John ROBINSON
Joined 24th August 2017 (327)
Mark "Robbie" ROBINSON
Joined 28th April 2015 (310)
Darren "Ronnie" RONSON
(Julie)
Joined 1st June 2013 (287)
Pete ROSIER
(Val)
89 - 90
Pete Rosier answered the call of the sea as a mid-teenager in 1975, and in a pensionable career as a seaman spec he became acquainted with an impressive number of old bollards attached to Hermes, Intrepid, Glamorgan, Fearless, Diomede, Protector, Apollo, Pursuer, Illustrious, and the best bollards of them all? those welded to the mighty Manch when Pete was the buffer (89-90), and incidentally his best ship too! Pete's most memorable runs ashore gives another tick in the box for Singers - in company with E. Kepple Esq, Christmas 1989, and Baltimore, USA, gets an honourable mensh due to the large number of yanks who wanted to buy our really Intrepid hero a wet!
Outside since 99, and there not being a great call for wire splicers in civvy street, Pete underwent extensive training in the blue chip world and it is now rumoured that he has actually handled more computers than Bill Gates!...on account that our man works in a warehouse owned by PC World! Pete is another founder member of 2MA and now lives in Bradford.
Jack RUSSELL
Justin "Sal" SALUSSOLIA
Joined 27th July 2012 (280)
Melvyn "Mel" SAUL
Joined 3rd August 2010 (224)
82 - 85
Mel Saul joined the Recreational Arm of the Royal Navy, or Fleet Air Arm as it is sometimes called as a Wafoo in 1975, and in a 17 year career in Woo World was drafted to RNAS Portland, then Portland, then Portland before a warship, in the shape of the Mighty Manch finally hove into view. Appointed by the Command as the custodian of the after sun deck, and some other duties when the shed was open as Mel was always keen to show off his weapon. He rates Mombasa and the Seychelles as his best runs ashore, however Manchester was not his best ship (Shock! Horror!). After experiencing another umpteen drafts to RNAS - you've guessed it - Portland, Mel won a draft to the Cherry B, which he says was an absolute hoot! (Manchester being the learning curve and Cherry B the home straight!). Could this be the same Cherry B, nominally deployed to the Gulf as the Dubai Guardship - along with battleship Beaver in the late 80's, which resulted in the bulk of the patrols being done by that sleek, graceful greyhound of the seas, the Mighty Manch?! Outside since 92, Mel is now an Exec for BAE Systems. He learned about the 2nd HMS Manchester Association through surfing the web, and how to open the hangar door by wxnking the handle!
Brian SAVAGE
Joined 30th October 2018 (331)
Kev SHEPHERD
Paul SHEPPARD
(Caroline)
Ian SHERIDAN
(Emma)
Joined November 2009
Tony "Tanky" SHINGLER
Joined 4th July 2007
85 - 87
Another passenger for the 86 world cruise, travelling economy (stoker) class, Tony's most vivid recollections revolve around Australia. Searching for the famous Twin Peaks of Darwen, our hero and his chums were suitably rewarded when they came across a nudist beach!! (Please, no stoker jokes about grease nipples!) Unfortunately, so distracted were our servants of propulsion that when the time eventually came to move on, they left one of their number, big Tiny Copley behind...but without his run ashore threads! Tony also recalls the mega fireworks display in Sydney - especially the finale - which he viewed from the after temporary auxiliary heads of his grippo's floating gin palace, slap bang in the middle of the harbour!! He really was in mid-stream! Tony also lays claim to christening Karl Leeming "Jan" after a popular news reader of that time, but regrets that Shrek had not been created in the mid 80's! (What can he mean?!) Tony now lives in Leicestershire where he owns a recruitment company.
Brian "Shippers" SHIPMAN
Joined 24th October 2008
85 - 87
Brian "Shippers" Shipman, the son of a submariner was an AB for Pusser UK Limited 78 - 89 during which time he sailed the seven seas on Ajax, Birmingham, Cardiff (1982), before he hit the jackpot with a draft to the Mighty Manch complete with World cruise! Yes, folks, another Global 86 vet has surfaced in our midst! "Shippers" list of great global runs ashore include Vancouver, Shanghai, Fiji and Sydney to name but a few, whilst informed sources also tell us another Far East location that was less successful. Twas in Hong Kong, after a severe session of socializing that our hero became all lovey dovey and duly put pen to paper in a manner that even Romeo of Juliet fame would have found hard to surpass. Unfortunately, and this is the really sad part of the story, he then mailed it to his wife who was somewhat dischuffed to find it wasn't her name recorded after the "Dearest Darling" intro! This caused our hero to receive earache of earthquake proportions! On leaving the "mob" in 89, shippers promptly joined another and is just about to crack a 20 stretch with the "Polis" in a crime and grime free Scottish city that straddles the Clyde (and a good run ashore it is too!). Due to "Shippers" current employment we will not be mentioning the global sailor who received 14 days "Reduced Social Activity" in Dar es Salaam for an impromptu importation of Japanese lager!
Marc SMEDLEY
Joined 6th March 2021 (353)
Colin "Smudger" SMITH
Re-joined 19th March 2012 (262)
01/90 - 02/92
(Debbie)
Colin was in charge of the "flag waggers club" on account of his position as the Communications Yeoman, who saw operational service with the ship during the First Gulf War and gained additional close combat experience as a member of the Ship's Rugby Team. Retired as a CCY from Pusser UK Limited in 1998, Colin is a real "Essex Boy" and lives with is wife Debbie in Braintree.
Craig SMITH
Joined 1st March 2021 (347)
Mark SMITH
Joined 24th February 2021 (341)
Wayne "Smudge" SMITH
Joined 7th May 2010 (221)
82 - 85
Wayne "Smudge" Smith joined Ships R us as a 16 year old radar operator in 1981 - along with future 2MA members Buzz Bee and Carl Williamson - and in a six year nautical career he served on just one ship, fortunately it just happened to be the Mighty Manch! (No guessing what his best ship was, although we can say the Gosport Ferry came a distant second!). A first commissioner, his repertoire of great runs ashore is somewhat limited - compared to his relief who won Global 86 - but it was another vote for West Palm Beach, mainly due we are reliably informed, to the young big breasted and scantily dressed young ladies who insisted on giving our sea going heroes a very good time! Outside since 87, Smudge initially went into double glazing but binned it because it really was a pane in the neck! Keen to get back into uniform, he was another who was lured into the Emergency Services, in his case Leicestershire Fire Service, where he has been ever since. As it happens Smudge learned about 2MA whilst his local fire service was enjoying one of their regular extended rest periods when they allow Jack and his chums to play with Green Goddesses. Manning the picket line he sauntered over to a strategically placed mobile cop shop when his attention was drawn to the small Manchester Ship's crest discreetly displayed on the uniform of the very smartly dressed upholder of the law, none other than staunch 2MA member Dave Arthur! The rest, as they say is history!
