Memories of John Cockerill Line -28 shed -Tidal Basin

Memories of my first job leaving school working as a junior clerk for The John Cockerill Line 28 Shed Tidal Basin. I didn’t appreciate at the time what an interesting time I would have. The Offices were wooden and the floor was discoloured from I imagine the 1953 floods. My duties consisted of dabbing the dockers cards , riding on a bike delivering papers to the PLA offices . Picking up post from the guards van of LTS trains at the Riverside Stn. This post was sent from the head office at Ibex House close to Fenchurch Street. I also had to cover for the telephone operator and work with a goggle box switchboard.

We had subsidised meals at the Indian & Pakistan Seamans Mission which was close by. The Mission had a Table Tennis Table, Snooker Table and an Indian game called Karrons. This was a table top game very similar to Snooker.

The pay was very poor and no prospects so I left after a year to find work as a counter clerk in the GPO. Now of course the Tidal Basin is filled in and the John Cockerill line gone , and Tilbury Riverside closed. I was to work in Tilbury for two occasions . Fond Memories