Wednesday 30th April

Well what more telling message can you have to signal that you are getting closer to home, than to go up on deck to find that there are just a few brave souls all wrapped up in towels and cardies on their sunbeds like the ones who used to go to the seaside when it was raining saying “we came ere to av a good time and we’re bloody well going to av a good time.” The temperature’s plummeting (well from what it was on the other side of the Suez Canal). The sky is blue with scattered white clouds but the wind is blustery and there are many white caps in the med. Hey ho, homeward bound, IPA beckons, three ports to go and no chance of going round again.

The talks were well attended (wonder why?) but to be fair they were good; the one on Ancient Rome by Paul Roberts (who really can put a cracking story together) was a total mystery to me, but the way be wound his story had me transfixed. I had not a clue who most of the ancient people he was talking about were, (apart from the well-known ones like Hadrian and Caesar) but he had the knack of bring the story to life to the extent you thought you did and it’s always good to watch someone who knows their subject so well and talks enthusiastically about it. The next talk by Commander Jeff Tall was about the U-boat war and as he had commanded four submarines and is now director of the submarine museum he also knows his subject. The sad thing about his talk was he slightly overran and they put the house lights up, even though there was nothing following his talk, quite a few people were disgruntled about him being hustled out leaving an empty theatre. Why? Anyway formal night tonight so need to go and have a whisky starter.