Category: History

The People Liner’s – Britain’s Lost Pleasure Fleets

The People's Liners

If you can see it, don’t miss this cracking little BBC programme, with great rememniscences, some lovely old films, some nice history, and some great stories. It’s one of the things that makes the BBC great – and makes me wonder whethe the folks who would get rid of it know what they’re doing…

And example of the stories is the one about the Queen Victoria. It seems the Cunard folks commissioned John Brown & Company to build a new liner on Clydebank, and decided to name her the Queen Victoria. Being upright, proper gents with a bit of access, they decided to as the King for permission to use the name.

So they went to see King George V, and duly asked ‘We would like permission to call the ship Queen… ‘

They hadn’t got to the ‘Victoria’ bit when the Royal personage butted in with ‘Mary would be delighted to have the ship named after her’. So they went back to their office and were unable to change the plan.

A small problem was that there already was a Queen Mary, a steamer operating on the Clyde. So a deal had to be done… Cunard got it’s Queen Mary, and the Clyde steamer became Queen Mary II.

The blurb, by the way, says:

‘Far more than a means of transport, these steamers attracted a devoted following, treating their passengers, whatever their pocket, to the adventure and trappings of an ocean voyage whilst actually rarely venturing out of sight of land. A highlight of the great British seaside holiday from the 1820s until the early 1960s – and open to all – they were “the people’s liners”.’

 

Unforgettable photos from Shackleton’s Endurance expedition

Frank Wild (1873 – 1939) in summer garb during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-17, led by Ernest Shackleton. (Photo by Frank Hurley/Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge/Getty Images)
Rafting astern brash ice made by the ‘Endurance’ in efforts to break free, during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-17, led by Ernest Shackleton. (Photo by Frank Hurley/Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge/Getty Images)
The wake of the ‘Endurance’ through young ice during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-17, led by Ernest Shackleton. (Photo by Frank Hurley/Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge/Getty Images)

See more photos here. And read about the Endurance Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton and featuring many impressive and tough heroes here.

Sea shanties recorded in the 70s – John Roberts & Tony Barrand

William_Clark_-_The_Black_Ball_Line_Packet_Ship_'New_York'_off_Ailsa_Craig_-_Google_Art_Project

The Black Ball Line Packet Ship ‘New York’ off Ailsa Craig by the Scottish artist William Clark (1803-1883)

Across the western ocean, part 1

Across the western ocean, part 2

I’m always interested in older recordings of sea shanties, not least because I tend to feel those sung by singers who have actually heard old time shanty singers have just a touch of authenticity.

These nice, clear radio station recordings of two Englishmen John Roberts & Tony Barrand and friends Jeff Warner, Susan Warner and Davey Jones show the fruits of some serious research, and I think are worth listening to – notwithstanding that the performances are neatly polished for public consumption… The lyrics are interestingly different from the standard ones we tend to hear, and the introductions are interesting and informative about the later sailing ship era.

‘The seamen would sing the most vulgar songs directly over my skylight… ‘ complained a lady diarist. I can’t say I’m surprised.

My thanks to Chris Brady for the tip-off!