Sqiz.co.uk

@Sam Gale
Sailed with your Grandad on Tamworth and Silksworth.Live in Whitby now ex Coastguard

@craig allison
Hi Craig, I was on the Tamworth as junior engineer with you when she went aground. Long time ago now.
Regards, Steve.

Hi had Tamworth and Starworth 1973 to 75 running to US thoroughly enjoyed my time on both ships as an AB , nice to see a website to do with Dagliesh Ben

Hi Derek,
I’m the “Chris” in your South Shields college photos. The pictures bring back so many memories of our time as cadets. I’m still at sea, moved into the north sea offshore industry when my wife and I decided to start a family 26 years ago. Hope you’re doing well. Maybe contact you again sometime. Gotta go now. It’s almost 4 am and I’m on the 8-12. ????

Hello,

I came across your website while doing research on some pieces of china bearing the Dalgliesh emblem. We have the same plate you found on Ebay in 2013 from MV Tamworth. We also have several other pieces with the blue flag/red ‘D’ with ‘Churchill’ (Manitoba, Canada) with dates from about 1955 to the late 1960s.

We don’t know much about these. Maybe you can help?

Thanks,

Jeff Graham
Canada

my dad was chief/stwd on the ravensworth 1960/61 I was catering boy my first ship.
I got the photo of her out of the office when the company closed down.paid off port Talbot
December 1961

Was with Daggie’s for a number of years and sailed with Captain Jewell many times one of the times winning the race to Churchill. I remember one time on the coast his daughter sailed with us and she was still still attending school anyway she took it upon herself to be the barmaid serving us engineers with nice cold beer. Another time I done a voyage (several months) and went home on leave when the superintendent phoned the house and asked if I would like to go to the River Plate and back telling me six weeks max. Thinking this would give me the summer months at home I went never to see the River Plate and got home eleven months later.
Now almost at retiring age and often think back what a great experience and joy to have served with the company and meeting great people.
Allan McKechnie.

Just come across this site, very interesting. I sailed on Tamworth from november 76 until about may 77. Had a terrible trip at first, was on ballast to Norfolk, noth virginia, hit a force twelve, engine lost lube oil pressure and we stopped. We rolled about 50* each way, Norman Mountain, the second engineer stood on a lube oil valve and it moved whereas it should have been locked open. He opened the valve saving all our lives, pressure came back and away we went again. The Master was Jack Wisden RNR so we flew blue ensign. Second mate was Edwin Curling, a great guy, liked his pink gins. Third engineer was Dusty Miller, my 4 am drinking partner, as was Ted Curling. Another junior engineer was Mick Trotter, he was responsible for me going to sea. After the Tamworth I joined Naworth with mostly the same crew and had a great trip on her also winning the ice race in to churchill. After I left Daggy’s I went with Maersk London then on to offshore work in Saudi were I have spent the last thirty years, working with John Currie and Bob Dennet-Thorpe, both ex Daggy’s. Bod left about fifteen years ago, John retired about three years ago. Happy memories of Daggy’s and the doxford dance.

Just returned frok Churchill on a trip with my Dad. He did a trip similiar to Barry’s in 1953 sponsored by Peter Dalgliesh. I believe he returned to Churchill on the Warkworth.

The library in Churchill has a display of lot’s of the Dalgliesh china from the Churchill Ladies Club. The Eskimo Museum had a couple things including a picture of the Warkworth and what I believe would be the gift(s) persented to the first ship in port

My dad was a chief officer with Daglish and sailed on all of those ships, we went on many a trip with him so the photo’s have brought back lots of memories. thank you

i was jnr eng. on the tamworth in 1973,Ken Jewell was master then and we won the ice race that year

Hello, just come across above info, and am very interested in finding more information on R.S Dalglish ships as my Grandfather (Ken Jewell) was skipper of alot of the vessels. We have various commemerative plates like the ones above and soap stone sculptures presented to Ken for successfully winning ice races. I have a lot of special memories visiting him on his latest ships. Any pictures or relevant information would be appreiciated. Thanks

I’ve worked on these ships from 1974—1978 as a junior eng/ 4th eng. whilst I have wonderful memories I seem to lost my photographs and addressess of all the people I met during those times. My last trip was on the M.V.Tamworth in 1978 the year the ship was sold and the year I left the merchant navy. Brilliant Times…..

I sailed on Ravensworth Tamworth and Silksworth as Third Officer .Did several voyages to Hudson Bay Was grounded on one occasion but we won the ice race under the late Capt Ken Jewell/ Late 1960s early 70s

I was at the launching of the Tamworth in 1968. I sailed from Canada on the Warkworth and spent the summer with the Dalgliesh family in Britain. I sailed home to Canada via the MV Silksworth through the port of Churchill, Manitoba. We actually came in contact with an ice berg in the north Atlantic, no serious harm done and we were still the first ship into the Port of Churchill on Aug. 3rd. or thereabouts 1968. We had a cargo of 500 Ford tractors on board from the factory in Bassildon England.

I found this fascinating reading as my late dad (John Sidney Wisden) was the Captain on several of the ‘Worth’ ships when I was a child. In fact my brother and I spent a few carefree months with our dad while the Oakworth was tramping across to America during the summer of 1974. From my recollections we joined the Oakworth in Dunkirk, sailed back to London and then across to Antwerp. From there we headed across to Florida and Houston and then south to Santos and Rio de Janeiro before finally sailing back to Dunkirk where we sailed home on a ferry.
Our cargoes consisted of Combine Harvesters, Cement and Iron Ore. The long days at sea were passed using the small ships’ pool and sunbathing. The evenings spent playing darts and cards along with watching films (which had been exchanged with other ships when in port) or reading books borrowed from the library or writing letters to home.
I will have a hunt sometime and see if I can unearth any old photos.

Great picture of the tamworth my 1st ship Daggies were great to work for, next ship was the Naworth

PS. The picture of the officers wife, was that the 2nd mates wife and although I can’t remember his name Blackburn? / Black something and came from the Richmond area of North Yorkshire.
Really nice lad.

Hi Derek,
I actually joined the Letchworth on 26/7/1977 in Hartlepool and sailed to Churchill and loaded grain for Alexandra. Then to Valencia and loaded cement for Kuwait (it may have been that trip when we ran aground) then to Durban and loaded coal for Dunkirk. So by the time I paid of I was 5 days short of a year. On my next ship I had an appendix and had to be airlifted off the ship just off Southampton. Next was the largest ship I ever been on the Varengfell 117,955 dwt. we ran salt between Cedros (Mexico) & Japan.Next was a coaster belonging to Rowbothams in which I got gassed in the pumproom, came very close to dying (and remember after thinking how easy it is to die) Then went with stag line on the Ixia & Begonia. By 1980 I joined a company callled Offshore Marine and worked in the North Sea & Med on supply boats. Best job I ever had. Sadly they were taken over by an American firm (Zapata Marine Services) and de-flagged. So went back to Stag line in what turned out to be my last trip joining the Begonia in Rouen 6/6/82 & paying off funnily enough in Durban on 7/2/83. Wanted to join the fire service and whilst waiting to go on the training course took a job with Royal Mail, with whom I stayed until 17/7/2010. I was a postman for a couple of years and became a manager but it became clear experiance and knowledge of the job did not count for much and I was always quite outspoken so I think RM were as pleased to get rid of me as I was of them. So today is the 1st anniversary of being officially retired. Whilst in the navy I took the opportunity to see the world and save a bit of money which luckily I invested wisely (in property) and now I do what I want. I have a 13 year son & an 11 year daughter and live in a small village called Aislaby, nr Pickering, North Yorkshire with wife & children. Last year I achieved my childhood and lifetime dream of owning a traction engine. Don’t know if you know much about these things but it is a 1914 Garrett 4CD (compound) tractor. That as kept me busy since I retired and it gets it steam next next Monday 25/7/2011. So if ever you go to steam rallies and see an engine with my name on the canopy look me up or if passing let me know and I will dig out my photo’s. If you pass on your e-mail address I will get some scanned and post them onto you.

Regards

Bob Cook

Hi Derek,
Your description of the Letchworth trip brought back many memories. Myself and the bosun Joe Murray (huge man) were the only white deck hands as me stayed on when the rest of the crew paid off on 23/12/1977. All the rest of the deck crew were Cape Verde islands as the company did not want a british crew so soon to Xmas.Remember going ashore in Providence and came out of a club and some bloke put a gun to my head. I pissed myself. Certainly loads of snow in either Bridgeport or Rhode Island. When we went through the suez I steered it all the way through as the pilot would not allow any of the Cape Verde sailors to take the wheel. Loaded cement in Romania and took it to Kuwait, where we ran grounded as I remember we had made so much fresh water whilst at sea and the plan was to sell it. Whilst in Durban one of the Cape Verde seaman was stabbed to death on the quayside, Myself and the cook found him after we had had a night in Durban (the Cape Verde’s ) could not join us due to apartied. The Seaman painting the housing is me. Thirty odd years younger and quite a bit lighter. Great days, thanks for posting.

Derek
Just stumbled on your web site it is great Gobsmacked when I saw a picture of myself on the Oakworth, I have loads of pics from that trip, will scan them and send them to you . it would be good to get in touch with any of the ex daggies men, I remember Neil Graham and Maurice Cooper, What was the name of the 4th engineer in the arab headress?

Hello Derek – very nice site you have here, I just wish I had been as diligent with my camera when at sea.

I went ot sea with Ropners in Sept ’78. On my first trip, there were a couple of ex Dalgliesh cadets finishing off their sea time. One was an engineer called Ian – he is featured in your album of SS Tech (cant remember his surname) and the other was a deck cadet from Chester le Street named John Chapple. I have been trying to trace JC for years without success.

There were also a couple of other ex-Daggies guys – Tom Heron C/E and an old soak Mate called Laurie Laidlaw.

I have sailed with Maurice Cooper on another of Ropners ships (Thirlby) in 1979. Resident in France at the time and sailing with Sylvana. If you see this Maurice it would be good to get in touch. I left the sea not long after getting my Master’s ticket and now work for a P&I Club.

Hi,

We may be the only two people in the world with M.V. Tamworth plates. I have the exact plate you show on your website. The only difference I see is that mine still has the Grimwades Royal Winton Original sticker still on the front surface. Believe it or not I am a world away in Edmonton Alberta Canada. I believe my Grandfather was actually in the Navy and was on the ship as my Grandmother passed the plate onto me.

Best Regards,

Justin

justed out side of the ofvers mees was a cowed water unit !! eye mite of got it rong !! ted rogers cheif stuwted and parser !! he saild with mee dad for yaers ! oily water sirepraters and suffing boxser love it !! we where down to one compreser and two gennyes ! the only thing wot cept that old doxsy engin going wos engineerning 2 and a hrf ball pain hamer with a bib of hemp rope throw the end of the shank !! keeping a swich gear down as u went in to the controll room ! on the right just as u go in the door !! lol nownt like a bit of enguoowty !! lolo thahs mee dar for u !!

hi eyem back agian !! the oakworth had thes old rustiy pipes on her deck ! they where sirake like ! off then she cared congonecet !! when wee where at ancker ! up the proushen golf ! a greck continer ship saled in and droped ancker over houer bow ! there wos a bit of a sellow on that night ! and she drage her ancker ! she came and crushed mv oakworths ! bow in ! right on the pointy bit ! it wos canny sarey to see two ships cum to gether !! at this time there wos about 47 ships at anker at bandeas in the prusand golf !!
mee and ourer boy ! weed sit on the end of gangway with a cluster of linghs awer the side to get the fisth baite !! there mouths at anker ! nee water or food !! lol ! thear cum round tuck the handes off the torits ! and only put the water on at the end of every 4 hour shift ! for ten mintes !!

hi ! after finneding this weebsite !! eye can not sleep !! wee had a litlle sturwit from souwde sheils about 5 foowt ! very darck hair with a mexeigane tash ! he wood cum round and wet the chable clothe in bad wether !! but the capin and chife engineer wood all ways get the noses bag first !! eye can rember the lovelly sprllicded rope under the chares with the brass uhock on ! and the eye on the florr !! eye got loads of menriers ! from wen eye wos about 4 or 5 ! and all thes names r just floding back ! glyn ! mi shurer u where the wilers gagy on the oakworth 1975 ! bolned hiar and big nose !!

goimg back to mv oakworth !! chief stuwed and parser ! ted withighe !! first mate and 2nd mate wos gorege ? he wos from a faimly of tuge boat on the tnye !! and allne wos there mate i think !! wee hah a capverdy croow ! which dun not but frit and cuoowch all the piant and brushers over boad lol !! then wee had a dorcky man touck a ragey frit !! thats a nther story !! 3 rnd engineener wos a cornish man hae had a couple off figers off on his right hand !! !! when we where all up the golf !! all the crew whent a shore and kicked off !! there all got sent home that wos the hole ideer !! eye can reember a sturet call loffty ! chucking himsefl douw the engineening stars ! he brock hes leg and seent home with tge reest of them !! wee also had three jouner engineers ! two from steailds ! one wos a big lad ! how allways got the job of opening tge vagle on top of the boila ! and ustow joup off when shes boots where merlltting ! and wee lerting how to simm !! mee dad saild with one of the jounres for a long time !! he wos laftin ! all ways tarked a bout the atmarikes !! im shuwer he wos called cics !! nee eye cud go no night !! but mee spells getting wurs !! !!! eye can rember the pennyworth and the ravenswoth ! mind ship acomadashen !!

hi ship mates ! i no that a lot of ulls went to sea with mee old man ! gorgey bage he wos with radys dagys for sum yaers ! i don a 9 mounth trip on mv oakworth !! and i wos only 12 yaers old at the time !! wot a trip !! 1975 up to churchill ! down to durbin ! then up to banrabas ! 3 mouth at anrker ! nee water or food ! had xmes and mee 13 b day in the goulf !! then back durbin ! up to annturp !! back in the tyne for dry dock !!!

Hi Derek, what a great website, brings back fond memories.I was a dalgleish engineering cadet started sept 76 was on the Letchworth july 78 until it was sold to Chinese in jan 79. 2nd was Jan Szeilega who passed away in early 90,s Also remember 3rd eng called Dusty Miller. Dalgliesh seemed to be filled with the ranks of some wonderful characters. Other cadets in my intake were Dave Moody and Brian Seales.Both me and Dave were transferred to Esso. Think Dave was on the Naworth

I have some lunch and dinner menus from various launchings in the 1960s ie Silksworth, Ravensworth, Letchworth etc. Must scane them some time. Tell you what, they did not stint on the menu and wines in those days. Also have piccy of Warkworth going down slipway and some prow photos that come with the menus…Must scan!!!

I am doing a history of my late father’s involvement with both RSD and Papalios/Aegis (Lots of scandal in the way that banks and others behaved!)…I was amazed to see that Robert Stanley Dalgleish (RSD) started the firm in 1906 with the “Kenilworth” and owned a Blyth shipyard and in the early 1940s I think stood trial and was gaoled for conspiracy to bribe an Admiralty official!!….Peter Dalgleish (RSD’s son) would fly a lot on business when this was rare and sadly ended up with some form of dementia. His son Nicholas or Nicky Dalgleish shot himself in the 1970s maybe about 1978????..He was upset over failure of the firm on his watch!….RSD was a son of Jonathan Dalgleish 1839-1927 a famous Newcastle suregeon and physician. RSD was Sherriff of Newcastle and his year ended the day his father died. RSD was also a Newcastle Alderman…Have you any photos of Dalgleish family???

John Proctor from the Baltic Exchange also took over in R S Dalgelish after my late father Ken Stevens left. I recall them discussing pensions and the company future. John Proctor is now retired in Australia and on the Baltic retired list. My Dad said that Peter Dalgleish said he would not sell out ever! He did! I think it was a case of asset stripping!! My Dad also took all his RSD pension pot as cash he said he could do better with it! RSD was a company that paid cash for everything, built British and did safe grain chartering with the likes of Bunge, Tradax, Cargill, European Grain, Dreyfus etc…They had to go! And they did. It was frustration that made my father give up on them…

Derek. Contact me. I have a photo of my Dad in his DJ going to a Baltic do in the RSD days and one of me as a boy on “Warkworth”….

When my late father Ken Stevens chartered the ships for R S Dalgleish from about 1955 to about 1967-68 he came to attention by doing a suicide charter namely, one of the “Worth” ships taking white sugar from Tate and Lyle on the Thames to New Zealand and if I recall aright ballasting back to do a series of consecutive voyages on freight charter ie so much a ton. Sounds mad!!! I don ‘t recall any intermediate charter although there may have been a ballast bonus??..Anyway, when the accounts came in Peter Dalgleish dropped all criticism and called for more!!! (There was not any as it was an emergency charter for someone in the sugar trade and having the right ship at the right time in the right place is what shipowing as a tramp is all about!!!) My Dad would take me to the Custom House on the Thames and in the early days he was also RSD’s “Water Clerk”. When I joined the Baltic in April 1971 I was told by the Baltic to learn to be a Water Clerk but the old Baltic was like the Vatican!!! (out of touch and a world unto itself) …We even had to study Liberty Ships which were scrap candidates even then!…We used to get grouse from Peter Dalgelish and my mother would bury them or Dad would give them away!! …

My late father Kenneth Harry Stevens (Ken Stevens 1924-1996) did a lot of the chartering for R S Dalgleish and was elected to represent them on the old Baltic Exchange in 1955. Prior to that he had worked in the docks for Blue Funnel. Lionel Tebbut was a colleague but left to work in Hong Kong where I met him around 1972 along with Graham Shillaker (Howe Rob/Matheson Chartering). I am a now retired Baltic Member. Ken Stevens also worked the tonnage of Hadjilias & Co and also I think Stephen Sutton. They sold up and their heir was a baronet whose name I forget (as I write I do it was John Renwick whose father Sir Eustace was killed when his horse fell on him and John became Sir John R) but who rightly gave up on British flag and went into horses and tack in the Newcastle rural area. Some of my memories go back to being a little boy in the RSD office on Saturdays when the City was open then. RSD office was like Charles Dickens with old half hull models round the wall. My Dad insisted that the office be modernised and they let him do it! When he put a waste bin on the floor one Director Jimmy Needham said that it cost so many pounds a square foor in space. So he put the bin on his desk! Jimmy Needham was a drunk one of the old City types now in museums. Walter Hill was the other Diector in London and good at his job but he only wanted to do North Atalntic grain! I went on the coal burner Plawswoth in London when aboutg five and was scared of the engines. I went on the Warkworth in London when discharging grain under Captain Thomson from Blyth. RSD also man aged the sugar ships for Tate and Lyle until they formed their own firm Kentships and my Dad managed and chartered them. I had Tate and Lyle calendars. RSD bosses got the sugar samples of cargo at a time of rationing. We got nothing. I recall the Ravensworth taking ireon ore from Narvik to Ford’s in Dagenham on the Thames. I recall the launches up North and my parents going on the Pullman to Newcastle!!! My Dad knew he was underpaid and after 17 years pointed this out. Dalgelish said “You get more salary than the Directors” he replied “But I don’t have an estate and grouse moors!” One day John Armstrong of HE Moss Sale and Purchase broker for Captain N D Papalios put them in touch and my Dad took the job as broker for Aegis Shipping and somehow chartered a fleet one time 120 ships mostly on his own as broker and helped out with managing and finance etc. This made him ill. When he left RSD he did not give three months notice and walked out and financially we never looked back as a family. Peter Dalgleish sold out to Lonrho for shares and it went wrong. Nick Dalgleish shot himself about 1978-79 out of despair. Peter Dalgleish his father I think was in a home with Alzheimer’s. The ships got sold to China. I recall the trophies for being first in to Churchill in Hudson’s Bay but now all mine are gone. I have one pic of me on Warkworth aged 14.

Hi Derek,

I was absolutely stunned to see myself in your photo.I was the 2nd Mate on the Oakworth. I am on the left and my wife Sylvana on the right in the photo taken in the Officers Mess. As you say it was a family company and Lance Hislop always remembered your voice and name even if you had been away for seven months.

I worked on the Starworth, Ravensworth, Tamworth, Letchworth, Oakworth and Naworth, visiting Churchill many times. I recently moved house and have abox of old photographs so may find some in there. If I do I will let you know.

Regards, M

hello it was interesting to read on your site about raggy daggys rs dalgleish &co. i joined the tamworth 27-10-75 in south shields brigham&cowans dry dock i remember being in the hudson bay churchill manitoba payed off birkenhead 10-4-76 i also sailed the oakworth from 21-7-76 to 12-11-76 as 5th eng. before then i worked for houlder bros. on gas tankers.

G’Day from W.A Derek- Whilst my time with the co was spent in their London office I did know most of the seniors in Newcastle. I joined the co through a connection with Nick Dalgleish son of Peter the owner. Nick was sent by his father to Denhooms in Glasgow to gain wider experience in managment.,at the time I was ship manager with them. When it came time for Nick to go back to Newcastle he suggested I might like to join him working out of their London office where we did the chartering of the company vessels also those of Stephen Sutton another Newcastle tramp co and a London Greek shipwner.Peter Dalgleish (Nicks Father) was considered to be a fairly consevative owner.,but things started to go rather pear shape after the connection with Lonro,but thats another story!! Regards Teb

Found your website very interesting as very little is heard Dalgleish/Watergate these days.Iwas involved with the co.prior to you joining them .but I was shore based not at sea.The company was never quite the same after the family lost control.I was involved in the fixing of the ships on the Baltic Exchange . Regards Teb.

Derek,
Someone sent me your website link so thought I’d make contact. Enjoyed looking at the photo’s – some good memories there.
Rgds, Neil