ss Himalaya Groups Index

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Himalaya Groups Index

1967 Brass on the Bridge Wing

1968 Cabin Bonding

1968 Ron Sheldon's Himalaya Memories

1968 The story of Pippa Spit

1968/69 Bridge Wing Group 1968/69

1968 Wardroom Group

1973 Engineers on Decks

1974 Purser's Department

1970's A Passenger's Memories

Steve Borrill © Amberfluid Web Design

1967 Brass on the Bridge Wing

Courtesy of Graham Stephens

Graham writes;

Staff Captain Adie and Captain Prowse on the bridge approaching our berth at Hong-Kong in 1967. That's possibly Phil Jackson (Chief officer) in the background.

Those were the days.

Steve Borrill © Amberfluid Web Design

1968 Cabin Bonding

Courtesy of Graham Stephens

L-R:

Rosie ? (WAP), Graham Burton and Renske Gaus (WAP)

Courtesy of Graham Stephens

L-R:

Graham Burton, Rosie ? (WAP) and Graham Stephens.

Steve Borrill © Amberfluid Web Design

1968 Ron Sheldon's Himalaya Memories

Courtesy of Ron Sheldon

Good to see the two best beers ever brewed on the table side by side, Allsopps and the mighty VB.

Courtesy of Ron Sheldon

It's always brilliant to catch two icons in the same photos.

Courtesy of Ron Sheldon

The Paragon Hotel was the nearest (and most popular) bar to Circular quay, where we docked each time in Sydney, in those days pubs & bars could open any time from 6am but had to then remain open for 12 hours, just along from the Paragon was the 'Ship' a 6am to 6pm house with the Paragon open 10am to 10pm that's 16 hours solid consumption (if needs be).

Courtesy of Ron Sheldon

Steve Borrill © Amberfluid Web Design

The story of Pippa Spit 1968

Story told by Roger Lownsborough.

Onboard Himalaya 1968

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

A light drizzle was falling as we came alongside in Suva, Fiji, taking the berth that Oriana had just vacated.

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

Once alongside we started day work which involved antenna maintenance, and offering some splendid views from the dizzy height of the foremast top, and of another P&O ship berthed alongside, Arcadia.

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

The warmth of the sun and the sight of our own lifeboats suggested that it was going to be a perfect day for a boat trip.

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

A couple of phone calls were all that was necessary to persuade the 8-12 watch to come out and play, and armed with a couple of cases of beer and a few cold chicken legs, we set off.

L-R

Pippa Sheen (Social Hostess), John (The Bopper) Englefield (2EO), Roger Lownsborough (3RO) at the helm, Rodney Boswell (3O) watching how not to steer a lifeboat, ??, ??, ?? (8-12 watch keeping engineers).

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

Rodney Boswell posed coyly with a beach towel whilst Bopper took the helm.

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

Rodney Boswell ensured that everyone took suitable precautions against the heat, and kept our liquid levels up - I think he was sponsored by VB!

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

Feeling absolutely no pain whatsoever, we sighted a small sand spit, and gently ran the boat ashore.....on a falling tide!

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

Within a few minutes we were hopelessly aground!

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

I seized the chance to claim this newly expanding sand spit in the name of Her Majesty, in the true tradition, and christened the new found land in honour of the only female in the party, Pippa Sheen. so "Pippa Spit" it was.

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

It seemed only right that we should raise a toast to Pippa Spit...

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

L-R

Roger Chapman (1st RO), Pippa Sheen (Social Hostess) Huw Williams (Chief RO) (deceased), ??

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

Behaving as a senior officer should, Roger Chapman tried to make contact with Himalaya to inform them of our plight - but in the true tradition of the Radio Department - the batteries were flat!!

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

While the RO's were arguing about who was to blame, Pippa somehow lost the top of her bikini, and to protect her modesty flung herself, face-down on the sand.

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

Whoever said that Engineer Officers were not chivalrous? Well this guy certainly was. He jumped out of the boat armed with a bailing pan....and rushed to her side....

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

Where, with the ferocity of a Jack Russell terrier he proceeded to dig a trench into which his colleagues, armed with an oar, proceeded to demonstrate the first order of levers...!

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

Needless to say, it was sunset before the tide rise sufficiently for us to refloat the lifeboat and return to the ship - where we received a monumental bollocking for our prolonged disappearing act.

What happened to the photo of the levered over Pippa?

Brilliant stuff ... thanks Roger.

Steve Borrill © Amberfluid Web Design

Bridge Wing Group 1968/69

Courtesy of Roger Lownsborough

L-R

Pat Archer (WAP), Rodney Boswell (3rd Officer) and unknown WAP on Himalaya's Bridge Wing somewhere in the South Pacific, 1968/9.

1968 Wardroom Group

Courtesy of Graham Stephens

Graham writes;

I don't remember the actual occasion but it's the Himalaya Wardroom 1968. Given those there and the dress it must have followed a "theme" night of some kind.

L-R:

Teresa (Terry) Smith - later Terry James (Telephonist), ?? (Baby Doc), Tony Prideaux (1O), Barry ? (Carpenter), Bob Warwick (J Eng), Graham Stephens with guitar (2nd Elect), Bob Muntz (Aussie Freezer), John McVeigh (2nd Eng), Peter Cutmore (2O), David Burleigh (Purser).

It was not quite as democratic as the photo suggests, it would be uncommon to find a Telephonist and a Carpenter in the Wardroom except by invitation.

Greg Sinclair writes;

The “Aussie Freezer” looks like Bob Muntz. Bob is an Australian but was a Boilermaker. He sailed on Oriana in 1970 & 1971. See what others think.

Engineers on Decks 1973

Courtesy of Kevin O'Connor

All I can tell you is that's Kevin O'Connor on the left.

1974 Purser's Department

Courtesy of Lauraine Mulberry

Lauraine recalls;

Above is the Purser's department onboard Himalaya taken on 14 October 1974! This was my first ship....joined it in March and did not get off until the ship docked in Hong Kong prior to being broken up.

L-R Back Row:

John Bonham (D/P Cat), Mike Andrew (D/P Admin), Tony Boxall (D/P Accom)(Deceased), Barry Mulder (Purser), Denis Rogers (Chef), Alex Graham (Writer), Graham Mansell (AP), Charles Caton (AP).

Front Row:

Judy Smyth (S/WAP), Val Jones (WAP), Vicki Russell (WAP), Daphne Cutler (Ch Ho - daughter of Capt Roger Cutler), Lauraine Mulberry (JWAP), Ian Rover (Crew AP).

1970's A Passenger's Memories

Courtesy of Robyn McPhee

Robyn writes;

This is myself with engineer Kevin O'Connor - despite the flirtatious nature of the pic, Kevin and I were just friends! He was very handsome, charming and always a real gentleman!.

Courtesy of Robyn McPhee

Robyn continues;

This is a few engineers fooling around (!) - the one with the big bowtie I believe was Peter Robinson - can't remember the names of the others. 'Pee Wee' Robinson was a real character and kept many of us entertained when he was "off duty"!

Thankfully Kevin O'Connor has added the following;

The gent on the left is Paul Talarico and the gent on the right, next to Pee Wee, is Ian “Chalky” White.