Dear Member,

Firstly may I take this opportunity to thank all of you who sent me Get Well cards, telephone messages and even made hospital visits during my recent illness. It is in times of adversity that one realises just how many friendsone has. My grateful thanks to you all.

It seems that hardly a week goes by without the NHS being slated in the popular press for some shortcomings in its service. If it is not ‘Dignity for the Elderly’, mixed wards, waiting lists,

more managers than medical staff, shortage of equipment, the list goes on.

Having had 3 inpatient visits to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital at Llantrisant recently I should like to say that the treatment I had was first class. The first 2 visits being to endeavour to sort out my problem without surgery, I was put on the waiting list for a relatively minor operation.

After a short 4 week wait I was given an appointment to present myself at 7.30 am on July 6^th. I was shown to a spotless 6 bed ward, with beds made up ready to receive their patients, During my week’s stay I was shown every courtesy by medical staff, the doctors explained the procedure, the nurses were most attentive and caring and I’m delighted to say the end result was 100% successful. So well done Royal Glamorgan.!

Anyway enough about me except that I was extremely sorry to miss the dinner in May and the Milford seminar in June. Both events were a success and I must thank Theo Coliandris for standing in for me on both occasions..

EDUCATION

Education pic

Good news on the education front as we have 7 students preparing for the examinations next April. 4 are from Graig Shipping, Cardiff, 2 from Graypen, Barry,and 1 from Denholm-Barwil, Fowey. 2 of the Graig students and 1 from Graypen are first year, and the others are second year. We are endeavouring to set up a series of winter tutorials to assist the 7 with extra tuition, to answer queries they may have with their correspondence courses and to give them support in general

To that end I am looking for volunteers from our membership to provide this expertise. I already have 2, Theo Coliandris to cover chartering and Ted Renshaw who will cover Port Agency and Introduction to Shipping. If you feel you can give up some of your free time to cover other subjects in the syllabus please get in touch with me. The tutorials will most probably be held at lunchtime, say 12.30 - 2.00 pm and Graig have kindly offered us a room in their office at 1, Caspian Point, Cardiff Bay.

So, don’t be shy, if you feel you can help, if it is only for 4 or 5 sessions during to winter/ early spring, please get in touch.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

16^TH September 2009 Branch Committee Meeting at ABP Port Office, Alexandra Dock, Newport 2.15pm

16^TH OCTOBER 2009 - 78^th Annual Dinner of the Bristol Steamship Owners Association, Bristol Marriott Hotel, 7.00 for 7.30pm. For details and tickets please contact Tony White, Hon. Secretary at bsso.a@virgin.net

November 2009 SWW BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

at Dewstow Golf Club, Caerwent, Nr. Chepstow. 11.30am, meeting starts at 12noon prompt. Followed by a buffet lunch at approx 1.15pm. All members/registered students welcome to both meeting and lunch. Just let me know if you are coming. Well, we do want enough to eat and drink !

16^th APRIL 2010 TENTH BRANCH ANNUAL DINNER at the HOLLAND HOUSE HOTEL, CARDIFF 6.30 for 7.30pm. See P6 for accommodation.

NEWPORT WELCOMES FIRST CRUISE SHIP

Prisendam

The City of Newport welcomed its first cruise ship on July 13^th this year. The Holland America Line vessel “Prisendam”

600 feet in length, spent the day docked in Newport when 600 of its passengers headed west to sample the delights of the Millennium Centre, Cardiff Castle and Dyffryn Gardens in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Matthew Kennerley, ABP Port Director, South Wales said ‘Whilst cruise ships are no strangers to some of our other Welsh Ports such as Cardiff and Swansea we are very pleased that Newport is handling a cruise ship for the first time.

ABP NEWPORT & ROBERT WYNN & SONS take the strain for SEVERN POWER.The Port of Newport and heavy-lift specialists Robert Wynn & Sons are working together to avert traffic chaos during construction of the new Severn Power Station. Dozens of outsize component parts are being transported from the Port across to the east bank of theRiver Usk avoiding a long and complicated road journey through the centre of Newport.

The Newport registered vessel being used by Robert Wynn for the project-the “Terra Marique” is a seagoing heavy lift barge 80m long and17m wide capable of carrying single piece loads of up to 1200 tons.

Terra Marique

‘Terra Marique’ ready for another run across the Usk

Thursday July 2^nd marked the centenary of one of the worst disasters in the history of the town’s dock. On July 2^nd 1909 while work was underway to construct the new entrance to the port’s North Dock the structure collapsed, causing the death of 39 men and injuring many more. The name Tom “Toya” Lewis will be forever associated with that tragic day. Tom, a 16 year old newspaper boy was the hero of the day, risking his own life to enter the wreckage to help save injured men who had been trapped by the collapse. For this feat he was awarded the Albert Medal, the forerunner of to-days George Cross .

In memory of the boy hero Tom Lewis, ABP have named the road that leads to the site of the current lock at Newport in his honour

Tom Lewis Way

OBITUARY

MR. DESMOND WILLIAMS, MICS

Desmond Williams It is with the deepest regret that we report the death on Sunday August 2^nd 2009 at his home, of Mr. Desmond Williams, MICS, retired Chairman of Graig Shipping plc., at the age of 86 years. Mr. Williams was an extraordinary man who led a full and fascinating life. He obtained his wings in the RAF at the age of just 22 and spent the latter years of WW2 dropping supplies to our troops in Burma.

Following demobilisation in 1946 he immediately joined his father at Idwal Williams & Company , Cardiff, the forerunner of Graig Shipping plc. In 1950 he opened the London Office near the Baltic Exchange attending to not only the interests of his Company but also to a number of others. In 1971, following the death of his father, Desmond was appointed Chairman of the Company, a position he held until his retirement.

He was a leader of the ‘old school’ style whose decisions were often made immediately and instinctively. He steered Graig through often turbulent and challenging times and he was extremely proud of the fact that Graig was the only firm left trading from the original membership of the Cardiff Coal and Shipping Exchange.

Most who knew him would agree that whilst he did not suffer fools gladly and patience was unfortunately not one of his virtues, he was a man of incredible generosity and kindness with a big heart and personality to match who will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife Anne and 3 sons,

Richard, Hugh and Chris to whom we send our deepest sympathy.

(I am indebted to Vicky Dwyer of Graig for the foregoing obituary. DGM)

OBITUARY

MR. ALAN HODDING, FICS.,

It is also with sincere regret that we record the death on June 30^th this year of Mr. Alan Hodding FICS, formerly of Bethell,Gwyn & Co, Ltd., of Newport and Bristol. He was 89 years of age.

Mr. Hodding was educated at Newport High School and in 1938joined Elder,Demster Lines as a cadet and completed 13 voyages to West Africa. He must have borne a charmed life, as twice he served on ships that were the sole survivors of the convoys in which they sailed. In the early 1940's he transferred to the New Zealand Shipping Co., as 4^th Officer and sailed to the USA, Australia and New Zealand. He finished his time at sea in the Pacific serving with American Naval Fleet and left the Merchant Navy in 1947 as 2^nd Officer.

He then joined shipbrokers Bethell, Gwyn & Co., in their Newport office and was appointed manager of the Bristol office in the mid 1950's and to the Board of the Company in the mid 1960's, where he remained until retirement in 1980.

Whilst in Bristol he was at various times President of a number of associations including the Skal Club of Bristol, the Bristol Steamship Owners Association, the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and the Bristol Shipping Staffs Association.

On retirement he moved to Dorset where he spent many happy years walking his dogs, gardening and playing Bridge. He lived in the same house until he was obliged to move to a care home due to the onset of illness. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his son William (Bill) to whom we send our deepest sympathy.

SAD END TO A PROUD SHIP

The 22,500 tonne bulker ‘IOANNIS NK’ fully laden with sugar, sank in deep water 98 n.miles off Cape Columbine on 23 July 2009, shortly after crew reported that the vessel was taking on water in one of the holds. The crew of 20 was lifted off the ship by South African Air Force helicopters not long before she went down and transported ashore. Here are a series of images showing the final moments of the vessel. In a heavy swell, taking on water, the ship developed a list and these dramatic pictures show the result.

The case seems to have had a happy ending as all the crew were rescued with no loss of life.

For further details check www.oldsaltblog.com/2009/07/the-sinking-of-the-ioannis-nk

1. ‘‘IOANNIA-NK’ already low in the water with helicopters in attendance to rescue the crew. Ioannis NK 1

2. Clear view of the hole in the side.

Ioannis NK 2

3. Ioannis NK 3 Going…….

4. Going ..........

Ioanni Nk 4

5, Ioannis NK 5 Gone

In case you are wondering, the material on these pages comes from various sources during the weeks between newsletters. Some comes from Port Authority PR people, some I hear about, other items are normal branch business. These photographs came from a most unexpected source, my youngest granddaughter who works in shipping and knows of my interest. Good copy is always welcome, particularly if it has a Branch connection.