I joined BOAC in 1962, having been on the first course at Hamble - it was a two year course in those days. I then had to do a flight navigator's course and operated on Britannia 312s as a straight nav for two years before converting to VC10s as a pilot/navigator in 1964. As others have mentioned on this thread, the co-pilots, regardless of seniority, alternated between the right hand seat and the nav table on a fairly equitable basis. And they did so until INS was retro-fitted in the early 1970s.
I found the vast majority of captains to be very helpful to young blokes like me. However, there was a small minority, consisting of some of the old 'Atlantic Barons' (as they were called) and a few very odd types who were very odd indeed and very autocratic - but they were the minority. I can remember many more times being given very good advice and help during route flying and during bar-room chat. And also hearing many wonderful stories of the old days of flying boats and such like.
It is a great shame that it was the few odd-balls who were much talked about and who gave the rest a bad name.