h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If I thought for one minuite that you were serious about "what was it like to see it from the Zulu" I could tell you, even have photograph.

Snipped from another thread:

Hi its Smudger again, sorry I took your coment the wrong way its just that no one has showed interest before. So you tend jusy to keep quiet! know what I mean? Its just that I have more time now to reflect back on my life,as I cant work any more due to an accident I had while in the ambulance service. So I have more time on my hands, looking back it was not a pretty sight, tha sea was on fire and the flames seemed to follow us while we were out in the gemoni"wee boat" and it was bloody hot! The flames lit up the night sky, which helped us search the water, the smell of burning oil filled your lungs till they seemed to be on fire,and every thing seemed to be in slow motion. There was a lot of noise from the flames which made listening for survivors harder, we even cut the engine of the boat to listen out, bit the flames soon caught up with us!
Thanks for your interest! Smudger.

I am very interested to knwo what happened to the Pacific Glory - mainly because if things had happened differently, the whole area I grew up in, which is a beautiful Island, would have been completely different and ruined. An oil tanker disaster does tend to have quite an impact on the area it touches - and it is thanks to people like you who were there that my home wasn't destroyed. It's as simple as that. Those people who were there helped save my home from an unbelievable disaster in the form of millions of tons of oil from the supertanker, so of course I want to know all about it.
No matter how small a part you played, you were one of the ones who helped save my home, so I'm in your debt.

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HI there <BB<, many thanks for your reply, and Im glad we sorted out that misunderstanding earlier. It was very touching to read your letter bit Im afraid that we did not do that much to save the enviorment in your area, our main concern was to try and pick up as many people out of the water as possible. I suppose looking back on it now the main reason the coast line was not that badly ruined was due to the fact that there was a storm with rough seas to break up the oil slick, and secondly the oil was on fire so most of it got burnt up. It did leave a large cloud of choking black air that left your exposed skin with a black sticky film that was hard to wash off. I have seen what oil can do however and it can take years to recover, if at all. Our only relief today is that all tankers are built with double skins and there shipping lanes are routed far from the cost,and we now have better means of clearing up. Cheers for now, all the best. Smudger

glad you two have started chatting... I'm unsubscribing for now..

Well, being there, you played a part.
The major problem that remains is that although tankers are being built with double hulls, many tankers remain with single hulls and can still cause chaos and destruction - as the events in Spain recently have shown.

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Hi there <BB<, had a bit of bother to get in for a while there? must be something I did wrong! (not like me?) As you were saying about tankers and the spill in Spain, at least they have stronger detergents these days.They never seem to fine the ship owners who cause all the damage!. My days at sea are long behind me now! but there were a few happier memories, thankfully! You had to take the rough with the smooth those days. All the best.
Smudger.

It's true that yes, there is more advanced technology that thankfuly can play a much larger part and do more, but it isn't always enough. As the events of the Tricolor recently have shown (which was on its way to Southampton, and would have passed Island shores!)

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Hi there again <BB<.You seem very updated on tankers movements,is it a hobby of yours? I bet your house is close to the sea and you can see ships passing by in the shipping lanes! or am I wrong? When I lived up North close to the Moray Firth I used to see all the jack up rigs in for maintenance, never knew then that I would be flying offshore to work on them years later. We used to fly fixed wing to Unst, then another 2 hour flight in a chopper just to get there. The plane flight was with a firm called Logan Air, it was terrible talk about Biggles! the pilot used to just have to turn round to talk to us, and we had many a scare while trying to land in the winter as the air field was just a field! with (grass know what I mean) They would never get away with that these days. It was just as bad when I was flown out to a rig while working in Egypt, the chopper never even had doors, no seat belts and a pilot with a death wish! as he came in to land on the rig. Hey this brings back memories! Catch you later, let me know if I was right about living close to the sea.
Smudger.

Yes, you're right; I'm from the Isle of Wight, so you can't really get much closer to the sea than an Island.
Although I like ships, I wouldn't rate tankers as being my favourites - they just happen to be in the news a lot at the moment . I started off writing about the Pacific Glory as part of research into all the major shipwrecks off the Island's coast, but am interested in all ships. At the moment, though, I'm staying in Leeds for a short while to try and get some money as there isn't much employment on the Island, alas.... But it is a beautiful place to live. (And the airport there is just a grass field, too )

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Hi there <BB<, not a bad guess then eh! I hope you manage to find work in Leeds,its not much of a life living away from home, I had to do it for 15yrs, after I came out of the R.N. If you like ships you might like the one I was on after Hms Zulu I flew to join the Royal Yacht Britannia. In fact I managed to get in touch with another crew member on the internet last week, and we have arranged to drive round for a visit to see the old girl in Jan.2003. I have not seen this old shipmate for 30yrs. and it turns out that he lives in Irvine with his wife and kids. So I am looking forward to that. Were you joking about the airfield on the Isle of White being a "field?" When I was working abroad we had to land in the desert on a strip of compressed sand! well it supposed to be. When I flew home from that job 4 months later my daughter didnt recognise me, due to my tan and my very short hair, we had to cut it due to the intense heat! Well I must go for now, let me know how things work out for you in Ledds.
All the best, Smudger.

Ah - I used to see the Britannia quite a lot from Cowes - it was always a familiar sight to the Island.
But no, I wasn't joking - Sandown Airport, Isle of Wight, is a field. That's the main problem - it's not big enough to have true commercial flights other than "round the Island tours". A proper airport is something which I feel is desperately needed on the Island to improve transportation - as the ferry companies have too much of a monopoly and charge too much - but the Government closed down the former airport at Ryde (when it dismantled railways and trams etc., claiming that the trains, trams and aeroplanes were outdated and replaced by the car - the politicians having watched "Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang too often, methinks) and is now a Tescos.

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Hi There <BB<. A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, sorry I took so long to reply to you, been busy writing a book! well just some of my memories! I remember the Yacht going to Cowes in Isle of White every year, really fast tides as I recall, made our job on the boats more interesting! especially landing on Kings steps, I think that was their name, near the yacht club? You might know them. I can remember when they shut all the railways down, we lost a lot of tracks up North, where I used to live.How did your trip to Leeds go? I was thinking maybe your Island will recieve a grant from the EEC for an airport improvement! I know they spent a great deal on the A9 North of Inverness, its daft really as it is only busy in summer time when the tourists come. Rest of the time the road is empty? When we go round to the Britannia in January I will see if I can pick up some information for you.
Hear from you soon, all the best for 2003,Smudger.

Yes, I had a good time in Leeds, thanks. And a good Christmas and New Year - hope you did too!

As far as I know there are no plans for the EU to upgrade anything on the Island. At the moment the Isle of Wight is classed as part of the South Hampshire region of the UK, and South Hampshire is one of the wealthiest parts of the UK, which means that in the regional tables, South Hampshire & The Isle Of Wight come out as being quite well off, which is not the case for the Island at all. The Isle of Wight Council has sued a couple of times to try and stop it from being classed as part of Hampshire as it is not, but to no avail. Which has resulted in lots of money the Island should be entitled to is denied, which isn't really fair.

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Hi There <BB<, Sounds like you have an indepence problem much the same as we had up here in Scotland for many years. We had to sit back and watch all the North Sea oil revenue funds go to pay unemployment benefit to the three million that Maggie put out of work! The lack of investment in the North Sea was in evidence when I was out there last in 1986 the rigs were all run down and even dangerous as the Piper Alpha proved! I lost thirty work mates that day, blokes who I had worked along side for years. This so called Scottish parliment we have now, is no more than a joke, just jobs for the boys! It really gets to me at times when I think of it all. Still they are cutting the wages for all those off shore workers who are taking some risks just being out there. I would never go back out, even if I was fit enough! Still lets cheer up, after all it is New Year! a time of hope for the future!
All the best , Smudger

Yes, there is quite a move on the Island by Islanders who are after more independance, but there is also a lot of Mainlanders who've moved over who want to move the Island closer to the mainland and make it into a clone of Hampshire, an issue that causes much controversy. My philosphy is that there is nothing wrong with everywhere being different, and if you want to live in Hampshire, why not live there? Life gets boring when everywhere is exactly the same as everywhere else, although sadly it's true: all the town centres in the UK now have a McDonalds, identical clothes shops selling identical clothes at identical prices, Woolworths, WH Smiths, a H Samuels, the same banks, so there is hardly any point going anywhere else at all...

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Hi There <BB<, sounds like you have got the same problem as we used to have when we lived up North. Its called White Settler relocationsites? They move up there with heaps of money from their house sale down South. Put in bids for way over market price just to make sure they get the house they want. Will not use the local shops as they are all two car families, they drive forty miles to shop in Inverness.Then they complain when the local shops close down or dont carry enough choices for them. Then they use their money to influence local politics and start to interfere in local matters trying to change everything. Yes I have seen all that, thats why I was glad to transfer South to Fife with the ambulance service, before my accident. My wife was born down here, so it seemed the obvious choice. Another thing you will notice with your average White Settler prices go up all round, housing and living costs, not to mention the burden they put on to medical resorses, as most of them are eldery and require costly care which the local tax payers have to pay for.

That's pretty much the same situation - except that on the Island they have to use the local shops - to take 2 cars to Portsmouth (Just 5 miles away) on the ferry and back would cost about £70, it would be more like £90 to go to Southampton. That's one of the main problems - the ferries aren't cheap.
Other than that, it's about the same. Although the Island has a very strong community spirit and doesn't really approve of Overners.

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Hi There <BB<. I take it then that an OVERNER on your Island is the same as a WHITE SETTLER was to us up North? Have they pushed up your property prices yet? I was reading on the net news that another oil tanker came to grief in the Channel! Did you read about the car transporter that overturned as well? might pick a slightly damaged BMW or Merc. going cheap, slight problem with sea water in petrol tank! Did I tell you that I met another old shippie on the net! he was on the Zulu with me? got in touch after he saw my name on Zulu register. Goes to show,even us wrinkles can operate it! I have been out the game for a while, got hit with this bug that lays you out! over the worst now tough. Your ferry problem sounds like when Calodean Ferry was the only one covering the Western Islands, bit the Islanders got compensation when shipping cattle or sheep from the EEC. Catch you later <BB<. From Smudger.

I guess that yes, Overner is the same as your White Settler - I'd never heard the expression before you used it, though.

Yes, the situation in the channel has been amusing me since it began - makes you wonder how these things can keep happening in the age of radar, radio, GPS etc - but I guess you just cannot take away human incompetence from the world

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