When carrying out any work aboard ship in the mid 1960’s we were conscious of the need to work safely and saw nothing wrong with carrying out aerial maintenance work in the manner seen in this image. That statement might seem at odds with modern working practices after an elapsed time of over 50 years and when viewed through the prism of current British Health and Safety at Work procedures with their mandated emphasis on special training, protective clothing, written procedures and documented risk assessments.
The image captured work on one leg of the main aerial system installed on Thos and Jno Brocklebank's cargo liner SS Manaar. The work was carried out when Manaar was anchored in the beautiful natural harbour of Trincomalee Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). It is the ship’s Junior Radio Officer Bernard who is perched on top of an awning spar on the ship’s Monkey Island (deck immediately above the Bridge).