HOME GALLERY SHIPS TALL TALES WHERE ARE THEY NOW? CONTACT Tall Tales 1 Tall Tales 2 Tall Tales 3 Tall Tales 4 Tall Tales 5 Tall Tales 6 Those where the days, young men and boys some fresh faced kids of 15 and 16 just out of school, though most of us had left at 14 going to sea. An adventure:- In the late 40�s and early 50�s Liverpool was a city still scarred by the war. Like most other towns and cities in the UK, South Castle St., Lord Street, Church Street and most of the city centre scenes of rubble and devastation. Everywhere, seemed dark, the city shrouded in dust and shades of grey. Food was still on ration, and all luxuries in short supply, if any at all. Then magic, you sailed with Cunard to New York. A wonderland of lights, shops bursting at the seams with all the goodies you couldn�t get at home. We were like kids in a candy shop, we were kids in the biggest candy shop in the world! Broadway at night, remember at home everything shut down at 10.30. Pubs, dances, cinemas. New York at night, you felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Going from a black and grey world into one of Technicolour. At least that�s how I felt to me. We worked, by God we worked 10 or 12 hours a day, bar stocks, scrub out, oh yes we also waited on tables. But we had our rewards. Remember all the things we brought back. Things you couldn�t get at home. For mum, there were the store boxes tinned and packet foods we bought in New York and helped of course by a friendly butcher, baker, fruit man and storekeeper. Anyone Else bring �Aunty Jemina! Pancake mixture across? But then first things first, the gear, American suits, fingertip drapes, at home, black brown, grey blue. Here every colour and shade in the rainbow, stripes, checks, herringbone if it wasn�t in New York it didn�t exist. Shirts, I remember pressing my nose against Harry Cotler�s window, full of just shirts, every shade of blue, pink, yellow, grey, red, oh yes and white one�s too. Tie City 1000�s of tie�s, cuff links. With our mohair suits, pin-tab or Mr B shirts, remember them, Slim Jim ties, Ox blood moccasins, Thom McCann�s of course, we thought we looked like Sinatra or Curtis, okay so we could dream, but dressed up in Yankee gear we where halfway there. I know we were peacocks and posers, but it was great wasn�t it?, and the girls loved it, and after all, that�s what it was all about. And we never forgot the ladies. Nylon stockings with all the fancy designs on them, pagoda umbrellas, gorgeous colours, perfumes, watches, you name it, we brought it home for the girl or girls of our dreams. You know, I reckon Merchant Seamen were the only men in the world that knew their wives or girlfriends dress sizes, if it�s 3000 miles to the shop, you had better be right. And the other things too, the dinette sets. Those gleaming chrome and plastic kitchen tables and chairs. Table and bed linen, tea and dinner services. Then we found the Salvation Army thrift store, second hand furniture and kitchen appliances, washing machines, fridges, freezers and dishwashers. With a little help from the ships electrician, a step down to convert the current, and welcome to the 20th century. Little three up and three down terrace houses without baths and outside toilets had household appliances, the middle class didn�t have. So that�s how we were, Tony Curtis D.A., midnight blue mohair suit, crisp laundered shirt, knitted tie with a Windsor knot and shoes you could see your face in, a few pounds in your pocket, you were king of the dance halls. Boy where we ever that young then as time moved on into the late 50�s all the things we used to get became obtainable back home. Too bad. But it was great while it lasted. Then there was the waiter who had rather a baby face and a mop of curly hair, who passing a table with four ladies of uncertain age was told by one of them �You know Waiter that hairstyle makes you look rather feminine� To which he replied with typical scouse trait, �madam, next to you even King Kong would look feminine�. Needless to say there was a new face in the saloon the next day. We had a great deal of musical talent at sea, it was very surprising so few made it professionally. Tommy Steele, Russ Hamilton, Mike Milne (Holiday) the few that spring to mind. Tommy Steele the best known and the most successful was helped to learn guitar by Ivan Hayward. Tommy often acknowledged the help he got from Ivan. Ivan also had an influence on another and even better known guitarist, though not as good a singer, George Harrison, Ivan was superb guitarist, he had his own group, not I may add a rock group, and also played with several dance bands in the Grafton and Locarno. But after a while not liking the constant night work stopped playing and put his black Gretsh electric guitar away, that had cost him $300 in New York. I believe there were only, two electric guitars in Liverpool at the time, the other one belonging to John Hibbert a club owner ex-seaman and close friend of Ivan. It was also a black Gretsh. Later when Ivan was driving a taxi in 1961, one evening he picked up four lads who were going to a gig, they were a group called the Delecardos. Knowing that they were musicians he asked if they wanted to buy an electric guitar, at the time no shop in Liverpool sold them. When they said that they couldn�t afford it, as Ivan wanted �90 for it but they said that they would ask around. So Ivan gave them his address. A few days later a young lad came around to look at the guitar. After showing him how it worked, for the lad had obviously never played a professional model, and it was to be played by a first class musician, he said he would have it. Fine said Ivan, I want �90 for it, oh no said the lad, I only want to pay �70. No way said Ivan this Guitar cost me $300 in New York and I�m not selling it for less than �90.00. Okay said the lad, look I only have �70 on me I will give you an i.o.u. for the other �20 and pay you later. Right said Ivan and the boy wrote I owe you Mr. Hayward �20 on the back of the custom form for the guitar, signed G. Harrison. As Ivan said I never saw him again and never got my �20 but still I have his i.o.u., The black Gretsh was George�s favourite guitar, but he could never play it as good as Ivan. Believe me! In the fifties, along with the left laundry where shirts that had not been picked up, could be had for a dollar, a great buy for any winger. The blood bank $5 dollars a pint, more if you had a rare blood, there was the Salvation Army thrift shop. This was a charity shop where New Yorkers would bring the furniture, clothes, kitchen appliances, fridges, freezers, washing machines, and dishwashers anytime they Were upgrading there homes, a lot of these goods were in first class condition and were brought back to Liverpool. This story is true, honest. Eddie I can�t remember his surname he was on deck, So we didn�t meet up on board ship. Anyway Eddie was going to the Thrift Store to look around. As he got there a big station wagon drew up. In the back, so big, that the tailgate couldn�t come down was a huge fridge freezer, a double door one, it was big. A young couple got out and started to untie the rope holding the fridge. Eddie spoke to them, �are you taking the fridge to the shop?�, �yes� they replied, �oh then�said Eddie, �can I buy it from you now, and you can give them the money?�. The couple recognised his English accent and asked what he wanted it for. � I want to take it back home he explained as such appliances are almost unknown in the UK market place.� �How are you going to get it home?� the young man said, �easy� said Eddie, � I�ll borrow a truck wheel it down to the ship, it�s only a few blocks away on the 12th and 52st�. The couple were looking at him rather disbelievingly. �Okay� said the man, �but I tell you what we�ll do, I�ll run down with it�. This they did and were so surprised to see the Brittanic thee and a couple of Eddie�s mates to give him a hand to get it aboard. So much so they refused to take any money off him. That made Eddie�s day. A few more bucks to spend in the Diner. But that�s only half of the story. Getting back to Liverpool Eddie and his mates got it on Daly�s wagon, you should have seen Daly�s face it was a picture. Eddie lived in a three up, three down terrace off Gt. Homer St., When Daly�s got there it had to go up three steps and along a narrow lobby. It couldn�t be done. So they left it outside the front door, in all it�s shiny glory for the whole street to admire. When Eddie came home later that day he too found it was impossible to get into the lobby, so with the help of several of the neighbours, they hauled it down the back entry and into the yard, don�t ask me how, it still wouldn�t go into the kitchen. So a compromise was made, the fridge was left in the backyard, a hole drilled through the kitchen window frame for the cable and step down and a rough plywood sheet built around it, to protect it from the weather. And there it stood the supreme American kitchen appliance, a double door fridge freezer, the very best, next too � that right - the outside loo! Owens Aces Anyone sailing on the Queen Mary in the 50�s would remember Owen Thompson. The Captains tiger, though I always thought of him as the ships Tomcat, especially with his life long love affair with Lady Luck,If there were Cards or Dice Owen would be there. After a particularly heavy poker game, when a great deal of money changed hands, Kenny Smith a man of words, penned an ode to Owen. Shakespeare Kenny it wasn�t, but humorist he was. Read on and you�ll agree�� Gathered round a table was a funny looking bunch In the forward pig and whistle Just after second sitting lunch There was Danny Cull and the screaming skull And a guy called Spanish Jack And a lady called Rick and the mad game chick All making up the pack And a crafty Benny Ginsberg Chewing on a cheap cigar Which he�d hoisted from a rabbi In the old Cunard White Star They were playing five card poker And the stakes were getting high With a growing stack of dollar bills Reaching up towards the sky It was a time to do some bluffing For that pot too hot to miss So before the dealer came around They all gave the cards a kiss And the one called Owen Thompson Took a shout of Goddard�s rum When he saw he�d two black aces With three more cards to come And while no one was looking He slipped himself the ace He sometimes carried up his sleeve Just in case�just in case�just in case� He took two from the dealer And brought his cards to five Then he opened with a feeler Just to keep the game alive Well it seemed that draw had fooled them And one by one they quit Except for Benny Ginsberg Who never gave a shit He acted like some learner And took a four card draw While his mate old Bobo Turner Swept the pig and whistle floor Then Benny upped the bet by fifty And a fifty yet again And his eyes go kind of shifty Like he�s feeling lots of pain And the temperature was rising In that red hot poker school And it really was surprising How that Owen kept his cool Mind you, holding three good aces (with the one from up his sleeve) Gave him all the airs and graces Of one who could not believe That anyone could beat him And take that mighty sum Nor would Benny cheat him So he poured himself a rum And the slyly peeked at those two cards Which were lying on their faces And he never expected there to find Two more fucking aces So he had all the aces in the pack Plus one he�d dealt himself Five biggies sitting in a row Like plates sit on a shelf Well Owen knew he had to pack It was just one of those things But what a blow he didn�t know That Benny had five Kings����.. Seamen where never lost for words or music as the next offering will show, the observation was of the music and the man Miles Davis Any jazz lover can connect with this. More... Copyright © 2006 cunardyanks.org. All rights reserved