I tried to save this ship here in South Africa.. but nobody cared. Nobody could see the vision. I would love to get hold of this footage as I am collector of all things Windsor Castle.

A very sad end to a fine ship. Amazing to see the video footage. I was living in Cape Town in 1977, when the Southampton run came to end. It seemed like another phase in the end of Empire with old ties being cut. I vividly remembering admiring the Windsor Castle. Sometimes I went to the docks to see relatives off; and sometimes just to admire her.

Sad but the cycle of the life of most ships. The Windsor Castle was a beautiful ship and had some very elegant interiors during her Union Castle days.

OMG, the first one is the beautiful Eugenio Costa...the diamond of the italian style in 60, 70 and 80'. So sad to see her before scrapping...

I perfectly remember seeing that ship anchored at Elefsina bay throughout the 90s, as she was right alongside the road my parents used whenever we went to my grandma's. I was asking myself everytime what on earth her name was. She was quite massive and beautiful, I always thought she used to be a prestigious ship at some time.

I sailed on the second leg of the Windsor Castle's maiden voyage, i.e. from South Africa to Southampton, docking at Southampton on 30th September 1960. I was 11 years old. It's so sad to watch her destruction when she was such a proud new ship when I sailed on her.

Always sad to see the end of a great ship. I sailed on her once back in '65.

I rember the windsor castle getting launched at cammel larid in birkenhead we had a cafe and the queen went past green lane jan x

Poor old Windsor castle. It was a nice ship at one time.

A pity that these old great liners can't be saved; credit to the Dutch for saving their S.S Rotterdam; now a hotel in Rotterdam. I stayed aboard her and will do so again whenever I visit the Netherlands.

Nice looking old ship with a classic shape.You would want to take a picture of or a make a painting.Unlike the huge ungraceful floating hotels you get now.

Always sad to see a ship scrapped.

So-oo sad to see the old lady like this! She & other Castle Line ships carried us so safely and well to & from East Africa when I was a kid. Such happy times, such memories. Just like the African bush where I grew up with incredibly kind tribes-folk, where we were surrounded by amazing wild animals, these princesses of the sea helped give us an unforgettable childhood. I weep for these ships. Their likes will never be seen again. Kenya Castle appears briefly near the end of my short video.

I saw this ship being launched when i was young. We were on our holidays at new brighton and it was being launched on the other side of the mersey

@colinhowarth3070

Жыл бұрын

New Brighton is on the same side of the river as the ship builder but 5 miles away. You were probably at a place called otterspool directly opposite cammel lairds

@10Fokker

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Colin as I said I was young all I can remember from this holiday was all the noise of the launch and going to watch the guineas clock in New brighton

awesome footage, very interesting...but soooo sad :(

Fascinating video! thank you for sharing this insight.

That is strange to see. You just look at the railing and think about how a passenger once gazed out at the ocean in wonder, or excitedly at an upcoming port. Intersting to walk a corridor that has the outside right next to you. It truly is sad...

I can't reply directly to a question below but will answer here. The ship seen in in the distance is not the Norway. At first, in the far distance, is what I think is the Eugenio C. and the ship with one visible blue smokestack I'm certain is the many-named liner that I know best as the Emerald Seas. The Emerald Seas started out as a troop transport and was greatly altered through the years and with many name. She was a somewhat unusual-looking ship but to me had the look of a classic liner and she had a classy look; to me there was a dignity about the Emerald Seas' appearance.

Many thanks, excellent.

Will try again.Sailed on WINDSOR in 1970,good life,good sex,good beer/spirits but got asked to leave due to slight weaknesses and too much GOOD..What a fantastic life ,but only ,as we used to say,quote"if you dont weaken".Sailed with B & C on Clan Finlay,Clan Macintosh,Rustenberg(Rustybucket) Castle,Rotherwick Castle N Winny.Engineer through n through.Got steel in right leg just to prove it.If any like mindeds out there,lets get together,on-line,on-fone ,on principle but not on my t-t-. John

i sailed to cape town on her in 76, its sad to see this.

12 T_T goodbye Eugenio C....you were the first true cruise ship in design...

Hope Azores/Astoria doesn't end up that way

@MrBluebird425 i would love to see those pics and scans of the menus, i remember the creamed minced lamb being out of this world x

interesting stuff

The paneling, the art, furniture, fixtures, tables, toilets, beds, everything else, is salvaged for resale and marketing. The ship is outmoded, dead, and retired, so the steel is recycled. The architecture is gone, except in pictures. The real tragedy is the cost in the lives of the poor who are exploited to harvest these ships. They live in and breathe toxins all day and night, wading fuel oil soaked sands. It's work and economics. It's life.

Some people shared a vision. I was part of the group that tried to save her. Unfortunately the group was lead by someone I can only describe as a blithering idiot. A town planner who thought he understood ships. I am a retired Master Mariner and an ex navigating officer of Windsor Castle and several other mail ships. The afore mentioned idiot simply had no realistic plans and resented any intrusion from people who actually knew the ship.

Think I remember some dodgy people trying to start cruises from Liverpool not long before she got sent to the knackers yard. She was in a bad way even then and everybody onboard complained. Maybe this was for the best?

@chrispeasley1780

3 жыл бұрын

The Windsor went straight from Union-Castle to Latsis ownership.... She was in her normal immaculate condition when she departed from Cape Town on the 6th September 1977 on her final Mailship voyage.

Interesting. Anyone Know if there is any film out there of the Edinburgh Castle arriving in Cape TOWN IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES?

@BertHigginbottom Bert, have you never been attached to anything which is not a person? An old car, house, place?

@1940limited

6 жыл бұрын

That's all I'm attached to!

Is that ship at the beginning the SS Norway/France?

1:24

@TaT1CaL

Жыл бұрын

4:17

0:27

....κρανίου τόπος....!!!

This guy's pics are obvious Photoshop'd...amusing to watch.

windsor castle sunk she wasnt scrapped

@johnnyramon5602

7 жыл бұрын

no she was scrapped

@PreservationEnthusiast

7 жыл бұрын

It is great fun going in all the cabins and smashing up all the shit!

@evergriven7402

3 жыл бұрын

​@@PreservationEnthusiast so you were there ?? You were a breaker ? or are you fantasizing ?

@PreservationEnthusiast

3 жыл бұрын

@@evergriven7402 No, I never said that. But I have read first hand accounts on forums. And also done Urbex where we smash up remote long abandoned places which are going to be demolished. In actual fact, at Alang they do save large parts of the interior especially panelling and finishes. But a lot of first and second fix which is difficult to remove gets splintered with crowbars and sledge hammers. They have to strip the ship before cutting because there is a fire risk if they leave stuff in place.

@PreservationEnthusiast

3 жыл бұрын

@@evergriven7402 Do you like ship destruction. You seem to be following me around in different scrapping threads discussions! I often find rail foamers are the same. Even though they profess to hate scrapping, they watch all the scrapping videos and follow me around making comments. I find they have a morbid fascination with scrapping, even a masochistic intent to immerse themselves in it!

It's just machinery getting recycled! no big deal, time moves on. You don't want the Windsor Castle to halt progress while you get all sentimental do you?

Are you right in the head or what Thehoff its spent metal ffs! Its not as even the Windsor Castle is anything special, no historic value, no records broken, totally nothing of importance other than I imagine you went on it as a kid! Nope! Youre only 28! Couldnt be that!, I give up!!!

such a waste

some vessels can take up to 6 to 10 years to dismantle safely

cheaper to break ships abroad because if it was done here in mary old england it what cost a very large fortune the man power needed and the amount of pay to every single worker if done in united kingdom probaly would defiantly not be fees-able not to mention the fact britain itself is not much of a power house as it used to be that's the 21st century for you and the economy defiantly should be more heath and safety though as no one is wearing hard hats etc but thats probaly why they use country's like india

@1940limited

6 жыл бұрын

We used to scrap ships in the United States, too. a place in NJ called Lipset did it, among others. They scrapped the Normandie and the Morro Castle.