The good ship SS Rajula

 

SS Rajula (1926 - 1973) British India Line

In June 1971, on our way from Australia to England, Mitch and I had the pleasure of spending a memorable week on the good ship SS Rajula, from Penang in Malaysia, via Nagapattinam to Madras. This was a legendary, ancient and venerable old tub! I believe it was then the oldest passenger ship still operational under a British flag. 

We wanted to book the usual hippy option of deck passage, but the agents refused, saying it was too rough (physically and metaphorically!) for us westerners. Their story was that, due to the imminent monsoon, they could only take 3,000 deck passengers, not the usual 5,000! A 2 berth cabin wasn't very expensive, so we booked one - and found we were actually in "first class". Well, first class on the "Rajula" was a bit different - but at least included a porthole, and a bathroom. We also had all our meals with the officers. A good deal of alcoholic beverages was consumed - including lethal pink gins with the First Engineer! 

This was before containerisation, and the Rajula was definitely not a drive, drive off vessel, so we wondered how the Land Rover was going to get loaded aboard... 

By good old-fashioned harbour crane! With a big cradle and steel cables holding bars under the wheels. She was carrying a fair weight in the rear, so did not go up level. Very worrying! 

Once the Land Rover had been lowered into the hold, I had to go down to check she was suitably secured and locked. This involved shinning down a vertical ladder bolted to the decks - on which were many of the thousands of deck passengers. This was quite a surreal and exposed experience - rather like one imagines a slave ship must have been. 

Many passengers needed to disembark at Nagapattinam, south of Madras, but the Rajula was too big (9,000 tons, 26ft draught) to go into the harbour there, so we anchored offshore - and a convoy of local vessels soon came out to meet us. This was quite an event - a bit like being boarded by pirates, all shinning up and down ropes thrown over the side! As well as taking passengers and their cargo ashore, there were also many hawkers, who brought their wares aboard to tempt folk. We were warned to lock our cabins, and close all portholes! 

A couple of photos of the deck class passengers. 

Entering Madras harbour. On the rest of our trip to England we carried many stow-aways from the good ship SS Rajula - cockroaches! 

Thanjavur, India, 1971

 

Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur

In 1971, on our way to England from Australia in the Land Rover, we sailed from Penang, Malaysia to Madras (now called Chennai) in the good ship SS Rajula, then headed south to visit some ancient temples. This one is over a 1000 years old! It was built between 1003 and 1010 AD. The size of it, and all the amazing detailed carvings are incredible.  

There is a chained, decorated temple elephant in the colonnade, and folk go across to give it treats. 

Like this young lad!

The main entrance to the temple complex takes you through several buildings. 

We (my Aussie pal, Mitch and I) stayed at a tourist hostel in the city, and were in a room on the first floor, with a big verandah all round, giving us great views. Thanjavur is also a major Indian railway junction, and we had a brilliant birds-eye view of the station, with the temple in the distance. 

There were many old steam trains in India back then. Maybe there still are? 

We also had a rare birds-eye view of our Land Rover! 

And a great view of all the goings-on in the streets below. 

Cookson brothers 1970.

Brothers in Australia, 1970

 As today (27th July) is my late brother Richard's birthday I thought I would put up some memories, and a few photos of him that have made it into digital format. Richard is on the right here, I'm in the middle, Chris to the left.

All Cooksons, 1970

After graduating in London in 1969, thanks to our parents Richard and I were able to drive a Land-Rover from London to Australia. After leaving England at the end of September 1969 we arrived in Perth, WA, in January 1970. Later that year Mum and Dad and Chris (who was about to start university in England) visited us in Perth, en route from a trip to Japan for the Expo 70 World Fair. These pictures were taken on a day trip from Perth to an abandoned timber mill, Hoffman's Mill, near Dwellingup, south of Perth. We had been there before in the Land-Rover, and knew the area. The bridge behind us is the famous Harvey River Bridge, an old wooden bridge. 

Richard in Perth, 1972

I didn't take this one, so I guess it was taken in early 1972, possibly as an ID shot for sky-diving, which he had started. He was killed in a car accident, driving to his first actual jump. He came up a hill on a Sunday morning, going east towards Northam, got the sun full in his face as he crested the hill, missed the bend, went off into a field and rolled into a tree. Tragic way to go. 

Richard had decided to stay on in Australia when I headed back to England at the end of May 1971, as his girlfriend in England was Australian, and her family was relocating back to Sydney. That didn't work out as well as he hoped, but he was enjoying life in Perth and decided to stay. He had a grand job as a medical lab. technologist for the Public Health Labs, and had bought himself a nice old Series 1 Land Rover, which he fitted with a tuned 3.5 litre 6 cylinder Chrysler Valiant engine. He got through a few gearboxes, I believe! 

Snow in Turkey, 1969

Richard enjoying a snowball fight in the mountains of eastern Turkey, somewhere in the Erzurum area! 

Summer Hill pool, 50's

A very early photo! This was taken in the pool at Summer Hill, Bishopscourt, which my parents built in 1947 or so. We were all raised there. This picture is from the late 50's, I guess. We were actually on a blow-up Moomin! From R to L, Richard, me, Chris. Happy days!

Contour Path, 50's

Another favourite from the late 50's. This was taken on a hike up to and along a stretch of the famous contour path, above Kirstenbosch Gardens. I remember that day, as Richard was very proud of the huge branch he picked up and used as a stick!

Swildon's 1967

10 years or so later we had gone underground! This was taken on the "40 foot pot" in Swildon's Hole a pothole we used to explore near Priddy in Somerset. This was actually a waterfall, and we took a roll-up metal ladder to get down (and up!) it. It was also cold, so we wore wetsuits under overalls. Richard made his by gluing an ex-army battledress top and trousers together! 

Priddy, Somerset, 1967

This was probably taken the same day as the one above. We didn't often take a camera underground. We used to camp in the farmer's barn, along with other folk. 

Swildons 

This was taken at the top of the 40 foot pot, waiting our turn to descend. Richard on the right, friend and neighbour Jonathon on the left, and I've forgotten the name of the other friend in the middle, but I remember he was very tall! 

The famous 40 foot pot is no longer there, after a major storm in the 70s flooded and re-organised the cave interior. 

Leaving Perth 1971

Richard is the one on the left here, leaning on our Land-Rover. I'm the one in the red hat leaning on Pete and Di's (on the right) Land-Rover. Friend Jack Crosby is sitting on Pete and Di's bonnet, while friend Mal Dingwall is sitting on the ground in front of Jack's Datsun 2000 sportster.
This was taken in the car park of Cottesloe Heights in Perth, where we had rented a flat. This was taken towards the end of 1970, when I was heading off to the North with Pete and Di for a few months.