From Mumbai to Mombasa, Oman to Cape Town, they have come to the marine college to study subjects including navigation, communications, catering and engineering.

In fact, so high is the reputation of the college for teaching mechanical engineering that it is now the UK's first choice for engineers eager to further their careers.

Workshop skills lecturer Grahame Maddison, 58, said: "South Tyneside College is renowned for shipping and engineering, and we believe it's the best in the world for the training we give. We get students from all over the place."

An engineer for the past 43 years, he teaches, among other things, the art of turning, milling and fitting mechanical parts.

"There's not a bad word to be said about foreign students. I'm very proud of the lads I have taught, especially when you see cruise liners, and you go on board and some of your ex-students are working on the ship," he said.

Asked how foreign students differ from their foreign counterparts, he replied: "The English students tend to be younger, and their education is not as good as the older foreign students.

"The Indians are very different to anybody else. They are hard-working, diligent and very polite. They are lovely students."

One such student, from Kerala on the subcontinent, is Ganesh Lakshaman.

Having worked as a 'motorman' responsible for the daily maintenance and cleaning of engine parts for a Hong Kong-based company for the past nine years, he came to South Tyneside to study for an NVQ level 3 in marine engineering.

If he passes his exams, he will be able to move up to the rank of fourth engineer.

The 28-year-old, now staying in Laygate, South Shields, explained why he chose to come here rather than anywhere else.

"I heard from my friends it was a very good college. All my friends studied here," he said. Having passed his written exams, he is about to go back to sea for seven months before coming back to complete his course with a series of oral exams next year.

He has enjoyed the five months he's spent in South Shields so far, he said, adding: "Most people are very good, except some teenagers who are not so friendly.

"For the last nine years, I've been sailing all over the world, so I don't feel any culture shock here."

More of an unknown quantity for him though were some of our local delicacies.

"Pease pudding? No, I have never had this. I will try it," he said.

"I miss Indian food, but it's OK because we can manage to get all our spicy stuff from some of the stores.

"We cook for ourselves, so there's no problem with food. It's very expensive to eat out here."

His classmate Jayapal Tamijvendan, 30, from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has also found English people's eating habits something of an eye-opener. "I was really surprised. I sailed with a British guy from London. He liked Indian food so much," he said.

"English curry is not so spicy."

Also studying for an NVQ level 3, he came to South Shields on the recommendation of colleagues at Executive Ship Management, where he has been a motorman since 2000.

He too hopes that once he has passed his oral exams he will be in line for promotion to fourth engineer.

"I'm glad I came here. It's a good college," he said.

Right now, it's quite possible that you could bump into Ganesh or Jayapal on the streets of South Shields.

Should you win the lottery and go on the luxury cruise you've always dreamed about, the man in charge of your liner's engines could be one of them, or one of their fellow students. Now there's a thought.