Historically Broads - Griffin Family

[BroadAmbition]

These were lurking in our office.  Cleaned and up the loft they will go.  They will no doubt have some rarity value nowadays

Griff

 

[ChrisB]

Hopefully the generation that your new grandchild belongs to will not know what an ashtray is.

I wish to god I had not.

[webntweb]

1 hour ago, BroadAmbition said:

These were lurking in our office.  Cleaned and up the loft they will go.  They will no doubt have some rarity value nowadays

Griff

 

When the Sporting Chronicle reached its centenary in 1971, as employees we were given an ashtray each. Like the ones in your pic they didn't have indents in them to hold a cigarette. It turned out that with the indents they would have been liable to purchase tax. Without them they were classed as bonbon dishes, a food container and were not liable to the tax.

I wonder if that was still the case with VAT (1973 onward) which would have applied when your dishes were supplied on boats.

[ChrisB]

10 hours ago, webntweb said:

When the Sporting Chronicle reached its centenary in 1971, as employees we were given an ashtray each. Like the ones in your pic they didn't have indents in them to hold a cigarette. It turned out that with the indents they would have been liable to purchase tax. Without them they were classed as bonbon dishes, a food container and were not liable to the tax.

I wonder if that was still the case with VAT (1973 onward) which would have applied when your dishes were supplied on boats.

Purchase Tax.. that was a funny one.

You did not pay it on some kits. TVR and Lotus supplied partially completed cars so you did not pay it.  Judith was a size 10 so did not pay it on a dress but at size 12 and upwards you did. Happy days.

[BroadAmbition]

Well, that's a new one on me.  Last two posts - Tks.  Everyday is a school day

Griff

[Vaughan]

From Blakes catalogue of 1939.

The boat description is well worth a read!

[BroadAmbition]

Thanks Vaughan - Enjoyed reading that.  I wonder how much the boat description differs from my 1966 Blakes catalogue - I'll have a look see

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Some differences as can be seen, the bath has gone to be replaced by a single berth moved out of the double cabin.  This how I remember them

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

Not the Broads but still historical for me.  This is HMS Attacker.  Photo taken by myself from the ships gemini, summer of 83 off Fishguard.  This craft was and is my favourite all time RN vessel that I served on.  It was based at Great Harbour Greenock.  I spent 82 - 86 there, the first ship was HMS Droxford a seaward defence vessel, Attacker replaced it.  I met my wife-to-be for the very first time on the floating pontoon where Attacker was berthed.  T'other photo is Attacker navigating the Crinan canal Easter of 83

Griff

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Here's me attending a wedding in Selby of 83.  Look at all that hair - How did I ever get away with it?

The young lady on my arm was my then girlfriend, Ruth.  The best girlfriend I ever had but somewhat above my station.  I often wonder how she got on in life

Griff

 

[Regulo]

I thought everyone was/is above your station? 

[BroadAmbition]

Many a true word spoken in jest - Oh, you weren't jesting 

Griff

[webntweb]

2 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Some differences as can be seen, the bath has gone to be replaced by a single berth moved out of the double cabin.  This how I remember them

Griff

 

The earlier Admirals had steps and deck access between the two forward cabins - you can see it in Vaughan's post, and they didn't have the aft well, just deck level access through a small door.

They also had a 6 cyl Morris Commodore (petrol?) engine as against a 4cyl 2.5 litre diesel in the later models.

I did once try and work out the build dates (by way of Blakes catalogue entries), but it got a bit confusing between the Admirals and Supreme Commanders.

[Vaughan]

6 minutes ago, webntweb said:

They also had a 6 cyl Morris Commodore (petrol?) engine as against a 4cyl 2.5 litre diesel in the later models.

Most boats in those days had the 4 cylinder petrol Morris "Navigator".

They were later re-engined with the BMC "Commander" 2.5 litre diesel, which was the bigger version of the 1.5 litre engine known as the Newage "Captain".

[webntweb]

5 hours ago, ChrisB said:

Purchase Tax.. that was a funny one.

You did not pay it on some kits. TVR and Lotus supplied partially completed cars so you did not pay it.  Judith was a size 10 so did not pay it on a dress but at size 12 and upwards you did. Happy days.

The main reason you don't seem too many good quality holiday pics from before the early seventies was the amount of purchase tax on cameras.

You could buy plastic cameras like the Kodak Brownie 127 which were made in Britain and only had a basic rate of purchase tax (about 10%) but the image quality was poor.

Britain did not have a quality camera industry for the mass market so before the introduction of VAT in 1973 purchase tax of 55% was levied on German and Japanese imports, putting them beyond the means of most people.

[BroadAmbition]

Big - Real BIG news

This news ain't owt to do with the Broads but it is historical for me.

Back in my RN days whilst onboard HMS Glasgow (Sept 78 - Nov 80) a young chef joined the ship shortly before she sailed from Swan Hunters in Newcastle down to her new home base Pompey.  He hailed from Southern Island and his name was Tom Sawyer.  We immediately became friends.  His actual proper given moniker was Alan, but everyone in the RN that had the surname Sawyer got called Tom irrespectively (Many other examples of this trait are very common)

Anyroadup, I left HMS Glasgow in Nov 80 bound for Gibraltar for a year, then in January 82 onto Whitehall Commcen, Admiralty Arch, London.  Where at some point my Vauxhall Ventora got stolen - Bloody Southerners.  (Quite an amusing tale there), I got the car back but lost my address book along with a host of other items.  Consequently lost contact with 'Tom'

Since the world wide web became available, over the years there are a few of my former mates / girlfriends and the like that I have been searching for on and off. 'Tom' Sawyer was one of these as is Ruth Maylin in a previous photo to name but two.

Thing was with 'Tom' I couldn't recall his proper name so was getting nowhere, I've only really been looking for about twenty odd years so no rush there then

You kinda know where this is going yet?

This morning on my phone, totally unexpected and out of the blue there was a friend request on FB from 'Alan' Sawyer - He has found me!  with the question - 'Is that Charlie Griffin RO from Donny' ?

Well I am cock a hoop, chuffed to bits.  Email addresses exchanged and we are off.  There's only about FORTY YEARS to catch up on.  Probably not this year, but definitely next year either Tom and his will be with us onboard 'B.A' or we'll be visiting him in Southern Island.  Cant wait.  Happy Days 

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

Well,  looks what's turned up in my garage, a handed matching pair in pristine condition too 

How did I come to have them? - Not a scooby, my Late Dad no doubt procured them

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

Another find in t garage.  This would have been put onboard R641 Star Supreme 1 in 66 making it now fifty four years young.  No mention of   'Not after 2000 or before 0800'  back in those days

Griff

 

[SwanR]

Is that a spelling mistake? Should battery's be batteries? I can't help seeing things like that! 

 

[SANTED]

Its not a spelling mistake its a quantity error.Battery is singular,Batteries are plural

 

[grendel]

if it wasent equally set out i would have guessed they upgraded from a single battery to multiple and just added a 's

[webntweb]

Either way it would be incorrect. Battery (singular), Battery's (singular possessive). Batteries (plural), Batteries' (plural possessive).

[Vaughan]

18 minutes ago, webntweb said:

Either way it would be incorrect. Battery (singular), Battery's (singular possessive). Batteries (plural), Batteries' (plural possessive).

To say nothing of the un-necessary apostrophe!

[BroadAmbition]

I unearthed a plastic storage box this afternoon in t garage.  It's full of admin stuff and the like.  I had a very brief peak inside and found this!  Blakes 1980 in very good condition. (I have a Blakes 1966).  Well chuffed. 

Now of course proper wanting to sort through and find out what else in in the box.  Patience Griff, Patience.  That can wait till tomorrow evening

Griff

 

[BroadAmbition]

The Star Supreme featured in the catalogue is R644 making her originally Star supreme 4, tupperware hull with timber topsides.  Nowadays still cruising the Broads with the name  'Goodnight Irene'

Griff