I came to the UK in 1955 to obtain my certificates of competency as a marine engineer and made London (Poplar, East End) my ‘home’ port because I had a cousin living in West London.
As I came from a committed Roman Catholic family in Bombay, I used to seek out the Stella Maris establishments where ever my ships docked. I always had a warm welcome.
In October 1959 I found myself signing off on the Tyne in the evening. Rather than travelling down to London, I stopped over at Westoe Towers, South Shields – the Stella Maris hostel for seafarers for ships on the Tyne. There I met the light of my life, Irene Stewart from Hebburn on Tyne. We were married in May 1960 the day after I passed my Chief’s Motor Endorsement examination in Newcastle.
On the night before our wedding Dad turned up unexpectedly in Hebburn expecting to surprise me. Unfortunately, he had no hotel booking! Having never left India in his life, the pub landlord near the railway station directed him to the presbytery of St. Aloysius RC Church where Irene and I were to be married. The parish priest, Fr. James Walsh phoned Fr. Fitzpatrick the resident chaplain in Stella Maris (Westoe Tower) where I was staying and he together with the doughty Miss Gallagher, the matron, obligingly accommodated my Dad. I recall Fr. Fitzpatrick consoling Dad that evening over a bottle of whisky, because his surprise had been foiled – Dad loved his whisky!
Whereas until then Stella Maris has been a safe place in all the ports had I visited, she became very special to me in South Shields. When I eventually became a Surveyor with the Board of Trade, and eventually wound up in their headquarters in London, I used to promote Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea) in my parish in Hemel Hempstead until a few years ago when I found a lady dedicated to take on that activity. But I stay close to Stella Maris
I enclose a couple of photographs of the young hostesses who volunteered to befriend us under the close supervision of the doughty Miss Gallagher (I never discovered her Christian name) and some of the seafarers who enjoyed their company.
Hostesses manning the ‘tombola’ machine in Westoe Towers South Shields, Stella Maris (1960) – regularly teased by the seafarers for rigging the draw. 
Some more hostesses and the seafarers ( Stella Maris (1960) including my fiancée) 
Some more seafarers and the volunteer hostesses.
Paul Owen
I recognised Ken’s name and when I read his story realised he was the Chief Surveyor I knew at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) – a very respected man. Our careers overlapped by just 4 years but I did have dealings with him in my junior days. What I didn’t know at the time, but do now, is that he lives in my hometown of Hemel Hempstead and his children went to the same primary school as me, Cuthbert Mayne – Blessed in my day but Saint in theirs. His wife even has the same name as mine! I’ve been in contact with him as a result of his story and hope to meet up with him, when we’re allowed, to swap stories about Stella Maris, MCA and Hemel. The moral of the story? Always ask someone about their life. It may seem nosey but you never know what connections you might have in common.