If there's no menu on the left click on the dog to take you back to frames.
Seadogs Index N
All the names are listed alphabetically by first name.
Neil ? (Asst Head Dairyman)
Neil's Memories include Arcadia, Canberra, Island Princess, Pacific Princess, Sea Princess, Sun Princess.
Neil Whitmore (aka Bob)
Nick ? (Photog)
Nick ? (PRS)
Nick Morrow (Deceased)
Nick Williams (aka Taffy)
Nigel Cook (aka Tiny)
Nigel Spratt (aka Sprat man)
Nigel's Memories include Canberra, Uganda.
Nigel ? (AP)
Norman Smith (Stormin')
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If there's no menu on the left click on the dog to take you back to frames.
Seadogs Index O
All the names are listed alphabetically by first name.
Olli ? (Nurse) (Now Jennings)
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Neil Mcgrath
Neil was 2nd VO on Canberra and the old Arcadia and 1st VO on Sea Princess and Pacific Princess.
Neil sent in 97 excellent photos which have been posted in "Neil's Memories" section here.
There's more photos of Neil starting here.
Neil's email address is neil.mcgrath@wrref.com
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Neil Sharp
Neil
was a deck cadet with P&O from 1977 through 1981. He qualified from
Cardiff college. His ships were Ardmay (Oct 77 to Mar 78), Strathardle
(May 79 to Sept 78), Ardlui (Apr 79 to Aug 79), Wild Fulmar (Sept 79 to
Feb 80), Oriana (Mar 80 to June 80) and finally Stratheden in 1981 to
complete sea time and then as 3/O before being made redundant in early
1982 at a time when many officers were being let go in the downward spiral
of the British Merchant Navy at the time.
Neil writes;
I
loved the 3 1/2 months on Oriana, I joined in Sydney, did 2 cruises, then
the line voyage, then 2 cruises from Southampton, one Med and one
Caribbean. I remember the Krankies being on board, they were great fun;
and Peter Gordeno and his dancers, who liked to sunbathe on the Monkey
Island. Unfortunately I don't remember too many of the officers or crew by
name, although I did have the greatest respect for Commodore Wacher, a
tremendous seaman. I remember Captain Scott-Mason, Captain Tompkins and
Chief Officer Roger Knight, someone who I had a couple of run ins with but
who was a nice guy really! I can't even remember the full names of the
other cadets on board, just first names, though I did see a couple of them
again after Oriana. I also remember plenty of other people on board, but
names completely escape me.
A group in the Oriana wardroom. Mike Fitzgerald is in the middle, I have recognised him from this site, I am second right between the 2 WAP's, looking pretty worse for wear, and the WAP between Mike and I was called Caroline - I seem to have a few pictures of her!
Caroline and I the same night. I don't remember her surname, but do remember she was from the North East.
Above and below were taken by the ship's photographer with passengers.
The things we had to do!!!!
Since reluctantly leaving the sea in 82 I have carved out a career in IT and have been with Motorola for 19 years. Luckily my job still involves a lot of travel, but I do miss the sea probably more now than I did when I was younger. Your web site only makes me even more nostalgic and wishing I could turn back the clock! (me too Neil, I don't know why I do it to myself). I am married for the second time and have a 19 year old son at Manchester University studying Chemistry and Forensics.
Neil's email address is Neil.Sharp@motorola.com
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Neil Whitmore (aka Bob)
Now that’s a face I know so well but I don’t think I ever spoke to Neil. When I first saw this picture yesterday the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I felt like I’d been transported in time and was walking into Oriana’s Restaurant under the watchful eye of this man.
The above picture is Neil on the SS Strathden as a Writer in 1952 and shows him dressed ready to go ashore in Sydney. The ship used to stay there for 7 days in those days due to the cargo they carried. Neil was the youngest writer in the company at that time.
He was also the youngest Head Waiter in the company being on the SS Strathmore in 1962 and running the aft restaurant at only 27 years old when most other Head Waiters were in their 50's !
Neil sailed as Maitre d'Hotel on SS Oriana from 1975 until she was withdrawn from service and sold to the Japanese. When he took the golden handshake after Oriana was sold he’d been running the restaurants on most of the P&O ships plus Sun Princess (Ex Spirit of London) for nearly 25 years !
He thinks he got out at the right time !
This is Neil more recently taken about 2 years ago.
Courtesy of Dave Traynor
Here’s a great shot of Neil. Dave Traynor believes Neil’s looking pensive but I reckon he’s had one too many of those VBs. What’s the truth Bob?
There's more of Neil here.
Neil’s email address is neil.whitmore@ntlworld.com
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Nicholas Wild
Nic is the our 2nd son of Terry Wild. He joined Ocean Fleet's and served as a Marine Engineer Cadet on;
the tanker Cyclops,
mv Sherbro
and mv Barbermemnon.
He finished his cadetship and got married. He then worked for BICC and then at Pirelli Cables as Product Manager Connectors and Tooling. He did Open an University course and got his BSc. He now teaches in a Liverpool Comprehensive School.
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Nick Lane
Courtesy of Steve Foster
Steve writes;
Nick & I were at the MRGC @ Manchester together and sailed on Oriana & Canberra. Nick was an R/O but also spent time as a lecky on Canberra (We wouldn't have him in the radio room). Anyway if anyone knows where Nick is, I would love to hear from them.
I'm pleased to say Nick has contacted me and would love to hear from any of his old shipmates.
Nick's email address is nick_lane_uk@yahoo.co.uk
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Nick Morrow (Deceased)
Photo & narration courtesy of Steve Hodge
Nick Morrow Nuclear Accident - Mr Morrow was Chief Engineer and liked the sun (which apparently didn't like him quite as much).
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Nick Williams (aka Taffy)
That’s Taffy inside a salt water evaporator with Dave George. That was one of those wonderful jobs we had to do in Dry Dock to blast the deposits off the evaporators that made the fresh water from sea water.
Here’s Taffy with John Speed and the famous Mickey Mouse.
There’s more photos of Nick here, here, here, here,
If anyone has any other photos of Taffy or knows where he is then please let me know.
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Nick Wilson
Courtesy of Bill Wilson
Nick Wilson (son of Bill whom I sailed with) completed his cadetship at Warsash and joined QM2 in New York as 3rd engineer. The above photo was taken on his passing out day in Southampton. ( Nick is in the back row second from left ).
His first sea time was on the QE2 and he also had 2 months on Sea Princess and 2 months on Oriana. He just missed sailing with Dave Jewkes as the day Nick joined Oriana Dave was going on leave.
Courtesy of Bill Wilson
This was taken on the Sea Princess last year.
Courtesy of Bill Wilson
Bill writes;
Here's a photo of Nick and I (Father and Son) in the E.C.R. on QM2 during a Transatlantic Crossing from New York. Nick is home on leave with us now and will be sailing again with Marty Elliot as Chief Engineer when he rejoins QM2 in November.
Nick can be contacted through Bill's email here.
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Nigel Curry
Nigel sailed as cadet onboard Strathardle, Uganda and Canberra, and third mate onboard Oriana between years 1973-1975.
An invitation dated 18 June 1973, which I remember little about. But someone may!
There's more of Nigel starting here.
Nigel's email address is nigel__@btopenworld.com
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Nigel Godfrey
Nigel joined the RN after a year at Inde in 1978, left in 1989, and now works as a hydrographic surveyor mainly for the oil and gas industry. He is due to join the OSV Relume working on the Greater Gabbard wind farm.
Nigel's email address is nigelgodfrey@ymail.com
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Nigel Taylor
Courtesy of Mike Maskell
Nigel joined P&O in 1966 as an engineer & sailed on Orcades, Oronsay, Chusan, Canberra & Himalaya.
Nigel was 2nd VO on Chusan in 1968. Mike Maskell thinks Nigel is checking to see if the VB is off. It's maybe one left over from the night before. Been there done that.
Courtesy of Mike Maskell
Mike adds "the first Gin of the day always tastes the best".
There's more of Nigel starting here.
Nigel's email address is ntaylor45@hotmail.com
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Nigel Whitaker
Nigel was in the Purser Dept on Canberra and has a large collection of photos and other sea memorabilia, the best of which will be posted in Nigel's Memories.
Nigel now runs his own business called Kleentec Marine marketing products to improve visibility from a ship's bridge.
Nigel's email address is nigel@kleentecmarine.com
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Noël Butler
Noël (a quite beautiful female as you can undoubtedly see) was the first Show Dancer on Canberra in 1979, and was onboard for 9 months. She became an Entertainment Officer and spent 3 yrs Aussie Cruising on Oriana in the early 1980's, then onto Sea Princess and back to Canberra before leaving in 1986. She returned to Sea in 2003 as a Cruise Director (not for P&O), but after 17 yrs ashore being back in the performing business was fantastic. However when she's at Sea she wants to be performing ashore and when ashore she wants to be back at Sea!! Some people are never pleased!
Most definitely Noel is a woman :)
Noël sent me this great email;
"Thank you for all your updates on the Seadogs site. It was Mike Clare, Paddy Clare's brother who first told me about the site. I have amazingly made contact with Kit Williams who wrote Paddy's obit for the site. I never knew her at Sea but she flew to the UK for some work on Easter Sunday and we met up that week. All in just 7 days since I first dared to Email her. I would love to attend the Canberra reunion on Oriana."
and this one;
Dear Steve,
I joined Canberra in April 1979 as the first "Show Dancer" and stayed there until November of the same year. In 1982, I was contacted and asked to return to Canberra, then a couple of days before I was due to join she was requisitioned for the Falklands. I went on a desperate job-search, got into "No No Nanette" in Berlin. I was suddenly whisked off to P&O to join Oriana in Sydney. I had a great 10 weeks, then went to Jersey to fulfil the contract I had then procured. Whilst in the show in Jersey, I was approached again by P&O. As soon as I finished in Jersey, I went straight back to Oriana, still based in Sydney. I stayed with Oriana as Ents Officer until 1984. In 1985, I went to Sea Princess, then onto Canberra.
I had a huge car accident in 1986, this culminated in me taking the "Voluntary Severance" that was offered at this time. I wasn't fit to work at Sea at that time. I met Paddy Clare in 1982 and we remained friends until his death. We were very close for a long while, and I still have the Irish Cleideigh Ring he gave me!! I shall never forget his Mother's comments, or the look on Mike and Rose's face (his wife) as we sat, well I sat, in Mike and Rose's sitting room. Mike told me that they gave Paddy a VERY hard time, and strong talking to, when Paddy decided to remain single. Mike said Rose wrote to me after Paddy's death, but somehow the letter was returned to them. As Mike said, maybe she wasn't exact on my address. I was probably one of very many that Paddy declared his love to!! I have often wanted to visit Paddy's grave but haven't wished to intrude on the Clare Family. Speaking to Mike Clare yesterday, he filled in many gaps and was very open with warmth that I should indeed visit Paddy's, and Rose's graves. To all the others who loved Paddy, we are the richer for it.
I stayed in the entertainment business ashore. Slowly, I rebuilt my life after the 1986 car accident. I was lucky for many years as an actress in London's West End. In 2003, I saw an advert for a Cruise Director. In 9 days time I was on Discovery, (the old IP), as Cruise Director. I had a brilliant time. I was then to go on 'Saga Rose' in 2005 until January 2006. On Saga, I worked with a lovely young lady called Laura Batchelor. I'm actually older than her Parents, but we never notice the age gap, as we laughed our way through "The Saga Way", we kept friendship as I left Saga, then so did she. Laura was prompted by my P&O tales to join P&O as Ents Officer in February this year. I wait to hear from her. I hope she still has the "laughter" that got us through Saga, many ports, and times ashore back in UK. Thanks to the two of us, three guys were arrested in Panama, we didn't even realise we were being followed, and were slightly shocked when armed Police came into the Internet cafe we were in, talk about armed guard.
As we sat and had dinner ashore in Madeira on Christmas Eve, looking at Saga Rose berthed on the other side of the Harbour, we both thought the same thought: "We could just go to the Airport and fly home now". We never discussed this with each other until we had left Saga, but were then stunned that we had both shared the same thought. "Things ain't wot they used to be". I'm sure times have changed on P&O, but we certainly learnt the best way of doing things. P&O memories will stay with me forever. I made great friends then and have kept in touch with many: Leslie (nee Holden) and Guy Richards, Manta Patterson, Sue Baker, Penny (nee Brister) now married to Torbjorn Matissen ( a Chief Engineer with Crystal Cruises), Gilly Fields, Billy Strachan, Caroline Dennis, Dee Johnston, and recently met up with Jay, a Dancer. I'd seen her several times at Workshops it was her FIJI T-Shirt that gave her away, so we got talking. Jimmy Dene still works as a DJ. He scares the life out of residents and holiday makers to La Marina is Spain, 30 minutes south of Alicante. For ages I had contact with "Sir John" Evans, Malcolm Rushan, Paul Barry, (I think my mother still has contact with Paul and Judy). Whilst working with Caroline at Chichester Festival Theatre, Annette Shufflebottom (nee George), was an usherette there and made herself known to me. I had a lovely day and lunch with her near Chichester at her home. "Shuff" was away at Sea at the time. I waiver now between longing to be back at Sea, and loving my work ashore. I tell myself I must create "An Act", so I can fill in the lean times ashore, and be at Sea.
At present I work as an Etiquette Advisor. In 2006 I did Deportment Coach and Etiquette and was Assistant to the Choreographer for the BBC's production of "Jane Eyre". I was Etiquette Advisor on "The Other Boleyn Girl" that will be released by Sony as a Block Buster Film later in 2007, starring Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Eric Bana, and Kristen Scott Thomas. I also danced in this. At present I am the Etiquette Advisor on "Sense and Sensibility" for the BBC. We are just filming so it will no doubt be shown later this year. Jean Marsh, Janet McTeer, David Morrissey, Mark Williams and Christopher Beeny are some of the stars. I am also dancing in "Sense and Sensibility"! Oh Yes, there is life in the old girl yet!! I teach Historical Dance every Thursday evening at Central School of Ballet, Herbal Hill, near Faringdon, London. It starts at 7pm and is a Drop-In class so anyone can come. You need never have danced before, all ages are welcome. The bliss of Historical dance is: People danced as a social act right up to their death. We are always short of men, you do not need a partner, many dances are group dances. I will make you very welcome.
I was on Canberra in 1979 when Mike Carr and Angie first got "Talking" on a Beach Party. Angie was an Ents Off at that time, I later sailed with them on Oriana once they were married. I met up with Jon Dobson in late 1980's when I was on tour in Newcastle. PAG (Paul Arden Griffiths) came up to me one night at the CAA, in London to say "Hello". Mathew McLaughlin now works in a Florist, (owned by his partner) in Windsor, where I was born and brought up. What delight I had one day to go in and quote those famous "My Fair Lady" lines: "Working in a Common Little Flower Shop". Mathew's face was classic! I was in a production at the Theatre Royal Windsor at the time. Probably most of the ex P&O friends I stay in touch with are Entertainers. Strangely though, whilst Officers always thought us as "Light-Weight" with P&O, they still come round to a Stage Door and say "Hi", or send a note c/o my Agent or Equity if they hear me on the Radio, or see me on TV. I'll never be a "Celebrity" but I always went into performing because I love the techniques of the art form.
What is it though that bites us with the Sea? So many of the photos on the site are so dated, yet you can smell and hear the atmosphere and the bug is still there. What drove people to behave like that, they never do ashore - Do they?!! I laughed till I cried at the story of how The Bopper got his wrist broken, there is a sit-com there somewhere. Well Mike Clare was with P&O originally too. You have just wasted about three hours of my time as I surfed the Website!! What memories it evoked, how I laughed. I shall now tell others I am in touch with about the site.
Job well done, Thank you.
Noël Butler
You're very welcome, thanks for sharing your life and intimate memories with us.
Noël's email address is nobutprod@yahoo.co.uk
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Norman Geehan
Courtesy of Keith Radford
Norm is on the right with Chris "Blackman" Benham on the left and it was taken in the late Richard "Dick " Stone's cabin aboard Oronsay.
Courtesy of Keith Radford
That's Norm sitting on the edge of the Aft pool on Oronsay with a passenger named Diane.
Courtesy of Keith Radford
That's Norm standing on the right taken on the same day.
There's more photos of Norm here
Norm's email address is normski49@hotmail.co.uk (bounces as invalid)
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