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1 Attachment(s)
SEAMENS STRIKE. 1960
Does anyone remember the 1960 Seamens Strike???
I have just found my National Seamans Reform Movement members contribution book.
It was lead by Paddy Neary, during the strike Cunard put a High Court Injunction on him, If he made a speech he would go to gaol.
We had the meeting on the bomb site next to the old Sailors Home and Pool. As soon as Paddy got up to speak the Police turned up and threw Paddy into the van and down to the Bridewell. He got six months in gaol. afterwards Paddy went to live in Belfast and eventually died, Barney Flynn ran a Communist training school and my mate Pete Barlow`s Mother ran a Canny House near Tate and Lylles, I think it was on Vauxhall Road, and she fed me for free when I was sleeping in the doorway of St James Church. Pete died not long after. still young. I was out of work for nearly five months after being thrown off the Pool.
Hard to believe it was Fity years ago this summer.
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This is amazing , i guess there was no such thing as free speech fifty years ago !
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Is that why theres not many people born in 1961?
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I remember the time well Cap'n! but I was driving taxi's for Bob Mitchell's who had the contract with the Shipping Federation! I had the job of driving around one of the Federation officials trying to get seamen to man the ships! quite a few who had got 'bad discharges'from previous ships got the opportunity to get back to sea!! I hated doing this but Eh! it was a job! remember the police escort into the docks area, and the ships being anchored out 'in the stream' and the use of a tug to get the men out to them. one of the Cunarders waiting to sail, and also one of the Ellerman boats, but sorry, can't remember the names, Oh so long ago, but still a vivid memory.
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I remember the CPR Shore Gang sailing the Empress of France to Cork and then an Irish crew took over and sailed her to Canada. Five months later I got a Pier Head jump on the France and some of the Irish men were still sailing on her. It caused a lot of trouble.
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seamans strike
still remember quite well. done a lot of picketing on gladstone dock gates with my cousin ron,
seen a lot of scabs hiding in taxis going thru,
after the stike was over and for quite a long time after, when we signed on various ships
we tryed to peek at other guys discharge books to see if they had the reform
stamp on the page.