Fresno City (4)
Comments from the forum - 2
When Ballabriggs won this year's Grand National, your name came to mind. Ballabriggs was trained by Donald McCain, the son of Ginger McCain, of Red Rum fame.
When we sailed together on the Fresno City, in 1975, we were in Visag, when that years Grand National was run. I remember we organised our own race to coincide with the “overseas” broadcast of the real one. It was one of the two occasions that Red Rum could only manage second place. Since my then home was only a short distance from Ginger’s stables in Southport, I asked you to send him a congratulatory telegram from the Officers of the Fresno City. Unfortunately, the authorities in Visag had closed our station down, so you relayed the message to the Visag port station. Am I jogging your memory?
A few years later, my two daughters, who were with me that voyage, learnt to ride at the same riding school as Ginger’s son Donald jnr, and through that and a couple of other quirky coincidences, I got to know Ginger quite well. At some point I asked him if he had ever received our cable. He was flabbergasted. He had always wondered about it. Somehow, it had arrived in a somewhat “transcribed manner”, and gave the impression that it came from the Officers of an Indian ship, registered at some unpronounceable port, but currently bound for Fresno City!!
He told me it had always been one of his favourite messages he had received about Red Rum.
Ginger is long retired now, and the stable has moved to Cheshire, and is one of the most modern in the country, and run by his son.
The last time I bumped into him was at Ludlow races, about 12 years ago. Always a great talker, he related the above story to one of his owners who had a runner in the last race. Young Donald had the ride and brought it home at 25-1!! That, too, brought back happy memories of the voyage aboard the Fresno City!!
I also have the article you wrote for the Newsletter in respect of the Football Team, which we will get round to adding to the profile pages of the Fresno City, in due course. Mike Jones. Posted on forum 18 June 2011.
Must admit I had long forgotten about that message but do remember the trip on the Fresno. As I recall I joined in Lisbon, with your wife and children and I think a lady called Olga who was the wife of one of the engineers. I still have copies of most of the RSL newsletters including the one with the football match against the Vancouver City. After leaving the MN in 1985 I worked for BT at Burnham Radio Station (Portishead Radio) until 2001 and joined Avon and Somerset Police in 2001 when that closed down. At A&S I work in the Communications Department (currently on night shift) - must be in the blood. Mike Savoury. Posted on forum 21 June 2011.
Thats right, Mike. You joined in Lisbon, at the same time as my wife and two daughters: frightening to think that they have just had their 45th and 42nd birthdays! I think there were officers for the Vancouver City, on the same flight.
Olga was Olga Jelleyman, who was the 3/E's wife and I recall they also had a child with them. Mike Jones. Posted on forum 21 June 2011.
Disclaimer: The statements on this page are the views of the person who posted them on the forum. The events took place many years ago and in most cases rely on those people's memories, and so we cannot guarantee the accuracy although every effort is made to check it.
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