O D Y S S E Y

SEVEN Years after seeking admission the New Zealand

"Federated Cooks and Stewards Industrial Union of Workers', I was finally admitted, and only then, by sheer chance! 

 

Ironically, a decade later, I would be obliged to accept the Presidency of this fractious, bankrupt  organization that no one else on the executive would touch, (nor in my opinion were capable) in  making the decisions,  that were long overdue!

The following is an account of my time  on British  and N.Z. ships and  as a member of the 'Australian Cooks and Butchers Association'.                                                


                  HISTORICAL  PROLOGUE

In 1884, an entrepreneurial Scot, William Innes(1.) established the Federated Cooks & Stewards Union at Port Chalmers, Otago. Strangely enough the 1887 balance sheet stated "The federated Stewards and Cooks Union", but when Alfred Hindmarsh 2 was appointed Wellington branch  President in 1894-1916 the Union reverted to its former name.
   The statement of income and expenditure for1887 indicates a balance of fixed deposits in the"Bank of N.Z"of over 700 pounds (which amounts to in present day terms of over  $100,000. 
  However, by the time of amalgamation with the Seamen's Union in December 1989 the Union was broke for the 3rd time in the last 16 years. Our only tangible asset being the Wellington building that had been purchased during my Presidency (1974-1982)  To square the  'Union's insolvency before amalgamation with the  'Seaman’s to form the 'Seafarers Union' all our members were required to pay an extra 3 months dues on top of the 12 months already paid .
   A balance sheet  issued in June 1990 (6 months after amalgamation) the National Secretary of the Seafarers Union (Catering)  stated at the A.G.M. in Wellington, he would like to thank the members of the former 'Cooks & Stewards Union' who made a principled stand in donating 3 months dues to the Union by agreeing to have deduction from earnings commence from 01 January instead of  01 April 1990'!

                     
 1  William Martin Innes was born at Anstruther, Scotland in 1831 where he trained as a fish cooper before  heading to the goldfields at Ballarat and Gabriels Gulley. In 1863, with his mining earnings Innes bought land at Island Terrace, Port Chalmers; built a jetty, established a fishing industry; and married Mary Ann Hutton. As their 10 children reached adulthood, Innes built homes for them around his own, the area becoming known as Innesville! 

Hiring out his fleet of sailing vessels who’s catches were smoked/cured  to supply visiting ships, Australian and local markets; and from the the mid 1870's Union Steamship company vessels. Innes manufactured his  own 'Cod Liver Oil' which won awards  locally and in Melbourne. The extent of his trade in oysters was shown in one week in July 1873, when he bought 4,800 dozen from Stewart Island.  However, his attempts to establish oyster beds  (he fed them oatmeal) were unsuccessful  due to silting caused by dredging in the upper harbour.
 In 1890, his association with the Union he had founded was terminated when they took him to court over the misuse of a 10 guinea travel payment. Wiliam Innes spent nearly 20 years on Port Chalmers councils which included 3 terms as mayor. When he died in 1917 all the vessels in port lowered their flags to half-mast.

Hiring out his fleet of sailing vessels who’s catches were smoked/cured  to supply visiting ships, Australian and local markets; and from the the mid 1870's Union Steamship company vessels. Innes manufactured his  own 'Cod Liver Oil' which won awards  locally and in Melbourne. The extent of his trade in oysters was shown in one week in July 1873, when he bought 4,800 dozen from Stewart Island.  However, his attempts to establish oyster beds  (he fed them oatmeal) were unsuccessful  due to silting caused by dredging in the upper harbour.
 In 1890, his association with the Union he had founded was terminated when they took him to court over the misuse of a 10 guinea travel payment. Wiliam Innes spent nearly 20 years on Port Chalmers councils which included 3 terms as mayor. When he died in 1917 all the vessels in port lowered their flags to half-mast.

2. Alfred Humphrey Hindmarsh. The Australian born Hindmarsh, a Dunedin trained lawyer was admitted to  the Supreme Court  of New Zealand  as a Barrister and Solicitor at Christchurch in 1871. In the mid 1890s  Hindmarsh became secretary of the Wellington Socialist Education League and later the foundation president of the of the Workers' Educational Association. In 1895, in addition to his role in the Cooks and Stewards Union, he became President of the Seamans Union's B branch in Wellington. During his tenure of the of the Seamans Union, Hindmarsh and the area secretary William Jones drew the ire of the Union's head office in Dunedin, by using branch monies to sue a local paper that had reputedly libeled Jones. Further conflict with head office witnessed the dismissal of both 'Hindmarsh and Jones', after a national ballot had sanctioned their ouster and the cancellation of the branch charter.Elected to Parliament in 1911 for the seat of Wellington South, Hindmarsh, despite a speech impediment, became leader of the independent  Labour MPs'.  Described as a cultured and pleasant man, Hindmarsh died during the influenza epidemic in 1918.


William Martin Innes.        Port Chalmers' Early People.  Ian Church
The Otago Daly Times.      1890-1970.
Harbourside Haven.            Alex Innes.

The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography-Volume Three-1901-1921

                         INTRODUCTION
On attaining my majority I decided to apply for entry to the "Federated Cooks and Stewards Union. Being a time served butcher plus catering experience during my military training in the N.Z.Army ( C.M.T.) and an amateur cook (I still am) I was fairly sure in gaining employment on the Coast as it was known.However, on appearing with my references and Army papers at the Unions cubbyhole of  an office in down town Auckland, the Secretary rudely closed  the hatch in the door in my face without bothering to peruse my credentials.
 Later, this fellow Scot, now retired, would  state in my actual presence in a local bar he was responsible for my admission to the Union... a claim that I neither confirmed nor denied.
In the next few years in  between butcher’s jobs and working in the freezing works during the season I would regularly call at the Secretary’s office where the answer was always emphatically negative.  During this period, I met a few persons who claimed to know the secretary quite well and said they would put in a good word for me. By arrangement, one of them set up a meeting in a hotel.with the him at 5.p.m. one evening and, if the bar had not closed at 6 p.m. I probably would have run out of money buying drinks for all and sundry. One, who was a friend of an assistant steward, Willie another Scot, who was reputably influential; drank only whisky...and I did run out of money.
   On my return from the U.K. I would learn 'Willie, the influential assistant steward' had become unemployable with the Union Steamship Company and as a consequence joined the Seaman’s Union as a motorman. I sailed with him twice and both times he was sacked for failing to turn to within 12 hours of joining the ship.

 Taking Willie as a yard stick, this scenario appeared to be not entirely uncommon among former members of the F.C.&S U. who could usually find  a home within  the Seaman's Union as a mess-man or motorman. Many of them were ex-home boat men, who usually blamed U.S.S Company Chief stewards, whose secret  reports could find a man  unemployable with the Coasts major employer. 
  This issue was resolved when the new President of the F.C.S.U. Don Nee (1972/73) agreed with my proposition that as our members were obliged to pay a $6 annual levy to pay off our bank loan for our shares in (Maritime Holdings) all  should have started with a clean slate,when Tasman Union Ltd ( an Australian company jointly owned by N.Z.Maritime Holdings T.N.T.(Thomas Nationwide Transport) took over the Union Company in  January 1972. 
  When T.N.T ( Thomas Nationwide Transport ) assumed  control, the Union Company  it  had 47 ships and a staff of  3345 . A decade  later  it  had downsized to 13 ships and 1619 staff. 
   The F.C.S.U. had purchased $20,000 shares in  'Maritime Holdings'.. the first time since the late 1870's that N.Z had again owned 50% of of the Union Company.    In 1977, as the shares had been unprofitable during the time we had held them, I induced the membership to sell them, but continue with the levy to create a building fund for the buying of our own premises in Wellington.
  In 1980 the Union  bought the only building it had ever owned for $97,000.Situated in Vivian Street,it comprised of 2 small shops on the round floor,a car-wash  operation out back and on  the top floor,previously a brothel, as our office and boardroom. 

                   LEAP  IN  THE  DARK

By 1961 I  had given up on shipping out with this obviously corrupt Union and decided to try my luck in the  U.K.   Two days after arrival I secured a job as an Vegetable Chef a 5th rate central London hotel.  All hotel workers in this industry were given grandiose titles which meant absolutely nothing, as exemplified by the extremely poor wages and conditions earned by most.I prepared spuds and vegs, but was not allowed to cook them as that job was done by the 3rd chef: I was simply a "roustabout"... nothing more nothing less!

I shared a room with the grubby Irish scullion who's waistcoat contained enough grease to bake a tray of spuds off.

  I advised him to visit Petticoat Lane or Romford market where I used to go on a Saturday as a schoolboy,where he could pick a cheap waterproof apron.But he claimed that he sent most of his wages back to Ireland and what was left... to the local catholic church. He went to 'mass' every morning before work, which I found amiss as he rarely went out at night.

 After putting up with Paddy's less than hygienic bedroom habits for two weeks I informed the chef I wanted a raise and one of the spare rooms or I was quitting. I got the room,but under  no circumstances would she consider more money for a job that, in all honesty a  monkey could have done.

Over a month later I used my next day off --which was one day in seven and at the Chefs discretion-- to activate my sea-going career with a visit to Labour Pool for Seamen in Dock Street with my New Zealand references and British passport. In my naivety, I figured that with twenty thousand seamen shipping out on British registered ships from the port of London, there had to be a berth for a Kiwi butcher.
Again, I was in for a disappointment, when the clerk informed me all ex-pats were now required to be back in the U. K. for at least 2 years before being eligible for membership of the N.U.S. As I reeled out the door in shock, a Cockney drunk entering, obviously assuming I was foreigner (I had a great tan, black hair and mustache) shouted in my face ‘England for the English’, yeah right).

Meanwhile back at the [Savoy]  pondering my next career move, I seriously considered returning to butchering; kiwi butchers had a good reputation in the London, and, inquirer's at a local 'Sainburys' (London's largest meat retailers) revealed I could expect ready employment as a butcher/counter hand in one of their city shops. However, as reasonably priced single rooms  were difficult to find in the metropolitan area as relative to income, I decided to stay my hand until I had discussed the situation with my Aunt Molly who lived in 'Harrow on the Hill' some 45 minutes by Tube from central London. I had last saw Molly in 1954 when she was a stewardess on the 'Duquessa',then a largest refrigeration ship afloat when it came to N.Z. in 1954.

   A month later, I  journeyed  to  this pleasant little borough to meet up with Molly,now retired after 40 years  at sea, and her husband Mac who was still employed in the shipping industry. I explained my predicament to Molly, and was told Mac who was Chief Superintendent Catering, for the Furness/Whithy line, would fix things up. When Mac arrived home that evening, he confirmed he would find me work in his company, and advised   me to give the [Savoy] notice.

  Three weeks later, (minus mustache) I joined the  'M.V. Hornby Grange' at Amsterdam, Holland, as an assistant cook. The ship was at anchor in the stream, and during this time the butcher had taken his accumulated time off, to return to the U.K.  As a consequence, I was required to perform his duties, which amounted to around 2 hours a day. Frankly, I was astonished that a ship with only 14 passengers and some 40 odd crew would have required the services of a full time butcher.

 On his return, the butcher immediately proclaimed to all and sundry that  under no circumstances would he consider accepting the dual position of butcher/ assistant cook and would be paying off on arrival back in the U.K. To boot, he accused me of trying to steal his job and as I was obliged to share a cabin with this Welsh militant it did make life rather difficult.
 It also came about  he had lived in Dunedin, Otago for a few years, and was quite bitter about his turbulent marriage and divorce from a N.Z. woman.

 The irony was, I did not want this newly created position of butcher/assistant cook, for the simple reason the Chief Cook, was one of those old timers who wasn't keen in passing on knowledge; likewise the Baker, another Welshman of similar sentiments. I decided there was no point in wasting my time here and spent a considerable effort convincing the butcher to swallow his pride and remain in the ship at the conclusion of this voyage.

   Back in the London 6 weeks later, although out of a job, I  had what I had come 12,000 miles for, a"British Seaman's Union book", which would allow me to legally  ship out.  Pay-off was on board, with the N.S.U. agent collecting Union dues, stamping books and soliciting donations for various causes.

 Mac also came on board and was emphatic I remain with his company and  promised he would try and line me up with a more progressive cook  on my next ship. In the meantime, he advised me to secure a job in a hotel near Harrow, which I was able to do within a few days of quitting the ship.

                            

                        THE     KINGS     HEAD

Gantry with painting of King Henry the V111 (1491-1547)
During Henry's 36 year reign, nearly 10,000 were reputedly put to death by the Crown, some allegedly on this very spot.
The white building on the left of the gantry is the Kings Head Hotel,formerly Henry's hunting lodge. In the early 18th Century this building was transformed into a hotel,which up to the time of its closure in the 1980's was London's 2nd oldest extant licensed hotel

     My job in this historic establishment (it was the 2ndoldest 

extant hotel in London) was breakfast chef (I was coming up in the world) preparing a simple breakfast for the few live in guests and staff and, apart from the poor accommodation, the wages, and  the unassuming, gregarious kitchen staff more than compensated. Stan the head chef was polish as was the 2nd chef and the rouse-about. They had all been together in the Polish Army during the War and had elected to stay in England at the cessation of hostilities.All of them were married to English women with families.
        Stan ran a tight ship and everyone was totally engaged during the working day! At the beginning of my 2nd week, Stan, seeing I was committed and apparently tireless, slipped me enough money to buy proper Chefs clothes...tall hat, choker, the lot, so I could take my place when  private functions were held in the V.I.P room.

  This area, replete with baby grand, modern  bar and large antique dining tables which could easily accommodate a dozen persons.At some of these soiree's, a professional pianist would  play a medley of old English ballads which was in pleasant contrast to the Beatle-mania now sweeping the Country. The historical ambiance of the location,  the music; well dressed and men and women was certainly impressive... to someone who had spent  the last decade in the 'Antipodes'.

   Stan, with great flair executed the "Flambe dishes and Grills" close and up front.  My tasks were to carve the joints of meat on request, and later, wheel around a large trolley with deserts and confections "I had never heard off" made by the local "French Patisserie."  Stan, enlightened me what they consisted off and how to pronounce their names.

I became fairly proficient in this area, despite the Assistant general managers snide remarks that my "Lingua Franca" was on about par with my native language?  This English worthy who was the only foreigner in our department tried to sack me when he found me in the public bar late one Saturday night. Employees were discouraged from drinking in any of the hotels bars unless properly attired and invited...I was.Stan kicked up hell, and this pretentious wannabe wisely let it drop.
A weekly visitor  to the main dining room  was the controversial Conservative M.P. Gerald Nabarro who's favourite repast 

When Nabbaro was knighted in 1963 I was actually present at the celebratory luncheon in thwas a medium rare double Lamb cutlet, which only Stan was allowed to cook. Nabbaro also used the V.I.P. room to entertain fellow Parliamentarians; his Kidderminster  Electorate committee and some Dons from the nearby 'Harrow Public School'.After these events which was overseen by the Assistant Manager to much bowing  and scraping,Stan would distribute the kitchen staffs (grzywlet) which I understood to be Polish for gratuities,which would sometimes... exceed my weekly wage!
  1 Sir Gerald Nabbaro entered Parliament in 1950 as member for Kidderminster: was a proponent of Capital punishment; supported Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech; opposed Britain's entry into the 'European Common Market' and was Parliaments leading environmentalist! 
e V.I.P. room with an excess of the bowing and scraping ritual... including me.

  

  His private members bill on "pollution and smog" (which I had witnessed in London as a schoolboy in 1948, that brought the City's transport  to a virtually standstill) led to the 1956 "Clean Air Act" the worlds first "genuine anti-pollution legislation.   Nabbaro was also responsible for bringing electricity to the Country's remote villages and Hamlets.

  Barely 3 months after commencing work  at the "Kings Head" on my weekly visit to Molly and Mac's house  in Harrow,Molly informed me Mac had a position lined up  for me and to give Stan, my notice. When I demurred about leaving this well paid and very interesting job,Molly spoke of ingratitude and obligations. On explaining the situation to Stan he recognized my predicament and wished me well.

Two weeks later I joined the 9,234 tons. S.S. Hardwicke Grange  at London's K.G.5 dock as an assistant cook and butcher. This was the Company's newest ship and the butchers shop was state of the art, with even a rail from the  freezer to the shop for the transportation  of carcasses  and heavy boxes (which Molly proudly claimed was a result of Mac’s input, when the vessel was being designed.

  Ron, the Chief Cook was from the Midlands, a few years younger than me, and had been in the game since leaving school. Jim the baker, a sunny Scot, came from my home town and could not have been more helpful in sharing his knowledge of baking, which I found a lot more complex than galley work. 

 Seventeen  days later and 6,579 miles from London the 'Hardwicke' arrived at 'Buenos Airies'1, the "Capital of Argentina."

  That evening the baker and I went to the Catholic 'Mission to Seamen' and despite it being a Sunday, a dance was in full swing with alcohol being available.Entering into conversation with the elderly barmaid who had a pronounced Irish accent I casually enquired how long she been in the country? and was astonished to hear she had been born here.

A few nights later I went with the cook to a German restaurant where the waitresses spoke Spanish in a guttural tone. I would learn that many  people although born in  Argentina, tended to  mix and marry  into their own cultural groups; therefore were inclined to speak Spanish differently from the fairly dulcet tones of the so called Portenos (port people.) In the warm weather the crowds strolling in the streets showed the unique Argentinian profile of the mixture's of the people's of Europe.

   Within 3 days our cargo was discharged and our passenger's replaced by a party of scientists bound for Patagonia,some 800 miles to the south of B.A.

  On arrival at the area,which had been settled by Welsh sheep farmers in the mid-19th century,the Hardwicke was obliged to anchor out as the small port was unable to take a  ship of this size. For the next 4 days,2 barges capable of 100 sheep each made the short journey from the shore to the ship from dawn to dusk.On arrival on board the sheep were slaughtered,dressed and taken below to be frozen.

After leaving this cold and remote place the Hardwicke headed back north,bypassing B.A. and sailing 177 miles up the Rio Parana to the the industrial complex of Rasario, Argentina's major depot for its meat exports:and the birth place in 1928 of the renowned revolutionary Che Guevara.

  Returning to B.A.to pick up passenger's and mail, the ship then crossed the 200 mile wide Rio de la Plata 2. to Montevideo, the capital Uruguay.

   A day later,now fully loaded,the 'Hardwicke' departed for the port of Vigo in northern Spain. Vigo, only 12 miles from the Portuguese border was a deep sea fishing Port;full of large trawlers,factory ships and numerous dockside bars that sold bottles of "Bicardi Rum" at half the price in London. Later that night we sailed for Amsterdam where all of the frozen sheep and passengers were unloaded. 2 days later we were back in London, at the completion of a voyage that had taken 55 days.

Within hours the Company's shore crew had arrived including their permanent cook who would remain in the ship until its next sailing.I was requested to work by with the cook and during the  17 days the vessel was in port he and I became good friends. The following day 'Mac" came on board and mentioned that the meat consumption for the voyage was down 37%. Frankly this did not surprise me as Ron had informed me of his problems with my predecessor which had included  cooking far too much meat, most of which had been dumped before arrival back in the U.K.

  9 months later my time in this great job came to an end when Mac came on board and informed me he had booked me into the next "Board of Trade cooks Certification class" and I would not be returning to the "Hardwicke Grange."

1 Established by Spain in 1536,successive cycles of predominately Spanish and Italian immigrants had made sure the Capital's architecture had retained the finest of European culture (the city was known as the "Paris of the South". They had also ensured that the Country's President was constitutionally required to be a "Roman Catholic"(it was amended in 1994). During the first World War, Argentina's exports had so enriched the nation, that in its aftermath it was able to finance the constructions of  'Buenos Aries' Subway system and updated its gas, electric, and sewer installations. The Country had  done pretty well out of the second World War as well and, I distinctly remember my mother cooking with  'Argentinian' powdered eggs'.

2. Although classed as the widest river in the world, the Rio de la Plata begins in 'Brazil' and meanders through 'Uruguay' to combine with the 'Rio Parana' to form an estuary.

                       THE   ANCHOR   INN
After paying off the Hardwicke I booked into the Anchor Inn in Canning town which was close to the school in Dock street. This was a fairly new seaman's mission  run by the Catholic church on a strictly professional basis.Only genuine seamen were allowed in and their was no credit.Serious drinking was not encouraged and bad language was not tolerated as this was also a family establishment.
Strangely enough, during my 2 months stay at the Anchor I never saw a priest,not even when the church  brought in some 20 odd nurses for the fortnightly Saturday night dance.It was at one dance evening, I met Percy and his school teacher Maori wife whom I had known in N.Z.
It was also at the Anchor that I made the acquaintance of a loquacious steward by the name of John Prescott, who had a marked regional accent and appeared to have a connection with the N.U.S. and the Labour party.
Nearly 30 years after I met him at the Anchor Inn,Prescott had become Labour M.P. for 'Kingston upon Hull',which he would retain for the next 40 years. After becoming deputy leader of the party,Prescott was chosen by John Smith to give to give the closing speech at the 1993 conference in Brighton.
His peroration drew the attention from a reporter from the 'Times'who claimed Prescott's confrontation with the English language left it--bleeding and slumped on the ropes. The very thought of a Prescott transcript is laughable:yet,somehow, everybody knows what he means!
On John Smith's untimely demise,Prescott's beautiful people Tony Blair,Gordon Brown and  Robin cook took control of the party. In his 2008 Publication "Docks to Downing Street"Prescott in my story describes in detail his decade of being deputy in the Blair and Brown governments. On Labour's defeat in the 2010 election the  former ships steward swapped his pinafore for a