Phillip (Willie) John
My first voyage was on the Port Alberni City 2/8/75 to 26/1/76.
The second was the Maria Elisa 4/5/76 to 27/9/76.
The third was the Victoria City 2/12/76 to 30/3/77.
The fourth was the Devon City 12/6/77 to 8/11/77.
The fifth was the Cardiff City 25/1/78 to 26/7/78.
The sixth was the Tacoma City 5/10/78 to 5/3/79.
The seventh was the New Westminster City 22/5/79 to 25/9 79.
The eighth was the Amparo 24/4/80 to 9/10/80.
The ninth was the Port Alberni City 19/11/80 to 9/5/81.
The tenth was the Amparo 21/8/82 to 24/6/82.
The eleventh was the Prince Rupert City 3/2/82 to 24/6/82.
The thirteenth was on the final voyage of the New Westminster City 14/10/82 to 21/4/83, when it was sold to the Greeks and renamed The Kassia. It was handed over in drydock in Galveston.
I sailed with many different officers and crew, but the only one I am still in contact with at the moment is Leighton Seabrooke, but with this website, I hope to be able to contact many more.
When I left Smith's I had a complete change as a salesman for Bowyers (Pies and sausages), where I stayed for five years. Then I went back on the tools as a fitter in the Tower Washery, the last deep mine in Wales, where I stayed for eight years. Then I joined Tubex Ltd. as a supervisor which is a company making Treeshelters. These are Plastic extruded tubes for assisting the growth of saplings and vines. You have probably seen hundreds of them on the embankments at the side of motorways. I am also employed at the Millenium Stadium as a Steward, at present though, I am not working as I have had two total knee replacements due to Osteoarthritis, and I will probably have to have new hips as well. The old rugby days are catching up with me.
I don't know whether you know the chief steward Leighton Seabrooke, I sailed with him, his wife Joan,and his daughters Ruth and Sally a couple of times and I went up to Ockbrook a couple of weeks ago to visit him in his pub, the Queens Head. He told me that he has held a couple of reunions there over the last couple of years, and is hoping to again.
I use the name Willie John as I don't think many people would know me as Phillip John.
June 2011.