AYUTHIA (MY FIRST SHIP!)

[TEESMAN]

Here she is as the TORM JESSIE at New Orleans in June 1980

Photo Michael Green Collection

[teesships]

At our Ship Society meeting last night Derek Hinds put together a showing of slides taken by Peter Barton. Not only did they include the CLAN KEITH (which I have just posted) but it also included a new view of my first ship:

from which the subject is enlarged:

What puzzled all the several old-timers who've been around our river for more than 50 years was that while the view is obviously taken in Middlesbrough Dock Cut as the AYUTHIA approaches the lock into the dock, none of us could remember that William Gray had an outpost there!!

Derek sent me these scans tonight and I first turned to my notebook to confirm I had seen the CLAN KEITH on 13 October 1961 but she had gone by the 15th when I spotted the AYUTHIA for the second time. I conjectured, therefore, that Peter Barton had taken both photos on the same occasion, most probably on 14 October 1961. It was only when I looked closer at the full CLAN KEITH photo that I realised my supposition was confirmed .... the AYUTHIA is just visible behind the CLAN KEITH!

Ron

[Poyntonian]

I also saw CLAN KEITH and AYUTHIA on 14th October 1961. Also in M'bro Dock were TREVOSE, STRATIDORE & WOODARRA.

AYUTHIA had arrived early on the 14th and stayed until the 17th, and CLAN KEITH arrived on the 12th and sailed later on the 14th.
(I found a pile of my old Evening Gazette "Tees Shipping" columns in the loft!!)

[northeast]

A day later, on 15 Oct my 'new sightings' were AYUTHIA, ARABIC, TRELISSICK, PEDRO DE ALVARADO and the coaster KROONBORG.

[teesships]

Yes, those were a busy couple of days. Back to my notebook!

13 October 1961 (Thursday evening after school): CLAN KEITH, TYNEDALE H, KHUZISTAN, WOODARRA (with the scribble .. coming in .. and I did take a photo of her - very much under-exposed ... blank more or less in fact!), BANBURY CROSS, DANBY CROSS, TREVOSE, CAEDMON CROSS, STRATIDORE (also coming in), ACKLAM CROSS.

15 October 1961 (Saturday): ARABIC, WOODARRA, STRATIDORE, AYUTHIA, TREVOSE, HUTTON CROSS, CAEDMON CROSS, GOLDEN CROSS, PEDRO DE ALVARADO, UNIKLOR (all Middlesbrough Dock), (then noted from Dock Point) SALLING (at Cochranes), ADELSO and GERORE (at 6DW Buoys), followed by DANBY CROSS, FIERY CROSS, MATHERAN (coming in .. to Middlesbrough Dock).

I did take photos with my very first, poor quality, dad's camera of the AYUTHIA, GOLDEN CROSS, and ARABIC, but for some reason that film was spoilt and I saved only one later shot from it.

On neither date did I venture along to Tyne-Tees/Dent's Wharves to see even more ships!

Ron

[teesships]

Harry gave us the little titbit the other night during our meeting that Middlesbrough was the only UK port used by East Asiatic.

Now, I never knew that!!! (and are we going to be proved wrong?)

Ron

[Poyntonian]

A day later, on 15 Oct my 'new sightings' were AYUTHIA, ARABIC, TRELISSICK, PEDRO DE ALVARADO and the coaster KROONBORG.

TRELISSICK was on Smith's Quay, so maybe seen from the train, KROONBORG was on Dent's.

[Poyntonian]

Middlesbrough was the only UK post used by East Asiatic.

According to Ian Allan's 'Foreign Ocean Liners' 1959 Edn and 'Ocean Ships' 1962, Hull was included on a service to W. Coast of N. America, via St.Thomas (Virgin Is.) and Panama. Did anyone see one at Hull?

[Dennis Maccoy]

During a WSS Tyneside Branch visit in May 1966 I noted East Asiatic's Siena in King George Dock.

[teesships]

[/quote]
According to Ian Allan's 'Foreign Ocean Liners' 1959 Edn and 'Ocean Ships' 1962, Hull was included on a service to W. Coast of N. America, via St.Thomas (Virgin Is.) and Panama. Did anyone see one at Hull?[/quote]

Devotees of the Ian Allan books may be interested to know of his death as reported at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33371524

A little more about him at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Allan_Publishing

Ron