Reg Smith

Following on from the demise of CSM, I managed to get a few relieving jobs on the Irish Sea ferries for a few months, then was offered a Team Leader's role as a sub contractor for London Electricity based in Camberwell, South London.
This contract started Jan 96 and was to capture all of London Electric's paper records and maps and put into a new huge super data base. We had a team of 25 where we scanned the AO maps (approx 5,000) of the high and low voltage cable runs throughout London and also the service record cards (actual records to each meter from the distribution network cables running up the road) (about 3 million), the area was approx within the M25, but later extended. This was completed within budget and ahead of time.
Once this data base and its software was handed over to London Electric Drawing Office, Marian went direct employ with them and I then worked directly for a LE subsidary called ECS Metering and Data Services from Oct 98, where all the meter readings throughout the London area (again initially within the M25) are collected from the actual meter readers, checked and dispatched by data links to the correct electric retailer for that particular property. Again this was a new venture of everything being done by data links, involving new software, methods and systems, so numerous changes evolved with experience till what we have today, where the one centre looks after all the UK LE, now EDF owned areas, of meter reading, within the M25, Kent, Essex, and SWEB.
Marian retired Feb 2002 from LE Drawing Office, so I retired as well, and we moved back to Cowbridge and sold our Camberwell flat, glad to be out of the rat race.
By this time our youngest son Bernard was married and living in Balclutha, South Otago, with a young family, so we came out to NZ for a couple of months holiday, and ended up buying a small holding of 18 acres in Clinton, which we took over Sep 2002. We then used to follow the sun, 6 months in UK & NZ over the respective summer months. Bernard and family moved to the small holding and looked after it while we were in UK.
Our eldest son Philip and his wife then decided that they too wanted to emigrate to NZ, and settled initially in Auckland, and later moved to Hamilton in the north island. Middle son Alastair and family remains living just west of Cardiff.
So now having 2 of our 3 sons in NZ, enabled us to also get residency, we moved out here permanently from Nov 2005, living for the time being in the farm house with Bernard and family.
We have under construction a new home for us two on the farm, and we are getting all excited with the expectation of being able to move in by early May 2009, leaving Bernard and family in the other house, which is not too far away.
Our interests now, apart from keeping in touch with family and friends back in UK and elsewhere via the computer and Skype, is we are compiling our family tree.
Marian is now President of Clinton Senior Citizens Club, previously was secretary, where we try to keep interest and activities going for the retired locals. I am treasurer of Clinton Flower Show, where once a year (late Feb) we hold a show of flowers, produce, baking and crafts in the town hall.
Clinton has a population of approx 400 people, about half live in the surrounding farms. We have Rugby, Squash, Tennis, Bowls, Golf and Cricket clubs, a primary school (then for secondary it is a school bus trip to Balclutha High School) 3 churches (Presby, Anglican and Roman Cath), a petrol station and a separate repair garage, a pub cum motel, police and volunteer fire stations and a large community hall that has just been revamped. We used to have a village store and post office, but that recently had to close due to the francise being withdrawn. Nearest big shops now Balclutha or Gore, approx 30 mins by road in opposite directions. The nearest cities and airports are Dunedin or Invercargil, each approx 90 mins away by car in opposite directions.
We like Clinton, it is a very friendly and caring community. 11th April 2009.

I joined RSL Dec 1970, having spent 5 years ashore working in Southampton, sent off to Glasgow to join one of their new ships as 2nd R/O.

Victoria City, joined Glasgow 16/12/1970, Capt O Lindsay, left Rotterdam 25/1/1971
Orient City, joined Singapore 5/2/1971, Capt G Harvey, left Liverpool April 1971
Welsh City, joined 11/5/1971 Clyde Ports, Capt G Ellerby, left 17/11/1971 Durban
Victoria City, joined 7/2/1972 Le Havre, Capt J Murray, left 1/5/1972 Cardiff
Cornish City, joined Philadelphia 3/7/1972, Capt F Johns, left 16/1/1973 Miami
Maria Elisa, joined Yokohama 17/8/1973, Capt D Jack, left Manzanillo 10/1/1974
Cornish City, joined 26/3/1974 Kobe, Capt D Jack, left 18/8/1974 Nagoya
Gela, joined Hamburg 15/11/1974, Capt B Jones, left Le havre 2/12/1974

left sea staff for Cardiff office where I was mainly involved with the Rigs, but did do visits to the ships.
Eastern City trials, Copenhagen 16th to 18th June 1976, Capt M Higgins
Sea Conquest trials, Pori Finland 12th to 18th Sept 1976, Capt E Ross
Atlantic 2 trials, Pori 24/3/77 to 1/4/77, Capt E Ross

Rejoined the sea staff
Fresno City, joined 27/2/1978 Middlesbro, Capt L Staines, left 1/7/1978 Avonmouth
this by far my best trip, as was able to take my wife and 3 boys

Josefa, joined 6/10/1978 Boston, Capt M Jones, left 19/2/1979 New Orleans
Welsh City, joined Ulsan 17/4/1979, Capt B Boyer, left 28/7/1979 Fos
Tacoma City, joined Sauda 8/11/1979, Capt J Vaughan, left 16/4/1980 Basrah
Fresno City, joined Aqaba 1/8/1980, Capt G Garlick, left Rotterdam 17/10/1980
Fresno City, joined 29/11/1980 Jeddah, Capt L Staines, left 10/3/1981 Jeddah
Victoria City, joined 15/5/1981 Santa Fe, Capt J C Lee, left 8/7/1981 Las Palmas
Victoria City, joined 8/7/1981 Las Palmas, Capt K Millburn, left 28/9/1981 Augusta
Silvia Sofia, joined Kobe 18/11/1981, Capt looks might be M Bellamy, left 20/4/1982 Manzanillo
New Westminster City, joined 22/8/1982 Belawan, Capt J Pearsall, left 3/12/1982 Tilbury
New Westminster City, joined 4/12/1982 Tilbury, Capt W Jones, left 2/2/1983 Bordeaux
Cardiff City, joined 5/5/1983 Singapore, Capt J Pearsall, left 5/10/1983 Baltimore
Eastern Valley, joined 6/10/1983 Baltimore, Capt J Pearsall, left 18/10/1983 Philadelphia
Eastern Valley, joined 3/2/1984 Lisbon, Capt R Crawford, left 8/7/1984 Singapore
Eastern Valley, joined 8/7/1984 Singapore, Capt R Crawford, left 17/7/1984 Hong Kong
Eastern Valley, joined 21/9/1984 Shimizu, Capt R Crawford, left 16/3/1985 Hong Kong
Western Valley, joined 12/5/1985 Kota Kinabalu, Capt J Birrell, left 8/8/1985 Rotterdam

that was the end of RSL, did some relief work then with CSM
Silvia Sofia, joined 25/8/1985 Busan, Capt B Boyer, left 23/5/1986 Osaka
Tula, joined 24/8/1986 Vera Cruz, Capt L Staines, left 6/11/1986 Mobile
Silvia Sofia, joined 10/11/1986 Los Angeles, Capt might be Bellamy, left 6/3/1987 Salina Cruz
Tepozteco, joined 11/3/1987 Yokohama, Capt T Lightfoot, left 18/5/1987 Newark
Cordoba, joined 2/9/1987 Vera Cruz, Capt R Crawford, left 2/3/1988 Vera Cruz
Bibi, joined 14/5/1988 Houston, Capt T Lightfoot, left 28/11/1988 Antwerp
Guanajuato, joined 9/2/1989 Newark, Capt M Slayman, left 8/7/1989 Panama
Tepozteca, joined Acapulco 12/9/1989, Capt R Baker, left 6/11/1989 Talcahuao
Cordoba, joined 7/11/1989 Santos, Capt not sure, left 30/11/1989 Tampico
Tepozteco, joined 1/12/1989 Acapulco, Capt R Crawford, left 20/4/1990 Valparaiso
Azteca, joined 29/6/1990 Lazaro Candenas, Capt J Andrews, left 7/11/1990 Las Palmas
Lerma, joined 17/1/1991 Yokohama, Capt J Andrews, left Kobe 31/07/1991
Aya 2, joined 8/6/1992 Kanda, Capt M Slayman, left 29/10/1992 Oppama
Golden Ray, joined 3/2/1993, Capt R Baker, left 27/4/1993 Hamburg
Bibi, joined 27/4/1993 Antwerp, Capt L Staines, left 12/7/1993 Horta
San Marcos, joined 25/11/83 Oppama, Capt P Roberts, left 1/6/1994 Newark
San Marcos, joined 8/9/1994 Los Angeles, Capt M Cox, left 30/1/1995 Newark
Guanajuato, joined 10/4/1995 Balboa, Capt J Andrews, left 31/8/1995 Acapulco

end of CSM jobs for me, did a few relief jobs, then went to work ashore in London. Reg Smith.