Members were very sad to hear at our September meeting of the passing of Andrew Kellard (Grumpy) at Mayday on 31st August. Silence was observed followed by several members paying a personal tribute. Many of us attended the funeral on 20th September.
Read more: October 2022We regret to report the death of Lionel Downton on 5th September. Lionel, a companion member, had been unwell for some time.
Chairman, Roger Gourd, welcomed 18 members to our September lunch plus guest speaker Brian Biggs. £36 was collected for the Chairman’s charity. The July outing to Chatham Historic Dockyard had made a surplus of £102 also to be donated to the Chairman’s charity. The raffle raised £20.
Please notify lunch changes by 10.30am the prior Tuesday for Thursday 6th Oct. meeting to chris@moniz.co.uk T: 020 8660 6063. Please notify Member News to Secretary, Ian Payne T: 01737 554449. Please email vincent@fosdike.com with articles/news for the Newsletter
Merger with Purley Probus
‘In Principle’ proposals had been distributed with September’s Newsletter. It was suggested that the annual fee be waived next April as a bonus following merger. It was agreed that the lunch dates should be 1st Thursday of each month, so no change for Coulsdon members. Ian Payne invited members to submit questions before our October meeting. Following further discussion with Purley, October’s meeting is to be an Extraordinary General Meeting to agree the merger with Purley.
Speaker: Stuart Robinson: ‘Curiosities of the City of London’ 3rd November: Christian Wolmar ‘The Crossrail Story’
Speaker September: Brian Biggs — My Life on Tugboats
Brian, Tugboat cook to captain to instructor. Brian first told us about his background, education and career as deckhand to captain. Then, with many images, the heyday of the tugboat, the decline of the London docks in favour of container ports and some incidents and adventures on a tugboat.
Brian was born at the beginning of WWII and lived through the war in the docklands where City Airport now is. He was brought up in a loving family by Dad and Mum with two sisters and uncles – played football and cricket in the street (cul-de-sac) – did the 3 R’s at school and more football – left school and at 15 went to Wapping to look for a job.
As a cook (no experience) on a tugboat he had to make tea every two hours, 24 hours a day, plus meals – he earned £8.50 per week (equivalent to £250 now), £4 of which went to his family. At 18 he became ‘mate’ and junior deckhand. Then senior deckhand on a steam tug. One day on, one day off – nicknamed a ‘week-end millionaire’. He was hospitalised with TB so missed the army.
Brian’s regular work was in the ‘Pool of London’ supporting incoming ships. He got married in ’64, was transferred to Gravesend, berthing ships. Then he started doing sea work round to Felixstowe working on container ships which was the start of the end for the London docks. Next Brian was sent to the National Sea Training College in Greenhithe – how to tie knots, slice ropes and interpret radar. Later he trained as a Captain including electronics, some medics and childbirth.
Now Brian was a Captain – ‘Can you take this tug to Algeria?’ While there, he did a spell as shore superintendent. Back in England, his manager asked him to set up a training team but downsizing due to new technologies meant redundancy at age 57. But Brian was too valuable and, as self-employed, he taught river skills at the National Sea Centre at Gravesend. Then to Oman to teach tugboat skills and navigation. And back at Gravesend he was training youngsters looking to be tugboat Captains.
And finally to the images and the stories. Tugs; wharfs; galleys; barge families; fires; collisions; salvage; large ships being towed into port – often they crashed into bridges or got stuck if they tried on their own; modern tugs (electronics and radar); Cunard being towed into the Royal Albert Docks (now City Airport); container ships needing tugs to take them into dock; cruise ships; push-me/pull me tugs; manoeuvring large ships; voith-schneider propulsion; contrasting old and new tugboats. Did you know that vessels at Erith pump oxygen into the water to improve Thames quality?
Brian tugged the Royal Yacht Brittania four times – well done Brian.
Keep Cool and Carry On — Vincent Fosdike
Most Probus members in our branch made their way in technical or applied fields and may well have not come across David Hume (1711-1776) in their studies or even in effigy on his home ground of Edinburgh. Space forbids me writing his history but he was a much-regarded philosopher I studied some of that discipline in my days as a sociologist before I became a lawyer and lecturer.
For me the most outstanding quotation of his is “Reason is the slave of the passions”. In other words, man is not logical his decisions are warped by emotions and prejudice however intelligent and educated he may be. Latter Freud would use this concept to show how the sub conscious can influence the logical mind to the extent persons can rationalise their actions so that they feel justified in whatever they wish to do. Politicians employ such insight to sell dreams in which votes are persuaded to believe what their logical minds, can’t, yet they vote for the dream because it accords with their desires, whatever they may be.
If you don’t see the relevance of this, I’ll give two examples. My wife and I often take coffee sitting “en terrace” near a road in which cars and vans stop for a few minutes whilst passengers are dropped off or coffees bought. Fuel is expensive and polluting yet almost without exceptions engines are run continuously. A driver’s mate will bring out hot coffee which will take five to seven minutes to drink. The engine will continue to idle, then they look at their phones for several minutes, perhaps have a conversation and after easily ten minutes they drive off. They do this at all times of the year even when it can’t be justified to warm or cool the cab, (windows open of course). I can’t find what causes this perverse behaviour, perhaps it is guilt that if they are not working, at least the engine is?
The cafe owner looks at me in despair as he says he runs air-conditioning, but the customers won’t accept closed windows. They truly believe that outside air at 27 degrees must be cooler than his air con at 20 degrees. He dare not argue, windows must be open AND the air-con must be on. The NHS advise that windows should be kept closed when the outside temperature is hotter than the inside. Houses should husband the cool air from the night. It is obvious. Don’t let hot air in, close curtains to reduce radiated heat. Yet everyone does the opposite. This may go back to pre-climate change times when it was axiomatic that outside air was cooler in summer. As Hume and Freud said our passions derive from confused and early experiences. If our parents told us to open the windows it must be forever true.
As winter comes we will pour heat out into the cold street as heat makes rooms stuffy, even though it will now empty our bank accounts. Just see if I am not right!
Last question: are you VAX or ANTI VAX? – which ones will you choose to take and why?