# The letter that started a new life



## macrae (May 11, 2006)

A few days after receiving this letter was on the steam train from Inverness to South Shields to join the British Sergeant.

New uniform, starched detachable shirt collars, black socks etc. 

MY first half hour out at sea, in a North Sea gale, trying to take a DF fix,I almost :threw up over the gear: fortunately made it to the side of the ship.
(EEK)

This Was The Letter Refered To


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Nice one Ian. (ps. to assist I merged your two postings)


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

My letter from 8 years later went missing when my parents moved while I was at sea. Mine was 22812.
I see the first trip sparkie salary had gone up by thirteen quid in 8 years.


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## K urgess (Aug 14, 2006)

A follow up to that and on the subject of letters that change your life.
I wrote to some northeast shipping company, whose name escapes me, in answer to an advert for deck cadets/apprentices.
They sent me an application form for engineering cadet by mistake and since I couldn't be bothered to sort it out I went to tech college for a sparkie's ticket.
Again I don't have the letter. I think it went straight in the bin.
I wanted to see the world not listen to it passing by from the engine room.


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## paul0510 (Jul 25, 2005)

Ian,
just as an aside, the picture shown in your profile, presumably the 'Trust' ?, is of excellent quality considering it has been around for, what, 40 years? Must have had a decent piece of equipment in those days and kept your images under ideal conditions! BTW, couldn't resist straightening the horizon, hope you don't mind! And, of course, bringing a great shot, as attachment, to everyone else's attention!
And...consider yourself lucky that you received a letter of appointment (an honour) and not a hasty telegram to get your ass to Grain 'toute-de-suite'. (Thumb)


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## macrae (May 11, 2006)

Thanks for your replies,and straighting the horizon on the picture of the Br. Trust, makes it look much better.

Still have the camera I used to take it. It's an Agfa Silette, nothing very fancy, bought it in Little Aden on my first trip and use it for over 20 years. Most of the shots are on 35mm slides and have been stored in the dark up in the loft.

I have a few reels of 8mm movie colour film which were taken early 60ies, taken during a voyage between Suez/Aden/Abadan/Capetown.

Would like to get them onto a dvd and post them here if possible. 
Can anyone recommend a good company to put them on DVD please?.

By the way was visiting Glasgow museum of transport reciently. 
There they were showing a video called :Seawards The Great Ships : about the River Clyde and ship building over the years, 
made by The Scottish Screen Archives. 
A large part of the video shows the British Trust being built and eventually the full launching sermony. moving stuff. Could'nt resist buying a copy on DVD.


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## macrae (May 11, 2006)

R651400 said:


> Burning the midnight oil on your last Ian? Agfa Silette? Those were the days. My first was a Baldinette, format two and a quarter square which I sold to a 2nd Engineer to buy a 35 mm (jap-crap) Neoca. I bet the Baldinette is still around today. On the subject of 8 mm to DVD, there are plenty of companies advertise but in view of the historic value of your film and things in Royal Mail going walkabout, I'd have a word with any Jessops branch in Glasgow if there is one.
> Did you perchance sail with or meet the late Tommy Scambler R/O with BP most of his working life?


THANKS FOR YOUR INFO. R651400,

SORRY CAN'T RECALL THE NAME TOMMY SCAMBLER, ALTHOUGH WE PROBABLY DID NATTER IN MORSE AT ONE TIME AS WE OFTEN DID


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## captkenn (Aug 16, 2007)

R651400 said:


> Burning the midnight oil on your last Ian? Agfa Silette? Those were the days. My first was a Baldinette, format two and a quarter square which I sold to a 2nd Engineer to buy a 35 mm (jap-crap) Neoca. I bet the Baldinette is still around today. On the subject of 8 mm to DVD, there are plenty of companies advertise but in view of the historic value of your film and things in Royal Mail going walkabout, I'd have a word with any Jessops branch in Glasgow if there is one.QUOTE]
> 
> My slides were taken using an Agfa Isolette II which is still in use, I convert them to digital by using either an Epson Perfection 1240U (must be the 'U' model - with its included transparency adapter) which can scan almost evey type of film size, or a Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart S20 scanner which takes slides, 35 mm film, and also pictures which can go to DVD. My 8mm films were put onto VHS by Jessops some time ago and I have now transferred them to DVD. Ken


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