Lisburn Exiles Forum

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The Lisburn Exiles Forum is dedicated to the memory of James Goddard Collins (The Boss) who single-handedly built LISBURN.COM (with a lot of help from many contributors) from 1996 to 29th November 2012. This website was his passion and helping people with a common interest in the City of Lisburn around the world is his lasting legacy.


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Quiet Forum

Well here is one more attempt to get some live on the Forum?. How many of you remember or experienced travel on the cross channel ferry boats and indeed are they still running.?

When I first left Lisburn in January 1946 I had to go by the Larne-Stranear ferry then by train to Liverpool and after medical exams etc on to Portsmouth & Gosport.

In later years of course the Heysham and Liverpool ferries became very popular Although if you didn't get a berth the overnight crossing could be very uncomfortable in rough weather??

Remember the Larne-Stranear diaster, I lost a friend on that one though being in Australia at the time I didn't find out untill much later.

Anyway guys hope this finds everybody keeping well and enjoying the spring weather Bye for now. Mauri

PS. Winter weather in Australia which is nearly as nice as the UK summer weather.???

Re: Quiet Forum

Mauri I have just spent 20 minutes answering you input and on posting it ,it's gone I find it bloody frustrating I will try again later on Ted

Re: Quiet Forum

Hi Ted, I know the feeling its happened to me often, better luck this time.Mauri

Re: Quiet Forum

mauri,
i used the heysham ferry a lot when in the raf.also all the others really at times, even the ones going to dublin.
i,m still in melbourne due to medical problems with my son who lives here.
but looking forward to getting back to gold coast and some heat.
hope you are keeping well tom

Re: Quiet Forum

Hi Tom, Thanks for yours, trust everything is going OK for your son, how old is he?? even though I am on my third marriage I never had any kids of my own just the way things turned out as I divorced my first wife who I married when in the Australian Navy, my second wife died from cancer after 21 years of a happy marriage she had two sons from a previous marriage one of whoom died a couple of years back. I have been married to Joy my present wife for 33 years and they have been really good years, Joy was born in England but brought up in Wales.

Weather here really getting more summer like with the temperature up in the mid 20sC which I like. Anyway Tom hope this hasn't bored you and things are going OK for you. All the Best. Mauri

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mauri,
thank you for your reply. my older son mark is in hospital he's 55. my partner lyn is ill with asthma and under doctors orders. so i,m stuck here in melbourne which is cold and wet.and missing the gold coast. my younger son miles is 52 and lives on gold coast and is keeping an eye on my place, but i have good neighbours , so thats all under control.
hope you are keeping well tom

Re: Quiet Forum

Hi Tom, Thanks for yours. hope that your son is on the road to recovery I know it can be an anxious time when a family member is ill.

What RAF bases were you at in England, I think I told you my uncle more like a brother to me was in the RAF for 39 years, he even came down to see me when I was stationed at RAF Brize Norton when I was serving in the United States Air Force, that would be way back in 1958-59.

Was watching a soccer match from Melbourne on TV the other day, Liverpool V Melbourne Victory I think the other team's name was, didn't get to see the end so missed the result. I used to play soccer in Aussie at the Navy Shore depot in Balmoral Sydney. Anyway Tom will sign off and again hope that everything is going well for your son. Bye for now Mauri

Re: Quiet Forum

mauri,
thank you for that.in the raf i was at bishops court near downpatrick for a while, great, was at north coates lincolnshire and the dates you mentioned i was in aden for a bit over two years. after that i was at northolt in buckinghamshire and demobbed from there tom

Re: Quiet Forum

Hi Tom, My apologies for not mentioning Lynn in my last entry, hope her medical condition is improving and wish her well from us. I think you told me before about being stationed in Aden and I believe I also mentioned about being in Hospital in Aden in 1960. Was landed from the P&O liner "Orcades" my first ship in the Merchant Navy and also the ship I travelled on as a passenger from Australia to Canada though I was booked to get off in Los Angles except my US visa had not come through from London so had to get off in Vancouver.

Weather here up and down, yesterday lovely and sunny with the temperature in the low 20sC today rain forecast.

When Lynn and your son are A1 again I guess you will be heading for Queensland?, I think you told me you stay outside Brisbane is that right?, never spent much time in Queensland though when on the frigate HMAS Murchison we visited Cairns and Townsville on our way up to Darwin where we operated out off chasing Japaneese poaching fishermen. This patrol duty ended when we had a mutiny on the ship after leaving Manus Island to answer an emergency call on one of the neighbouring islands and which resulted in us being recalled to Sydney. Anyway Tom enough for now and again trust that your son and Lynn are doing well. Have a great day. Mauri

Re: Quiet Forum

mauri
yes mauri. you mentioned before about your hospital visit in aden, the steamer point hospital. i live about 90 kilometres south of brisbane actually on gold coast a nice house in labrador.[was apparantly named after a place in canada, small world. keep well tom

Re: Quiet Forum

Mauri, It's with regret that I have once again answered your item and prveiwing it it once again disappeared ,I find it most aggravating consequently I will e/m you shortly with an update ,Kind Regards Ted and