Grimsby Trawlermen Away to Nautical College, that was our first step To join our biggest industry, we all had to prep From modern navigation to mending a torn trawl Safety and lifeboat drills we had to learn them all Paid £2….10 bob a week whilst we learned our craft Most people questioned our bravery whilst others said you’re daft You could leave school at fifteen and you got paid the very first day Then sail into excitement with something new along the way Once youd got your sea legs and the food was staying down You could plan how to spend your money when back on solid ground Unless you spent too much once the seal came off the door Because the Bond cupboard was filled with delights galore There was tax free baccy, fags, chocolates and beer Enough to reduce your earnings by quite a lot I fear If you had a bad trip there was one certain bet You wouldn’t have any take home pay, but you could land in debt Once outside the limits in international waters you would be The locked and bonded cupboard was opened with some glee Personally I never touched them because unique within my job I didnt drink and I didnt smoke so I made quite a few bob Renowned for my sobriety upon my door they would knock With bargains in their hands to pay for some of my stock You see I always took my allocation and sold some to the crew Then smuggled the rest ashore bidding PC Henry how do! At 15 years old trawling is exciting and I certainly had no fear I loved to take the helm and help the watchman steer At each haul the cod end was just like a lucky bag Full of fish,muck and shit and smells that made you gag The gutting was important and the Livers had to stay Send them to the liver house to stew another day It was a rare smell that was, cod livers stewing many days old All for extra money and supple joints we were told The banter was the same most jobs with extras applied Exaggeration was rife but not too many lied Swing that lantern boy was the expression used When someone told an exaggerated tale that left us all bemused The cook was a saint to produce what he produced With the smells from that Galley kitchen you could certainly be seduced Shackles was my first meal Apple Platter for my pud I didnt think after 3 days anything could have taste that bloody good I didnt suffer with sea sickness after that very first trip But some old hands even Skippers suffered for the dip The eyes not on the horizon the constant sway and kick Sends your brain and inner ear crazy and then it makes you sick The first time I went to the toilet for a little number two I was singing the Beatles song ...Help whilst sitting on the loo Followed by an Alan Sherman song a jolly tune and words Hello Muddah Hello Faddah whilst dropping off my turds Take me home oh Muddah Faddah take me home I hate Vivaria Life is very entertaining but they say that it’s about to get scarier Fresh bread cooked daily and a large pot of tea on the stove Stewed and served with condensed milk into which my spoon soon dove Mmmm! condensed milk on bread and the freshest fish in the land However fish straight from the trawl didnt always taste so grand Tasteless to a degree it needed to be hung or aged Where are my Halibut livers? The third hand often raged The fishermans tale of warning seemed a little stark Their high content of Vitamin A could leave you in the dark You would regret it, I was told if you ate too much of this delicacy Sends you crazy then cuts out the light, yes blind you will be At fifteen you tend to believe the wisdom from these chaps So I avoided halibut liver to prevent all such mishaps The next thing that I learned and now know to be untrue That if you shoot a twister it will collapse and then save you Its a vacuum I was told so to stop it just take a shot The air will escape it will collapse and that will be its lot Tales of being washed overboard and back again next wave Were as common as tales of ghostly beings dancing at a rave To avoid being bitten by a Conga or a Cat we were told Stand on inverted baskets youll find them in the hold This was a fact because Ive been in with some cats Evil fish with square sharp teeth and a jaw that just snaps Watch out for the Millers thumb especially its dorsal fin Get pricked then you will know thats what he keeps his venom in Crabs can be a nasty shock when sorting through the haul Strong nippy crustaceans that would nip you if you fall Never stand in a loop or coil because if the ship took a sea You could lose a leg straight away just below the knee Watch out for those warps as they pay away real fast With tons of trawl beneath them if caught you wouldnt last The strands that sometimes stick out could catch in your frock They could take you around the capstan and that would be a shock I heard horrid tales of shipmates cut in half caught in this way So caution was the buzzword and the order of the day Decapitation was talked about from a parting warp As under tons of pressure it would whip and you’d be caught Within its mighty whiplash and the pressure from below You could easily lose a limb or two not just your little toe The older boys knew it all and my Granddad said to me Befriend the older crew if knowledgeable you want to be Sounding a bit like Yoda he would regale me with his tales That engineers stayed in the warmth but didnt avoid the gales Sometimes she could take a sea and everywhere would be awash The water then travelled down below and engineers would say my gosh But lighter moments were discussed and the laughter was nice to hear Especially if it was flat & calm and wed just shot the gear Up to our knees in the latest catch gutting and washing the fish So all and sundry could enjoy this most delicious dish I once heard a tale of a Deckie whilst gutting in the pounds I think of foreign origin, after the Skipper had done his rounds Taking his knife very skilfully and holding it by the shank Stuck it in a pound board and said “excuse me I go for a wank” Shocking all of his shipmates he was seen to wander aft Then they all burst out laughing with their mouths wide agaft So as you can see we had a great time bringing home our bounty So all of you can enjoy the best fish in a chippy in your County Enjoying the very best of British or of Grimsbys latest batch Although we process more these days than we actually catch We still are the greatest trawler town and will always be With Grimsby’s trawler men going down in history SMP October 2014
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 11:17:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015