the things the good food described herin could be doing to me. I just got the results of my last 3 months on anti-cholestorol pills which the doc had been urging I take for the last three years. Goodness gratious, I am into the normal range!
Just goes to show a life of so called 'bad' eating can be overturned.
Now for a real fish supper or six. when I get to Scotland in October.
DO NOT believe all the rubbish about Belgian chips. They are too thin and so have too much fat in them. Good thick chips in coo fat like me muvver used ter make are the best.
Cheers and bon apetit
Bob


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## chadburn

Only the Belgian could think of "diced" chips. Doctor's now seem to be putting every one and his dog on " Anti-Statins" but they can give you severe joint pain.


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## Billieboy

chadburn said:


> Only the Belgian could think of "diced" chips. Doctor's now seem to be putting every one and his dog on " Anti-Statins" but they can give you severe joint pain.


Belgian, "Friets", are traditionally fried in horse fat, Vlams (or Flemish) Friets are the thick, hand cut, chips. Both sorts of deep-fried potatoes are the best in the world! They may be consumed with stewed beef, silver-skin onions; curry, tomato, shashlik, and other sauces; piccalilli, chutney, and Mayonnaise.


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## Nick Balls

And there was me thinking Yarmouth Market was the place for the perfect chip. Oh well next time I'm on Knokke Heist sea front I will do a comparison test.


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## Bob Murdoch

Lived in Flemmish Belgium for 25 years and never heard of anyone using horse fat for any cooking. Never seen fat, hand cut chips (friets) either, except in our home where I introduced them.
The story is that a Belgian cook did invent them but he did it in Dundee, where he had an eatery. He was looking for a quick belly filler for the mill workers, mainly women, and came up with chips. 
In any case whether this is true or not, thanks to whoever it was, wherever he was.
Bob


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## degsy

My daughter is a mean Chip fryer, golden crispy and fluffy inside. Throw two fried eggs on top of a plate load and you have a feast fit for a Lords B***ard nothing like it. Mind you I was first introduced to Frites and Mayo in Rotterdam in 1969 and was immediately smitten this could have been because of the consumption of a Gutful of Highneckend Lager, but it was still lovely. Another Egg and Chip story was in Hamburg Sankt Pauli with an ED's Chief Steward, may have been second Steward at the time, Arthur Whalen if memory serves. A bloody great plate of chips and four, yes four eggs on top. Good grub (Thumb)


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## degsy

Oh yes! chips on ships. Lovely chips with everything for me, on ships, in newspaper on a plate, in yer hand anywhere. All these TV Chefs want to do an MN catering course and learn how to feed. I was brought up to appreciate my food, and I can honestly say I never had a bad meal on a ship. As you can probably tell I was brought up on chips, beans, bacon and eggs and a Sunday roast. It used to pee me off to hear Fellahs in the Saloon brought up the same way moaning about a menu. (Thumb)


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## TonyAllen

Degsy Like you I enjoyed the food while I was at sea never had a bad meal .
had the same menu as you before the MN and wish I could eat the same food now,alas its not posssible, just once a week to let myself go with the chips and egg and beans and fresh bread.I'm hungry now cheers Tony


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## Pat Kennedy

TonyAllen said:


> Degsy Like you I enjoyed the food while I was at sea never had a bad meal .
> had the same menu as you before the MN and wish I could eat the same food now,alas its not posssible, just once a week to let myself go with the chips and egg and beans and fresh bread.I'm hungry now cheers Tony


Tony, 
Do you remember the chips in Cammell Laird's canteen?
They were superb, and you got loads on your plate. The sausages were OK as well. Sometimes I was that stuffed I could hardly get back up the crane.
Like you, I only have chips once a week these days, and *Todays the day!*
My kids go on about Tapas and wraps and stuff like that, but give me a plate of egg, chips and beans any day.
Regards, 
Pat[=P]


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## TonyAllen

I thought that today was a dolmio day 
soon found the canteen after trying to warm up a can of beans and sausage with a torch and blowing open the can and it was good value at the time, funny enough I was always starving whilse there, must have been the journey from kensington and hitching a ride thru the tunnel never was late tho Tony


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## Brandane62

Don't remember ever having chips on board ship, but what I DO remember is having them twice a day, every day, at Glasgow Nautical College. Must be the only time in my life I ever got sick of chips! There was not an alternative choice.....


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## Pat Kennedy

TonyAllen said:


> I thought that today was a dolmio day
> soon found the canteen after trying to warm up a can of beans and sausage with a torch and blowing open the can and it was good value at the time, funny enough I was always starving whilse there, must have been the journey from kensington and hitching a ride thru the tunnel never was late tho Tony


Tony, 
I remember working with the stagers at one time, we used to make a brew on the slipway, under the hull, using a burner's torch on a billycan. we always put a matchstick in the water, they reckoned it absobed the acetylene taste.
(staging was the hardest job in a shipyard)
regards, 
Pat(Thumb)


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## TonyAllen

(staging was the hardest job in a shipyard)
regards, 
Pat
Was that the same as scaffolding, I only worked inside with the plater
[lazy sod] hardest work he did was to hide from the bowler hat man 
and it was a so different from blue water men I was glad to leave the place Regards Tony


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## Pat Kennedy

TonyAllen said:


> (staging was the hardest job in a shipyard)
> regards,
> Pat
> Was that the same as scaffolding, I only worked inside with the plater
> [lazy sod] hardest work he did was to hide from the bowler hat man
> and it was a so different from blue water men I was glad to leave the place Regards Tony


Tony, 
Yes it was/is shipyard scaffolding, much heavier planks than on normal scaffolding, and in those days was all secured with wedges and chains onto wooden poles and steel columns. Most of the stagers were ex ABs,and were OK blokes, but later on became very militant and indirectly were one of the causes of the demise of the original Cammel Lairds. 
Did you know Davy Crean? he started in the yard as a plater's mate, and became eventually, head foreman of the labourers dept.
Regards, 
Pat(Thumb)


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## TonyAllen

Sorry Pat did not make much of a connection with guys in there , found most of them militant over nothing at all. they had no self discipline to my mind the hardest workers where the welders ,I suppose they were paid by the foot ???
Regards Tony


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## Pat Kennedy

Tony, 
Yes, welders were on piecework, as were those caulkers who followed them round and deafened everyone on the ship.
I knew a few welders, all dead now, of chest complaints, there was no proper extraction equipment in those days and they breathed those poisonous fumes all their working lives.
Getting back to chips, the best chippy for miles is on the prom at New Brighton, opposite the Marine Lake, just past the bowling alley heading due West. Next time you are down there Tony, try it, they are perfection.
regards, 
Pat


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## TonyAllen

Pat Kennedy said:


> Tony,
> Getting back to chips, the best chippy for miles is on the prom at New Brighton, opposite the Marine Lake, just past the bowling alley heading due West. Next time you are down there Tony, try it, they are perfection.
> regards,
> Pat


Thanks for that ,as for chips yes we have had the pleasure of eating them while on the prom with our grandson,[ my son lives just behind the bowling alley ]also the carvery at the pub just further along towards the mini roundabout on a sunday Regards Tony


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## Thats another Story

question for the cooks although my wife is an excellent cook we went for out for dinner a week ago i had pork and the crackling had a hint of spice but just the crackling what is the recipe not a strong spice any tips thanks john


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## kevjacko

JOHN PRUDEN said:


> question for the cooks although my wife is an excellent cook we went for out for dinner a week ago i had pork and the crackling had a hint of spice but just the crackling what is the recipe not a strong spice any tips thanks john


Hi John
Tips for a good crackling is that it should be self basting, that is, if it is a good joint there will be a good enough layer of fat under the skin to baste it from the inside out. you should need to do very little in terms of rubbing extra butter, marg, oil etc on to get it to crisp up. I tend to just make sure mine is scored sufficiently and rub some ground black pepper and salt well in. During the cooking time I will baste using the joints own juices.

Regards

KEV


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## Thats another Story

Many thanks kev i'm starving now{ and it's only 09.45 AM}(Jester)


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## cueball44

(POP)(POP)


JOHN PRUDEN said:


> Many thanks kev i'm starving now{ and it's only 09.45 AM}(Jester)


I had some nice well done crackling yesterday at my sisters, I could'nt have a good go at it like when i was young, I just used careful slow crunches just in case my dentures gave out on me(POP), Took a while but mmm it was nice.'cueball44'.


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## Ron Stringer

kevjacko said:


> Hi John
> Tips for a good crackling is that it should be self basting, that is, if it is a good joint there will be a good enough layer of fat under the skin to baste it from the inside out. you should need to do very little in terms of rubbing extra butter, marg, oil etc on to get it to crisp up. I tend to just make sure mine is scored sufficiently and rub some ground black pepper and salt well in. During the cooking time I will baste using the joints own juices. Regards KEV


That is standard in our house (except that we rarely put pepper on) but we start off by taking the finely-scored pork and first pouring boiling water over it. That causes the skin to swell and open up all the cuts.

Dry off all the water with kitchen roll or the like and then rub plenty of salt into the cracks, (_I strongly recommend Maldon Sea Salt - well, support local industry I say_) before putting it into a roasting tin and placing it in the oven.

Mega-crackling every time.


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## Thats another Story

Ron the next time i am in the restaurant i will ask the chef just that i have tasted pork all over the place but this just hit the spot for all i know it could have been off but it was delicious just a hint of spice.


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## kevjacko

Ron Stringer said:


> That is standard in our house (except that we rarely put pepper on) but we start off by taking the finely-scored pork and first pouring boiling water over it. That causes the skin to swell and open up all the cuts.
> 
> Dry off all the water with kitchen roll or the like and then rub plenty of salt into the cracks, (_I strongly recommend Maldon Sea Salt - well, support local industry I say_) before putting it into a roasting tin and placing it in the oven.
> 
> Mega-crackling every time.


 Yeah nice one Ron same boiling water tip applies to roasting duck.

KEV


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## Ali Bain

ian keyl said:


> In the mid sixties Ben Line tried a dutch system which was like the pom frit mayonaise which you got ashore. They installed a machine which you put in a potato powder added water mixed it then extruded perfectly square ships any lenght you wanted . then deep fried them.
> 
> They were not bad to start with and taste was a bit bland not earthy taste like real spuds but after three and half months out to the east and back you ended up with a square a*** hole.
> 
> Moto is too many chips are not good for you.
> I cant remember when they changed back if they ever did.
> 
> Rgds Ian


Ian, I remember the Plastic chip machine quite well on some of the older steamers I was on back in the early seventies. It, along with the Mechanical Cow used to break down quite regularly and it would take the electrician anything up to a week to fix them. In the mean time we would get real chips and sometimes real milk the same as the passengers at the centre table with the old man.
Ali. Bain.


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## degsy

I remember one Xmas after me Dad died, me an me Mam went up to or Kids Xmas Eve came back Boxing Day. In the car coming home she says "What shall we have for tea Son" Egg and Chips says I . ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!(Thumb) No one but no one can beat yer Ma's egg an chips. I can taste it now(Jester)


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## Donnie More

every City boat was different in some ways ,depending who was on , the lads pleaded one night , why cant we have chips with our sunday night steak , "one doesnt have chips with an evening meal ," breakfast any time yes . 
that was the same trip that the old man ordered the dartboard be taken out of the bar , " your not turning my officers smokeroom into a local tap room !


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## Paul J Burke

Yes, hard to believe these days that bacon eggs and chips was "standard fare' on the Kiwi Coast, day in day out, and on many other ships no doubt ??? That was for breakfast too, so the dieticians would be horrified today!!! But didnt it taste great after you had done the 4 -8 watch !!!


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## jg grant

#61 Hi John from Auckland, just picked up on your question. The answer might be nutmeg. I think it came from Dutch Indonesia. We had a Dutch butcher in Portobello Edinburgh and he always had nutmeg on his pork products. It's one of those things that go together like tomato and basil, bacon and egg,fish and chips, girls and beer,tripe and onions. Summer time's coming here! Ronnie


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## john martin

i was chief cook on cornish city 1957 and had good comaradie with crew ,2 years together then had a new chief steward escaped from germany and was he tight.Crew had petition for more chips on menu as supply had diminished.Chief for revenge said give them chips everyday.Backfired i think as the crew were my friends for life and i got a halo.ha ha
taff


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## John Dryden

Good for you taff,everything in moderation I say.
Reading through this again I just realised that in Bank Line chips were only cooked for breakfast,I honestly can,t remember eating them at lunch or dinner?


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## backsplice

When I was on Salvesens "SALVINA"we had a 2nd Cook&Baker Murdo Mc Kenzie from Portsoy in Scotland he made fresh baps every morning and when we came in for Smoko in the morning if chips were on the days menu we had Chip baps that day (for smoko ) them was the days !!!!!!!!!
he also made mean "Aberdeen butteries"


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## john fraser

backsplice said:


> When I was on Salvesens "SALVINA"we had a 2nd Cook&Baker Murdo Mc Kenzie from Portsoy in Scotland he made fresh baps every morning and when we came in for Smoko in the morning if chips were on the days menu we had Chip baps that day (for smoko ) them was the days !!!!!!!!!
> he also made mean "Aberdeen butteries"




I remember Murdo when he was in Ben Line. Murdo was a time served baker shoreside.


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## Gareth Jones

hmmpf ! not long had my breakfast of eggs and bacon but after reading this thread im bloody starving again and want eggs beans and chips !!!


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## ALAN TYLER

*Chips cooking!*

In my days as Chief & 2nd Cook there were few ships with a Deep fat fryer so the cooking of chips was done on the top of the stove in a deep pan. This could be quite dodgy if the ship was rolling about even with the storm bars on...oh happy days.


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## Eltel

Pacific Blade working out of Aberdeen with Graham Hall from Lowestoft as cook. Friday night always fish (haddock), real chips (not frozen rubbish) and home made mushy peas that had been soaking from Thursday night. Magic! Fish was frequently a box from the market on Master's cash.


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## Jim Harris

Chips on ships.

I thought you meant the Chinaman who sounded the water tanks and did all the wood and carpentry work on board!

Sorry! I'd better re-think this post!

Regards,

Jim.


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## trotterdotpom

chadburn said:


> Only the Belgian could think of "diced" chips. Doctor's now seem to be putting every one and his dog on " Anti-Statins" but they can give you severe joint pain.


Being a chip-holic, I can't believe I missed this thread!

When I was a lighthouse keeper, I took a sack of spuds away and ate so many chips they called me "Square Ar*e Jack.

The Belgians are, of course, the people we have to thank for the Great British Chip, I understand it was invented in Ostend.

Is it the diced chips or the anti-statins that cause the joint pain? I recall the "diced chips" on ships being called "Garfield Potatoes", not sure where that came from unless it was US President Garfield. Anyway, my knees are killing me, I think I'll cut back on the statins.

John T


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## chadburn

trotterdotpom said:


> Being a chip-holic, I can't believe I missed this thread!
> 
> When I was a lighthouse keeper, I took a sack of spuds away and ate so many chips they called me "Square Ar*e Jack.
> 
> The Belgians are, of course, the people we have to thank for the Great British Chip, I understand it was invented in Ostend.
> 
> Is it the diced chips or the anti-statins that cause the joint pain? I recall the "diced chips" on ships being called "Garfield Potatoes", not sure where that came from unless it was US President Garfield. Anyway, my knees are killing me, I think I'll cut back on the statins.
> 
> John T


Just stop looking through the keyholes John it might help.(Jester)


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## John Rogers

trotterdotpom said:


> Being a chip-holic, I can't believe I missed this thread!
> 
> When I was a lighthouse keeper, I took a sack of spuds away and ate so many chips they called me "Square Ar*e Jack.
> 
> The Belgians are, of course, the people we have to thank for the Great British Chip, I understand it was invented in Ostend.
> 
> Is it the diced chips or the anti-statins that cause the joint pain? I recall the "diced chips" on ships being called "Garfield Potatoes", not sure where that came from unless it was US President Garfield. Anyway, my knees are killing me, I think I'll cut back on the statins.
> 
> John T


Try Glucosamine Sulfate and Chondroitin Sulfate. My barber who was 100 pounds overweight had bad knees and he started taken the above and he swore by it. He was on his feet almost 12 hours a day 5 days a week.


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## trotterdotpom

John Rogers said:


> Try Glucosamine Sulfate and Chondroitin Sulfate. My barber who was 100 pounds overweight had bad knees and he started taken the above and he swore by it. He was on his feet almost 12 hours a day 5 days a week.


Thanks for the tip, John. I've been using Green Lip Mussel capsules with some success.

Your barber must be doing a roaring trade if he's onhis feet 12 hours per day. I always go to lady hairdressers because I like it when they stick their jubblies in my ear, especially now that I'm banned from keyholes. 

John T


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## spongebob

John T, try the fish oil, not the tiny 1 mil capsules but 10 to 15 mils of straight oil off the spoon daily. It is de-odourised and citrus flavoured these days and it had worked a treat for my partner Pam .
She was put on to this by her Brisbane Rheumatologist.
It will probably make you go faster, swimming that is.

Bob


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## Alan Rawlinson

*non stop chips*



Ali Bain said:


> Ian, I remember the Plastic chip machine quite well on some of the older steamers I was on back in the early seventies. It, along with the Mechanical Cow used to break down quite regularly and it would take the electrician anything up to a week to fix them. In the mean time we would get real chips and sometimes real milk the same as the passengers at the centre table with the old man.
> Ali. Bain.


In the 1980's after the Falkland war, I was manager in London with a contract to supply and service the troops that were stationed there on so called 'Coastels' - basically accommodation barges. The first brand new barge, had a couple of chip machines in the galley and they ran 24/7!!! looking after several thousand hungry troops. We had to send replacement blades down for the chip machines after only a few months of service!


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## John Campbell

I am surprised that no one, as far as I can see, has mentioned the very best " chip" of all. The Papas Fritas that came with the Befe de Loma on those great cafes in Buenos Aires in the early sixties. That type of chip I have never seen since - they were delicious.
JC


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## Varley

Never got there. Father was always on about the bife al caballo so expect he did (another thing he went on about was pre-war sausages and how much I could not know of them having had what passed as a sausage only since the 1950s)


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## m connors

I was the chips at sea ships carpenter/ shipwright. mike connors


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## sparkie2182

Ref B.A. chips..............I don't ever recall getting 'round to them.

The steaks were +/- half a cow.


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## geoffakelly

Alan Rawlinson said:


> In the 1980's after the Falkland war, I was manager in London with a contract to supply and service the troops that were stationed there on so called 'Coastels' - basically accommodation barges. The first brand new barge, had a couple of chip machines in the galley and they ran 24/7!!! looking after several thousand hungry troops. We had to send replacement blades down for the chip machines after only a few months of service!


I used to play squash and go for a swim on the coastels..Where they not turned into prisons and owned by Bibbys?


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## ben27

good day spongebob.15 august,2010.19:41.#4.re:chips on ships.just reading this old post.i noticed you mention the collier kaitangata.i was on her 1950.did you ever meet blue allan.(became a boxer)here is information from my discharge book.name of ship.kaitangata,official no.172886.port of registry.wellington.reg.tonnage 1317.horse-power of engines1459.discription of voyage or employment,home trade.have a good day.regards ben27


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## spongebob

Hello Ben
I didn't join Kaitangata until late 1957. She was then dedicated to carrying coal from the the west coast ports of Greymouth and Westport to the North Island ports of Portland (cement works) and Auckland (Auckland Gas works and Chelsea Sugar refinery).

Bob


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## ben27

good day spongebob.today.09:34.thank you for your reply.it was all a long time ago.regards ben27


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## ferrandou

sparkie2182 said:


> Ref B.A. chips..............I don't ever recall getting 'round to them.
> 
> The steaks were +/- half a cow.


(Thumb)(Thumb) I'm with you there, as we entered we would call out Befe de Loma no chips. Brandy and coffee for afters, never saw anybody drink the coffee but they kept bringing it and by the time we left the table was covered with those little coffee glasses, still full.


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## Leratty

Befe de Lomos man did we woof them down after a night or during a night on the grog in Argentina. I don't recall if they came with chips or not, but I do remember the unreal B.A. BBQ meat restaurants we used to go to & the red meat served was beyond belief those guys walking around cutting great slabs off at the table + it just kept coming wonderful.


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## endure

When I was with Sea Containers I sailed with a cook who used the deep far frier for everything. Fish and chips Friday evening, fishy bacon and eggs Saturday breakfast. We nearly had a mutiny. The crew told the OM they were going on strike if it didn't stop.


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## The Baxman

What was the square (ish) shaped chips called we used to have on Shell tankers.Only ever had them on Shell boats for some reason


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## The Baxman

The Baxman said:


> What was the square (ish) shaped chips called we used to have on Shell tankers.Only ever had them on Shell boats for some reason


Damm should have read all the posts before asking question... Garield Potatoes ..Thanks Trotterdotpom..been trying for a few years for that answer


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## William Clark8

*Butteries*



backsplice said:


> When I was on Salvesens "SALVINA"we had a 2nd Cook&Baker Murdo Mc Kenzie from Portsoy in Scotland he made fresh baps every morning and when we came in for Smoko in the morning if chips were on the days menu we had Chip baps that day (for smoko ) them was the days !!!!!!!!!
> he also made mean "Aberdeen butteries"


Did he ever make "White Baps"?(==D)


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## ALAN TYLER

The Baxman said:


> What was the square (ish) shaped chips called we used to have on Shell tankers.Only ever had them on Shell boats for some reason


Used to have Garfield potatoes on a few ships I sailed in, don,t know where the name came from. According to one of my cookery books the proper name should be "Bataille" ( cut in diced and deep fried) potatoes!!


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## Mariner44

I seem to remember having chips at so many meals that us apprentices reckoned we pay off with a rectangular anus!


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## Varley

Sure it wasn't Keyway Charlie?

(Now I remember that would have been the the Fry inversion).


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## John Briggs

Wrong thread Varley.
Someone getting married is another thread.


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## makko

Bife Montado or Bife al Caballo - Steak with a fried egg on top.
B.A. chips - Papa souffle. I have no idea how they get them to inflate!
Rgds.
Dave


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## tiachapman

never seen any chips in 25 or more years


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## cueball44

Mariner44 said:


> I seem to remember having chips at so many meals that us apprentices reckoned we pay off with a rectangular anus!


Don't know about that, BUT you could end up with an irregular heartbeat that could get you a bit worried. :sweat:


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## backsplice

He certainly did and he certainly could!!!! every morning for Smoko


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