A valuable lesson

I left my two bags in the left luggage and took the train from Newcastle to South Shields. It is not far and I was soon decanted at high shields, which is the nearest station to middle docks, which is where my ship, the Baron Cochcrane, was supposed to be. I found my way down to the dock side which is surrounded by a high wall and although I could see some ships I could not see the one I was supposed to be joining. I was too scared to ask anyone. This was really strange country to me, cobbled streets and row upon row of little terraced houses with smoke and grime everywhere. In the afternoon I gave up and went back to Newcastle where I found a fairly rough hotel for the night. I was given a room far away in the back of the building with a broken window and a huge double bed equipped with sheets and two blankets for a single bed and snow was now falling. It seemed like heaven to me. There was a wash basin with hot running water and for the first time in two days I was able to have a wash. I soaked my feet in the warm water and after eating a few of my biscuits crashed into that ghastly bed and slept like a log until morning.
Hugely refreshed but too nervous to join strangers at breakfast I set forth determined To find this allusive ship. Back to the middle docks. This time I plucked up the courage to ask the policeman at the gate but he couldn't help so I went back to Newcastle to the agent's office. I explained that I could not find the ship that I had been sent to. This caused a great deal of hilarity is spatially when they realized that I'd been sent to the wrong docks. It should have been Brigham and Cowans at South Shields. So I collect my two suitcases and took the train to South Shields.
In the village where we were living and for that matter in my home town of Dorking, there was quite a healthy respect for other people's property, and because I didn't know any better I thought it was like this everywhere. I soon learned my lesson but once again someone was watching over me.
View Larger MapIn the middle of the marketplace in South Shields stood a building, like a summer house with no walls. Here beneath its roof there were benches occupied by venerable gentlemen of the sea, long since retired and anyone else with time on his hands. I made my way to this place and putting my suitcases under one of the benches went off to see if I could find where the ship was.
I made my way up a road. That overlooks the dry dock and there she lay, Grey and dirty and looking incredibly small out of her natural element. I looked and saw all this but incredibly felt no sense of disappointment, only one of excitement and anticipation, overlaid with the knowledge that I could no longer put off the moment when I must go aboard and make myself known.
I walked slowly back to the marketplace determined to put off the dreaded moment for as long as possible and there to my horror was space where my suitcases had been. Frantically I searched beneath all the benches but not a trace of them. But here came a lesson and relief all in one. I looked up on the verge of tears and despair to see a large policeman approaching purposefully. In my desperation I lost my timorous tongue tied self and poured into his ready ear all my troubles. What sort of suit cases where they and what was in them? And how could anyone who is not a complete imbecile be so stupid as to leave such portable property in such a public place? Drawing a key from his pocket he unlocked a nearby police telephone box and there were the two suitcases. I felt utterly ashamed of myself, grabbed my cases, mumbled my thanks, and fleed in the direction he indicated. A
it was not far to the dock gates and the nearer I approached the more my confidence receded until 100 yards from the entrance I stopped. I just couldn't seem to pluck up the courage to go any further though surely it could be no worse than the experiences of the last few days. I slowly retraced my steps not in the least desirous of facing the policeman again but at least he was a devil I knew. I was halfway across the marketplace when I saw him approaching. I stopped. "Now what the devil are you doing here again? I thought you were supposed to be joining a ship."
"I know" I replied trying to look as self assured as possible "but I decided I would like to get a cup of tea and something to eat before I went on board". I'm sure he did not believe me and knew perfectly well that I was just too scared to face going aboard so he asked to see my identity card and then explained that all the cafés were closed but he would find me somewhere to go. He lead me to a café just off the market called Duttons, banged on the door and, delivered me to the proprietor with instructions that I should be fed and given tea, to pass it departed.
I was glad off a chance to sit down, glad of that tea and sandwiches choose to, and the chance to talk to someone at last. I told the man what I was doing and have done and he listened I think understood that, although what I'd been through in the previous couple of days, although nothing much to a city boy, had been quite an ordeal to someone with my sort of background. He pointed out that there was really nothing to worry about and that probably when I at last reached the ship I would find another boy of about the same age and would soon feel quite at home.
He refused payment and I left feeling happier than I had for days and knowing that this time there could be no turning back, as the policeman prepared as he had been to help a boy who was feeling lost and scared would give a downright coward short shrift. I walked down the street to the dock entrance and looked back once and sure enough the policeman was there watching. Then he waved. I waved back, Went in the gates and up the gangway.
I was greeted by an aged watchman who directed me to my quarters. There seemed to be a lot of noise going on inside the cabin and it wasn't until I knocked a second time that I received a hearty invitation to step inside. The cabin was a complete shambles of gear strewn in all directions; cutlery, crockery, tins, foodstuffs cluttered the chest of drawers and in the midst of it all, stood a boy in his shirtsleeves joyously packing his bags and only waiting my arrival To depart on leave. He indicated a corner where I could put my suitcases and, while I leaned against the door, continued his packing, the while giving a continuous stream of talk concerning the unpleasantness Of the ship, the cook and most of all, the mate. The scarcity of food and the need to consume what there was in the cabin dominated a great deal of this. I have since found in nearly all walks of life and particularly in the case of seamen who cannot escape, the quality and quantity of grub was a major factor in considering with up a ship was a "good" one or not.
At length, when the worst of the confusion had been cleared, we seated ourselves on the bare wooden settee and over a cigarette I was catechized as to how I'd managed to land in such a company, where I came from, and much else on the same lines until eventually he advised me to seek out the steward and let him know off my presence.
The steward, when I found him, displayed a marked lack of interest in me or my welfare and directed me to report the captain, who would be found in the saloon with his officers. Once again I found myself doing something I would far rather have put off that having knocked on the door I had no choice but to enter and face whatever was going to happen.
The saloon, a cramped and uncomfortable place, contained two tables, at one of which sat a small man in a blue serge suit, a lanky individual in uniform and an imposing, fully bearded, uniformed man, to me the very picture of a real seaman and officer. So I addressed myself to him, explaining the whys and wherefores of my presence and showing him the telegram that had brought me here. There was a silence and then the man in the serge suit, looking at me a bit doubtfully advised me to get unpacked and settled then. That was the end of it it seemed and thankfully I departed. It'd probably surprised the captain, for it was him in the suit, that I should address myself to the second mate and not him and I've often wondered what sort of comments were passed after I left.
In 1958 when we were living in Stokes Valley I was a contestant in a radio quiz show. When I heard myself on the radio some weeks later I could scarcely believe the why I spoke. Although I had been away from the influences that had brought about my style of speech for many years I still spoke in what many people would describe as an upper-class English public-school voice.
What on earth must I have sounded like way back in 1941? No wonder everybody seemed a little surprised by me especially as the company I was apprenticed to was about as much a tramp ship company as you could get. All I can say is that I simply never remember being taken to task or teased about the way I spoke in all the years I was at sea both in the UK, the Middle East, or New Zealand.
To resume. Upon my return to the cabin I found the other apprentice had departed and selecting the top bunk as the one with the cleanest covers I crawled into bed supperless as no one had advised me where or how to get any food and I was too overcome to inquire. Fortunately I still had a few biscuits left and after eating these I fell asleep and did not wake until my new roommate arrived at 7 AM the following morning. C