SPONSORSHIP

How to cover the initial setting up and on-going annual costs of maintaining this website was carefully considered.  Whilst there was a firm decision that nobody would profit from the site or its subsequent management, there are, as would be expected, some initial and then on-going costs involved.  The firm consensus of those setting up the site as well as feedback from those aware of the project was that the site should be advertisement free.   However, that adds to the costs.  An annual fee for ‘membership’ was one obvious solution but that would be very time consuming and potentially difficult to manage by those operating the site.  The idea of seeking sponsorship was raised and after talking it over with a few of those involved it was quickly seen that sponsorship would at least provide a short to medium term solution.

As a result, sponsorship for the website has been set up and users of the site are welcomed to contribute.  Sponsors can either choose to be named and, even better, provide a brief reason why they have supported the site, or remain anonymous.  Any sum of money received would be welcomed and acknowledged.

A list of the sponsors who have come forward to date is shown below, together with the reasons they have given where these have been provided.

David Fleming-Miller

Whilst it has not been possible for me to play an active role in the setting up of this website, I fully support its aims and am delighted to be one of the sponsors.  There are so many who played an important part in helping me in my twenty-one years with the company, but two names immediately come to mind, Captain RG (Teapot) Jones and Commodore John Salvidge.

Bob Ellsmoor

Having served my apprenticeship with the Guinea Gulf Line of Liverpool and progressed up to 2nd Mate it all came to an end when they sold out to Ocean Fleets in 1962.  It was then with my gained experience of the West African Coast I was warmly taken on by Captain Rankine, the Marine Superintendent in the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool.  With me waving a new 1st Mates’ Certificate, he said he would help me use it!  So started my 24 years’ service until the sad demise of the company in 1986 when we too sold out to Ocean Fleets.  My first ship in the company was the Lagos Palm which I joined in Rotterdam the very day after the loss of the Ashanti Palm.  From that day on I found from the very warm welcome from Captain Astbury I had indeed joined a fine company with well found ships and great crew members.  There was never any ‘oil and water’, we all got on so well together as is proved today by our reunions.  There are so many names I could mention but the likes of Captains Bob Vinton, Mike Hurley, George Morris and Adrian Hobbins etc., Chief Engineers Jimmy Smith and Jammy Mathews etc., and Superintendents John Cay, Tommy Cullen and Jerry of course.  I do hope we can keep our reunions going to carry on this great companionship.  

Jerry Batte

I owe Palm Line and the people I worked with so much for the 20 enjoyable years I was with the company as well as the grounding in ships and engineering that set me up for the remainder of my career.   Whilst there are so many I could name I would like to pay particular thanks to George Redford for his generosity in passing on his knowledge and Bob Owen for the opportunities he gave me twice for advancing my career

Graham Hobbins

“A little about me. Palm Line has been part of my life for, well , all of it really. When I was born the Ilesha Palm was undergoing sea trials and in the late stages of preparation to be handed to the company. In actual fact the Ilesha Palm is the only ship of those glory years that I never set foot on. My connection? Well my father, Adrian Hobbins, was Chief Officer with the company for many years, finally being promoted to Captain in 1980 and having the distinction of being the last seagoing Master of the fleet. Having visited the majority of the ships coasting on most and a deep sea voyage on one (I always wished it had been more!) my love of the ships and the crews has lead to a life time interest in the company. I applied to join and had an interview with Denys Way and David Shakespeare, sadly not attaining the required qualifications meant it wasn’t to be . In the end I had to settle for collecting memorabilia, photographs, documents, memories and friendships.”

Alistair Gillone

Mike Jennings