The Official Organ of the Seven Seas Club Volume 89, No. 2 WINTER 2013 1 COMMITTEE MEMBERS President – Mr. Martin Earp Vice President – Mr. Bill Murray Immediate Past President – Mr David Watson Mr. Mark Scoular, Mr. Graham Capel, Capt. Chris Esplin-Jones C.B.E., Capt. Louis Roskell & Mr. Fez Wood. OFFICERS Acting Hon. Secretary / Historical and Protocol Adviser – Cdr. John Mankerty O.B.E., RN Hon. Treasurer – Mr. Derek Bevan Hon. Membership & Dinner Secretary – Mr. Dominique Watson Hon. Almoner – Mr. Martin Earp Hon. Magazine Editor – Mr. John Callcut OTHER POSITIONS Hon. Life Members – Mr. Paul Antrobus, Mr. George Kingston, Capt. David Matthews, Capt. Richard Woodman & Mr. Ray Williams Hon. Chaplains – Revd. Canon Paul Thomas O.B.E. & Revd. Peter Dennett Hon. Auditor – Mr. M.J. Buck The committee meets on the first Tuesday of each month throughout the dinner ‘season’. 2 CONTENTS Editorial President’s Address Secretary’s Corner Membership Almoner’s Report Club Dates Obituaries Sister Clubs South Africa Australia Dinners Dinner Photographs and Reports Features Unpublished Pictures – an ongoing feature The loss of ss Laristan by Glyn Evans Minutes of the 89th AGM Free Fronts – Free Franks by Graham Capel Dinner Protocol by Commander John Mankerty O.B.E., R.N. South Africa 2013 Report by Sipho Wanliss The Seven Seas Trophy Slop Chest Front Cover – This picture appeared on the front cover of the Seven Seas Shanty Book under the title ‘Rolling down to Rio’. 3 EDITORIAL When David Watson approached me about editing the Seven Seas magazine I must admit that I was taken somewhat by surprise. True, I have submitted a number of articles, but surely this is a job for someone who has served in either the Royal or Merchant Navy, someone who has travelled the world and was familiar with nautical ways and the feel of wind in their hair and salt on their lips! Apparently this is not a prerequisite so here I am and I hope to produce a magazine which will be of interest and will ‘promote and foster the comradeship of the sea.’ I do have a limited amount of publishing experience having produced the magazine for our local history society for the past seventeen years and having two local history books and one book about World War One published, so I hope that I can live up to the standards set by our former editors. Whilst on the subject of David Watson, the Committee has asked me to pass on their thanks for all his efforts in holding down the Secretary’s job as well as all the other posts he has so ably filled. I do enjoy delving through old newspapers and records and I hope to discover some interesting stories about the club for inclusion in the magazine. For instance did you know that when the club was first formed, dinners were held in the Cecil Hotel which was the largest hotel in Europe when it was completed in 1896. It was demolished in 1930 and made way for the former Shell Mex House. A thousand members (not quite sure how they squeezed in as the Grand Hall was only designed for 600 diners!) came to hear Admiral Carpenter VC talk about disarmament. Admiral Carpenter was a distinguished naval officer and I can see an article looming about him! I will be relying on the committee to provide me with up to date information about the club and I will be relying upon you, the members, to provide articles and to let me know of any nautical events that you have recently participated in. Turning to this magazine I have deliberately not strayed too much from the existing format as it provides the members with current information about the club and a record and memories of past activities. We all know about the Laristan fund but I was intrigued to learn about the tragic ship and her master. At the same time that I was researching records for an article, unbeknownst to me Glyn Evans was doing the same thing, so we shared information and have produced an article which we hope you will find to be of interest. I also hope that the other articles in this magazine will similarly prove to be interesting. John Callcut – [email protected] 4 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS I hope most sincerely that the Seven Seas Club will continue to thrive and prosper during my term of office. I would like to express my thanks to Mr. James O‘Neill for proposing me and Mr. Chris Hulbert for seconding me, and for the support of Mr. David Watson and the committee for putting my name forward. I would like to thank Commander John Mankerty, at the helm, who maintains the traditions of our club and I would also like to express my thanks to the hard working members of the committee, who despite many other pressures, have put in considerable time and effort, in order to ensure that our club continues to prosper. I would also like particularly to mention Mr. Dom Watson, Mr. Derek Bevan and Mr. Bill Murray who has accepted the position of Mr Vice. I am sure that the combination of the impressive surroundings and the helpfulness of the staff of the National Liberal Club contribute greatly to the atmosphere enjoyed at our dinners and long may it continue. The success of the club depends upon all of its members taking part, attending functions, inviting guests and encouraging new membership. We must also encourage those of our members who, for one reason or another, have been unable to attend as often as they might. I extend a very warm welcome to you, and look forward to seeing you at one of our dinners and hope you benefit and continue to enjoy promoting and fostering the comradeship of the sea. Kind regards & best wishes, Martin Earp 5 SECRETARY’S CORNER It would be useful in this section to highlight to Members the work of the Committee and to briefly describe its work. The Committee works on behalf of Members and our overriding function is the organisation of dinners the discussion of which takes up most of the Committee’s time. Other functions such as news of Members, correspondence, disciplinary matters are also dealt with. This year for the first time in many years the Committee is actually at its full compliment. Further, the balance of the committee now represents all Members. For the last few years the Committee have met on the first Tuesday of each month (during the dinner season) between September and May) in the Laurence Robson room at the National Liberal Club at 1830 hours. Before this we used to meet at the Hand and Shears pub near the Barbican. The agenda covers a fairly similar format at each meeting. A typical agenda would be as follows: Apologies Minutes of last meeting Matters not on the agenda Financial report Correspondence (applications, resignations, news of members) Report on the previous dinner Almoners report Speakers Any other business (organise other functions such as the ANSS Service at St. Pauls, the Ceremony of the Keys, Pimms on the Poop Deck, the annual armistice day Memorial Service at the Merchant Navy Memorial) ordering Club ties, wreaths, slops, valuations of Club regalia and any other business to make the Club run smoothly. Date of next meeting The Committee runs the Club on behalf of its Members and so it is felt appropriate, especially so soon after appointing a new committee this year, to advise Members who is on the Committee and who you can approach if it is felt there is anything you wish to discuss about the Club’s affairs. David Watson 6 MEMBERSHIP Membership of the Club currently stands at 242 Members. This has increased from 225 when the last magazine was printed in February, 2013 with an additional 3 Members who joined between the January and February listing (i.e. between the listing and the completion of the magazine). In that time there have been no resignations. New Members since February, 2013 are as follows: Name: Date accepted by the Committee Phillip Bridge 28th August, 2013 Martyn Brooks 2nd April, 2013 Jeremy Chidson 5th March, 2013 Ruari Chisholm 5th March, 2013 Roger Dobson 5th March, 2013 Kurt Eyre 5th March, 2013 Tony Goodhead 28th August, 2013 Brian Harrison 28th August, 2013 David Heaton 5th March, 2013 Russell Hicks 5th February, 2013 Brian Joyles 2nd April, 2013 Stephen King 5th February, 2013 Patrick Moore 5th February, 2013 Dan O’Mahoney 5th March, 2013 Stephen O’Shea 2nd April, 2013 John Tinney 28th August, 2013 Howard Trotter 5th February, 2013 Michael Waller 5th February, 2013 Nigel Wheatcroft 7th May, 2013 Dennis Wing 5th March, 2013 David Watson 7 ALMONER’S REPORT I have kept in touch with members of the Seven Seas Club who have found themselves facing misfortune as well as the widows of former members. While we have members who are constantly in our minds because of permanent disability or degenerative conditions, we have had members who for one reason or another have been prevented from attending the club’s functions. In these circumstances their non attendance has been noted, the committee have made enquiries and if thought necessary I have given them a telephone call and passed on our best wishes. With regards to member’s widows at the moment we have twenty ladies that are in our thoughts, to whom I speak to regularly, sadly two widows recently slipped their cables, cards of sympathy were sent on behalf of the club to the bereaved.