Dave CHILDS
June 83 - August 85
Dave lives in Lancashire and was an Air Engineering Artificer (R) 1st Class (definitely not a Meckanishun). Was onboard from June 83 until August 85. Judging by his email address he also went to sea on a Leander too!! Dave's joining the Association will no doubt be very warmly welcomed by that other maintainer of "angry palm trees", Ian Poulter.
"Aggie" CHRISTIE
Joined 12th June 2010 (225)
(Debbie)
85-87
"Aggie" Christie joined Pusser UK Ltd in 1980 as a young operator of radar, and in an action packed nine year career, he cracked three ships! First up was the Glamourous Organ (80-84), last up was the Exeter (88-89) and in the middle - (85-87) - was the Mighty Manch! Sorry, folks we appear to have unearthed yet another Global 86 veteran! (insomniacs may choose this moment to yawn!). As with all Global Vets, Aggie has a locker full of dits, including a last minute race across the Golden Gate Bridge, wherever that is, minutes few before the ship departed under it! (Host with short skirt and dodgy alarm clock!), the AMP in Sydney and the two young hosts vying for his attention, and Penang, where our hero was involved in a serious multiple motor cycle accident! Luckily, Aggie wasn't hurt, even though he wasn't wearing a crash hat on account that he wasn't actually riding one of the machines at the time! Rumour suggests our hero for some inexplicable reason had total gyro failure outside a nightclub after an evening of fun and frolics. Unfortunately , in assuming the prone position he knocked over a parked motor cycle - this in turn knocked over another...which knocked over another... (repeat 10 times!). This made Aggie extremely popular with the local motor cycling fraternity and if it hadn't been for the swift intervention of Brian Shipman, Aggie's next run ashore would have been from the local infirmary! Indeed, Aggie further recalls on more than one occasion, well five actually, of having to give a de-brief on his most recent run ashore to an enthralled audience which included the skipper, jimmy, joss and a host of HODS! His really good dits always being rewarded with nines and fines! Outside since 89, Aggie is another of our motley band who, having spent so much time breaking the law whilst in the Pusser - allegedly - has chosen now to uphold it! and for the last 20 years has patrolled the sun drenched and exotic land of...Wolverhampton! Aggie learned of 2MA, joined, and attended his first re-union all on the same day - June 12th 2010. Good man!
Bill CHURCHLEY
(Lynne)
September 82 - April 84
Was a killick bunting tosser from September 82 to April 84. He holds the dubious honour of being the first matelot to go in the "Rattle" on the Mighty Manch for being adrift and nearly missing the ship on its initial sailing form Barrow on build. He heard about the Association through surfing the web, pity he didn't hear the pipe - "The ship is under sailing orders"!!!
Paul "Nobby" CLARK
Joined 30 March 2016 (317)
(Michele)
Steve "Nobby" CLARKE
Joined 13th November 2011 (254)
Dave "Smokey" COLE
Joined 29th March 2009 (197)
83 - 85
Dave "Smokey" Cole joined the Pusser as an AB (Sonar) in September 1982, and by Easter 83 he was successfully annoying submariners with nasty noises emitting from the Mighty Manch! In a sixteen year career with the grey funnel line, Smokey pinged and pxssed up on Apollo, Edinburgh, Blackwater - (a river class sweeper), and Orkney. Smokey's best ship was not the rootin' tootin' shootin' Mighty Manch, but the somewhat smaller Blackwater - mainly on account that Blackwater spent more time alongside than at sea, a deployment was counted in minutes not months, and a major victualling store ship involved a trip to Tesco's with two re-usable carrier bags! Smokey selected Mombers 85 as his best D95 sponsored run ashore, and 3 Romeo mess's successful attempt to collectively ride in a minnie moke, all at the same time! He also recalls Edinburgh's trip to New York for the Desert Storm homecoming parade which was slightly better than the one in Pompey! Smokey also remembers his efforts as a three badge buoy jumper - he had learned by this stage to jump on and not over the buoy (less chance of getting wet) and the time he inserted the pin the wrong way round!, subsequently delaying the ships departure considerably! Smokey now lives in the delightful and very friendly Danish town of Aalborg where he is training to be a special care assistant for mentally and physically handicapped adults.
Stephen "Shep" COLLEY
Joined 24th February 2021 (338)
Lee "Bones" COLLIER
Joined 25th February 2021 (344)
Andrew "Taff" COOMBS
Joined 3rd September 2007
(Wendy)
83 - 85
Taff was a first commission young golly (AB(EW)) who made a big impact immediately on joining the ship. On completion of his first run ashore, on day one, he went xrse over tit down the ladder by the ship's office causing curry, rice and Coombs to be splattered on 2 deck!! Undeterred by this little mishap, our enthusiastic Welsh warrior then proceeded to upset the digestive tracts of the entire EW Dept by making wets with...salt water!! Revenge was very swift which came in the form of his first bunk light bill and the requisite hours obtaining the necessary approval to pay!! Now retired from Pusser UK Ltd, Taff is still a sea-goer. He lives and works as a business analyst in Swan-sea!
Andy "Mini" COOPER
Joined 22nd September 2008
89 - 95
Andy "Mini" Cooper joined Pusser UK Ltd in 1988 as a baby stoker, and in a career that is still going strong he still considers Manchester to be his best ship!! (The competition was only Newcastle, Glasgow, Exeter, Liverpool, Ledbury, Ocean and Albion - so it was an understandable choice!) Onboard D95 from 89 through to 95 (Yes six years! - can anyone black cat that?) Mini raced through the ranks from JMEM2 to JMEM1 to MEM2 to MEM1 and finally LMEM. He particularly enjoyed the 91 deployment and station leave in Penang and also working chippies party under the direction of Nick Athawes - who will no doubt be pleasantly surprised to learn that "Mini" is now the Chief Chippy on the Albion!! A spectator at Stokers HGV off-road driving exped in Jebel Ali - a wise move by all accounts - "Mini" is another who has the distinction of meeting his future wife onboard, not at some ship open to visitors in an exotic foreign port - but down the lady Stokers Mess!! Mini and Joanne now live in the confines of a naval port somewhere in the West Country.
Tony COPLEY
Joined 2nd July 2021 (358)
Rick COSBY
Mervyn COWDREY
Joined 19th November 2011 (256)
Rex COX
(Fergie)
Joined 24th February 2011 (238)
Dave COZENS
Andrew "Ginge" CROOK
Joined 28th February 2009 (189)
(Louise)
82 - 85
Andrew "Ginge" Crook was an AB(R) for Pusser UK Limited from 1980 - 86 during which time he served on Coventry in the Falklands in 1982 and was subsequently through drafted to the Mighty Manch for another South Atlantic deployment. "Ginge" rates St Thomas as the best run ashore during his time sailing the seven seas but was unable to elaborate further as his call was being monitored by higher authority! Absolutely gutted to miss out on Global 86 - his DO failing to talk him out of putting his notice in - he subsequently plodded a familiar path experienced by many of our number and joined his local Police force! Yes, it's true, gen dit, Constable Crook works for Greater Manchester Police! A proud Mancunian, Ginge's hobbies include supporting the Massive Manchester City Football Club, visiting their stadium at Wastelands where he is a season ticket holder, and admiring all their empty seats. If circumstances permit he also loves to go on duty to Old Trafford and the chance to arrest United fans!! Ginge heard about the 2nd HMS Manchester Association from Craig Simpson.
Kevin "Wayne" CROWTHER
Joined 21st August 2020 (336)
(Charlotte)
