Guestbook Volume 2

I would like to send you two photos of a baggage ticket please. It says Orient Line Pleasure Cruises and a crest on one side, Orient Line to Australia and a drawing of a two mast ship on the other side. I would be interested if you might know the approximate age of it.

Thank you

Su

I found your genealogy pages while researching my own family tree. My maiden name was Byard and I am also descended from the Byards of Strensham/Newent/Gloucestershire. My grandfather was born in Bristol and I have traced the family tree right back through the Cheshire records - not everything is yet confirmed, but it seems about right so far, especially when taking into account the stories from my father and grandfather about tracing the line back to the Norman invasion in 1066! Many of the people you mention on your first page of the genealogy are also in my family tree. So it was really interesting to find your site - thank you!

My father Robert (Bob) started at Hamilton MacDonald in the late 1940s and worked at P&O and its offshoots until he retired in the 1990s.

Thanks for the photo of him in the Cricket Team.

Thanks for the web-site which I stumbled upon - it is excellent!!

Hi Michael

My visit to your wonderful web site was pure joy . I am Southampton born and bred and spent my youth watching so many passenger liners come and go to all corners of the world.

My father worked as a painter and decorator for Harland and Wolff and always saw "the Mary" and "the Lizzie" as the best ships he'd worked on. He specialised in gold leaf work.

I was 11 when I watched the Queen Mary sail out of Southampton for the last time. What a day and sight that was. The SS United States, SS France ( later the Norway) , Canberra, the Shaw Savill liners to Australia and the Union Castle ships to South Africa tied up to 2 or 3 abreast.

What years they were.

I'm retired after 41 years of working as a journalist , 26 of those as a BBC TV News Editor and these days I spent my time with family, walking a dog in the New Forest and songwriting.

Best regards

Lee Desty

Dear Sir do you have information how to find records from a Log Book? The ship is RHMS Britanis Voyage No 8 N/B August 1972 bound for Southampton from Sydney. We had to take another route before the Panama Canal to assist an injured sailor from a Fishingboat. I was on that night and saw part of the action would like to know how it all went?

Kind Regards Leif Bjorklund

Thank you Michael for this wonderful website full of historical treasures! I enjoyed going through your collection. More importantly, many thanks for your prompt and enthusiastic replies to my queries and reference book suggestions.

Fascinating website will visit again, pleased to make your aquaintance Mike, as you may have heard from Gordon I married a young lady from Long Wittenham in 1955 after we met during my National Service at Didcot in the R.A.O.C.

Elizabeth Alice Wrench. lived at 21,Saxons Heath where I spent many happy days / nights between 1952 /1954, we Married in the local Church on 5th August 1955.

Regards Edwin

What an amazing model of HMS victory! Keep going!

Hi Ian ,

my name is Jim ..... I am a native of Jersey , Channel Isles, I was an active teenager , and a member of St Helier Yacht Club.. in the 1960's . I was one of about 6 lads that kept small boats , in St Helier Harbour. had a summer job at the then 'Rayson Marine' on the corner by the 'old' harbour. We would take our boats (dingy's ) out most days in the summer months , and motor round as far as Green Island, St Clements , in an Easterly direction and St Brelades in a Westerly direction from St Helier. Through my yacht club membership ,'crewed' several 'racing yachts ' and worked for various owners to prepare their motor cruisers , before they departed on a 'jolly' to the Brittany Coast. I was Indentured to P&O SN Co in 1969 , - Retired Chief Engineer - 2019. p.s this very slow , 5seconds between every key stroke ?

Thank you, Michael for your advice on searching for my family history.