THE talk was of the great days of steam and travel when old sea dogs gathered for a special reunion in Southampton.

Together with family and friends, veterans from the British and Commonwealth shipping Company had their 12th annual get-together.

The company was formed when the Union Castle Line and the Clan Line merged in 1956 to form one of the world's biggest shipping conglomerates.

Shipmates and colleagues from as far afield and Australia and South Africa flew in for the occasion.

Reg Kelso, former captain of Edinburgh Castle said: "It was a great company to work for. They looked after you and it shows why so many people have been prepared to travel to talk about the old days.''

Mr Kelso, who lives in Bursledon, joined the company in 1946 as a cadet on a newsprint carrier and one of his pals from that voyage, catering storekeeper Ernest Allum, was one of 180 people he was to catch up with during the afternoon.

His career led him to taking command of Edinburgh Castle in 1967 and in 1978 he went ashore as chief marine superintendent.

The days of Union Castle belong to Southampton's rich maritime history, which he accepted as being inevitable with the advent of jets and containerisation in the port.

"It sadly had to happen," he said. "It just couldn't survive. We used to stay in Southampton for 11 days with the mail service, loading and discharging 1,200 tons of cargo, employing about 400 men on the ship and shore.

"Container ships will do that in about 12 hours and with five or six people. You simply can't compete with that.''

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