This series of webpages has been made for my own pleasure to reminisce about the "old days" and to share with any ex-LOF shipmates or those interested in life at sea in the 1950-60's. I have tried to break it up into logical groups with links between them but there is inevitably a bit of overlap between memories, events, people, places, technical stuff and opinions.... so do be understanding.

CLICK ON any of the ship photos below to open up a page for that ship - showing Ship details, officers names, Ports visited and any other relevant details. From each ship page there is a link to my memories and records from times on that ship.... some quite detailed, others with less detail and more opinions.

Quite separate from the ship pages are links to specialist things like "First trippper", "Last Tripper","Medicine at Sea", "Ship's Gear in the 50-60's", "Photos of Certificates and documents" , "Humour at Sea", "Technical stuff" (pipeline layouts, cargo calculations, star sights, mooring plans , etc,.) CLICK ON THE ICONS BELOW to go to those pages if you choose and there will be links back to here for another choice.

I do hope you enjoy browsing and that for some it brings back good memories--- for younger visitors it may broaden their knowledge of "the Olde Days" their Dads and
Uncles still talk about.

If you would like to contact me to talk about anything
in these pages please e-mail me at :-
ambrose.jones@freerapid.net

R.E.Ambrose Jones. ( published 2003)

L.O.F.Reunion- 5th June 2004

Roy Gerstner with the help of Paul Cartwright organised the first L.O.F. reunion which was held at the "Holiday Inn" Leicester-West on the 5th June 2004.

Initially it had been estimated that only about 70 "delegates" might be expected to attend. After all, there had been no previous reunions in the last 12 years and the company as such had, to most of us, ceased to exist in 1992. So the estimate of 70 delegates seemed a reasonable number.
As the day of the reunion approached, the number wishing to attend had to be revised upward, frequently, and " on the day" over 210 ex-shipmates and partners turned up.

I think that this speaks volumes about the people who had been involved with the family run shipping line which was London Overseas Freighters. It was gratifying to see that there were so many people who were still interested, willing and able to travel, so that theycould meet ex-shipmates and their wives
many of whom they had not met in the last say 40+years.

                            We had a most enjoyable time . Thank you Roy.

                                             When can we do it again ?

January 2004

Since I published this Webpage in Autumn 2003 I have had the pleasure and priviledge of receiving two GOLD AWARDS for the site.

         The most satisfying one was from " The Maritime Web Site Award" judges.

The Maritime Web Site Awards are administered by Steve Harris through his excellent website at :-

                           http://www.geocities.com/uksteve.geo/award1.html

40 ISSUES of
"LOF NEWS" online
I am grateful to Norrie Jackson and Roy Gerstner for supplying 40 issues of the LOF Newsletter and Fleet Lists to serve as a permanent online reference for the benefit of ex LOF colleagues and relatives.

CLICK on the "LOF NEWS" image on the left to open the complete Index and then choose the issue date you want to look at.

The experiences & thoughts on these pages are mine but the webpage design,graphics and presentation are the work of my long-time friend Ron Rushbrooke from my Liverpool Docks days.... another Master Mariner with almost identical seagoing experiences to mine from his time in British Tankers and Caltex tankers

I would like to thank these good people for the tremendous help & support they have given me to produce this record of my time at sea and in organising the Reunion and providing the Newsletters & photos for our LOF archives

Roy Gerstner,
Norrie Jackson
Ron Mortimer
Janet and Graeme Wallis of RapidNet Ltd