http://tinyurl.com/lrmsweb http://www.angelfire.com/home/hmsfiji/ _____________________________________________________________________________ \\\\\___LIVERPOOL RETIRED MERCHANT SEAFARERS___\"-._ /////~~~ HISTORY MARITIME LIVERPOOL ~~~/.-' _____________________________________________________________________________ A SELECTION OF POEMS BY RETIRED MERCHANT SEAMAN JACK BROTHERIDGE _____________________________________________________________________________ Jack Brotheridge was awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool View this Document Here: http://www.angelfire.com/home/hmsfiji/brotheridgefreedom.jpg _____________________________________________________________________________ RIP John Lewis BROTHERIDGE 1920 - 2018 "The Old Veteran" Seen very quiet, never a shout Often looked on as a down and out But still a man, trying the best he can. To delve beyond how he looks Could probably fill many books When young and bold. With many others he went As many never returned As they dropped, life spent That was the price so many paid Now as a survivor with failing health With body worn and declining wealth So look at him in a different light Not just a worn out shadow and a sight But one of many that fought our fight. 0=============================================0 "The Spawn of the Devil" As quick as you could shout All the lights in Europe went out As Britain's people faced the foe As an island had nowhere to go And all our men and youth were soon gone As the women and children Held their ground And courage we soon found Then enemy planes were soon here With backs to the wall our people forget fear As so many had paid the price As the Hun covered our skies just like lice As our brave airmen stopped them dead What human creature off his head Shouting about the master race Things were going wrong he soon found He slaughtered innocent people Poles others and all the Jews And never stopped once to read the news As his name was being written in blood As the ground got smaller where he stood The worlds other people soon got the measure To see him hang would have been a pleasure 0=============================================0 "LIVERPOOL 2005" To the Eldonians we go As the old salts give a really good show. As Seamen are still about, As the new world tries to rub them out. Everything seem to be moving on But the wives can still make a good scone. Even the butchers are getting few But the girls can still make a good Scouse stew As the clocks keep ticking on And the ships of old are all now gone Our Merchant men will never be forgot And still arrive at the club For a jolly good tot. 0=============================================0 "The Unfortunate MN ww2" Often in debt, and tightly bound He broke these bonds and felt free, Not in uniform or bright to see But a man drawn to life at sea. A job that mattered in those cold days The only thing he knew that pays. As the twenties and thirties rolled on And family split as he was soon gone. Eight pounds a calendar month When he could get a berth as wet and cold As he crossed this earth With oilskins and sea boots And a canvas bag Which was about all he ever had. As he left his homeland for the last time As things were getting bad He and his ship a torpedo copped And also his money had stopped Then news everybody feared Left a wife and family Alone and in tears 0=============================================0 "Which Road to Take" Some sit and have no concern While others get out and earn So who is right? The one that needs food to bite! Some live in the sun And others in the snow Does it matter, I would like to know. As once there that’s where you sit And start craving for a better bit So round and round we go Some fast and others slow. So which is best I just don’t know Because the clock keeps ticking on As we look around and our life has gone After playing our part on life’s stage Ease up and enjoy a good old age Down at the Eldonians With a great band on the stage! 0=============================================0 "The Grip of the Sea" When a ship was your home And nowhere to go As nothing stayed still as she rocked you to and fro what kind of life the way she went As she journeyed on her, her life not spent As the oceans held you fast Where were we going and will it last But the world was all astray As World War 2 went on day after day Could the end be sudden? Or could you never again see land As your life been written At birth and in the sand. And as all these revolutions carried on You could be a survivor; perhaps the only one And as the years have passed on Where has all that life gone? Is it all a dream was everything just a picture? With nothing left to show Until we move again on forever And only then will we really know 0=============================================0 "Liverpool Long Ago" The sounds of the Mersey echoed and banged As ships whistles boomed and blew And anchors clanged As horses and carts and Dockers pushed by And the one o clock gun rent the sky In winter or summer heat Hoards of kids darted past in their bare feet And the red duster flew on most ships stern All belching smoke from the coal they did burn And old Whynne high up on his old Mortar Cart Would get your bags home as paid of you would depart Scotty road and paddy’s market was heavy with life As you went shopping with your dear wife Simple things that was your leisure Before the money ran out and most of your pleasure But Liverpool people knew how to survive As our great empire grew and thrived As seamen of this Port pushed ships in and out Praised by the Masters without any doubt. But time, was running out as the last of the few 0=============================================0 "To the Eldonians we go' Where the band strikes up and we have a good show Always a welcome guest as you sits with Merchant The last of the best. 0=============================================0 "As You Look down" When long gone and looking down A view that would make you frown Across the great ocean blue Little squares of moving ships Fetch back memories to you. Convoys of old moving slow Manned by seamen to make them go Ghosts of the past that will never happen again Before the mast a history of strife As Britain was fighting for her life And men parted from children and wife Fetching food and oil to good care All linked into this historic show As you look deep behind and below A trail of wrecks and human bones you would find A price paid by all mankind As those at home wept and cried As the seabed is paved with broken ships and men that died! 0=============================================0 "A Bump WW2 North Sea" No lights a foggy night as we sailed up bomb ally so alright All in line convoy bound as we pushed north still insight of land And in the night a dull bang as we headed to port with a clang Out of our bunks we all piled out; as what’s up was the shout Collision on our starboard beam as a RN ship pulling away could be seen with and water gushing in And a trimmer all in shock as I quickly took stock Tanks pumped out to give us a list As I started a collision mat with planks hammer and fist As all hands mucked in, a right old mess we were in Up to our knees in coal slack and salt water With a patch pulled on tight As daylight broke and helped with light to make a box for concrete That was the fight. Gravel, sand and cinders went into the stew and bags of cement All mixed day and new until we couldn’t see the sky Nearly two tonnes of concrete went in And after twelve hours we were all in And our sea lawyers still shouting the odds But the rules were safety of ship As we were just unlucky sods And as we sailed again water tight Just wanting our bunks and a bite! 0=============================================0 "The leaving of Liverpool" Let go forward, let go aft And a slow movement of our craft The shore gang waving us good bye As we pulled out between sun and sky. Vibrations as the prop picked up As the whole ship sprang into life And the wind came in like a whetted knife Everybody at their station on the bridge And the fo’castle head As we buzzed around making good without hassle All hatches battened down anchors seized All Bristol fashion The Liver buildings just a speck Leaving us with five hundred feet of wet deck As slowly the Welsh hills died away In a vast open sea and sky Only us now and the birds that fly! 0=============================================0 "What’s next" We often wonder what is next as many crave excessive wealth As the worlds poor just cling to life and health Now its fresh water on the money market As nature and us are being parted Some want garments encrusted with jewels and gold But can’t stop growing old Others are firing rockets beyond the sky To find another planet and say bye bye Instead of looking after this good earth more And stop us ending up with a disastrous war As many seem ready to fire the first shot And that I think could just be our lot! 0=============================================0 "As Time marches on" Change is always going on As our Seamen, Miners etc are now all gone People in Britain are fed and can sup But ruling the waves we have had to give up Obese and idle does not suit us all As we sit at home and watch our nation fall Less weddings and fewer children on the floor As other nations pour in We can only end up in life’s bin As did the mighty legions of Rome So let’s only hope that this land stays home 0=============================================0 "Granddad" That was the day as he came down with a rush To whitewash the back yard with his Turks head brush I heard him shouting ‘Damn and blast As he belted his thumb mending his boots on a last But taking him all round he was a good man Red haired and a bit rough as he whitewashed The yard with bucket and brush As he did a bit of fancy work over the closet bowl? To me it looked like the entrance to a bloody manhole With a sack pointed on his head The day had come that we all did dread As he sloshed around with sack on and scarf With his cleaver had chopped sticks for the fire And smashed all the yard tiles As he pursued his desire As he tripped over the cat and called it a name Just like that as it ran all spotted and shaken As it resembled a flying Dalmatian And as the day wore on with his pipe belching smoke As swung the poker and gave the fire a poke I had then jumped on the back of his rocking chair And went flying over a right mixed up pair As I made a dash to get out quick, with fear As he lunged forward to save his bottle of beer And as I peeped in through a crack in the door He was flat out as I could hear him snore! 0=============================================0 "Attack North Atlantic WW2 {MN)" With doors kept open so not to jamb which meant no light With all clothes on for a quick flight As you rolled in your bunk With life jacket for a pillow to abandon ship if sunk As the convoy zig zagged on seven knots at their best Loaded to her marks and heading west Eight pounds a calendar month was our pay Day break and twilight the worst parts of the day U-boats lurked out of sight As we closed our guns crew up to face the fight This foe were down below Creeping to deliver their blow A cat and mouse game as we stood To hold the line of Britain’s life blood To scan the horizon day and night To sight a periscope started our blight Fire at will would ring out clear As the crash of the paralysed your ear All ships did an emergency turn As some erupted and started to burn As torpedoes tore in the sea was covered in flame Men were dying as shouts where heard But that water was cold and vision was dark and blared A smoke screen was being spread As all ships scattered and fled Our escort went racing past Dropping depth charges fast As deep sea trawlers started saving the wounded and dead As we grouped up together again And pushed on ahead 0=============================================0 "Dangers . MN" A seaman's life so wild and free Had many dangers he didn't see In climes where did he go? He must lookout for the wee mosquito. Or he could be very sick Unless he covered up quick Then there were heat and cold For him to handle or he may not grow old. In icy winds put on his woollen bonnet And when ashore always beware Of anything that had hair on it 0=============================================0 "Characters" Ships coal trimmers with buckle at the back Would heave their keks to take up the slack As they along Scottie road did stroll All with a western ocean roll And then we had the Liverpool Yanks Guessing and calculating after their first trip Chewing gum with a drawl on the lip Down in Canning place looking for another ship All good men that worked hard a sea Now only remembered in Liverpool's history 0=============================================0 "Nothing stops as it is" Around the world many do go Rushing madly never slow But when is it going to stop Before the whole rigmarole starts to flop What can you see and miss Being hurled through the sky As this good earth just rolls by I know making money to a degree must be But with greed gets out of hand the end we may see Big changes seem to be coming fast Will we be able to last? It's probably all happened before As many species are not around anymore So don't kid ourselves that we are immune As we might vanish much too soon! 0=============================================0 "Hope" Where have all the years gone Every days a bonus as you scratch around As best you can You find that you are a veteran Lucky to be still around Before they lower you into the ground Bugger that I am going out As the past counts for nought And time is racing fast As we move up the line as nothing can last As the young take our place And we wish them well Their efforts like ours in the past Hold the world together As we hope that it will last Jack Brotheridge (86 years) Brotheridge John Cranfield Road 50 Liverpool L23 9TZ TEL: 151/9248304 0=============================================0 * Please Note: Jack Brotheridge is a Lifetime Member of the: Liverpool Retired Merchant Seafarers Internet Association View his Membership Certificate Here: http://www.angelfire.com/home/hmsfiji/lrmsbrotheridgescroll.jpg {Simply copy and paste the above URL into your Browser's Location Box} 0=============================================0 * Please note: My father; also John (Jack) Brotheridge sent me a certificate recently confirming a great honour. That of being awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool, England. As one of only 16 remaining survivors of the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest and bloodiest campaign of World War II , he was honoured in a special ceremony in the City. The 15 men who joined him, all of whom are now in their 80s and 90s are members of the Liverpool Retired Merchant Seafarers. The original scroll a copy of which I’ve displayed, hangs in the city centre church of St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. View this certificate here: http://www.angelfire.com/home/hmsfiji/brotheridgefreedom.jpg {Simply copy and paste the above URL into your Browser's Location Box} ___________________________________________________________________________________________