ES is a man of many parts, quite shoddily put together. Some would say lumped. He also has a wealth of experience, as befitting a man who has knocked about the world, and it has knocked back at him too.

Our crew includes a melange of Master Mariners, an extraction of Engineers, a soupcon of Stewards and, of course Sir William Bilge-Rat, to whom we would owe so much if it weren't for his open-handed generosity.

There, that is quite enough prevarication for the moment.

We are going to Fritzels for an aperitif and then the Royal Sonesta, for the soft lights, good music and great food and wine. After a few scoops Tmac may even do his party piece to entertain Hiram and Mildred from Idaho, at the next table. Dignified is not the word.


My antipodean education was gleaned from many re-runs of Crocodile Dundee on BBC and a small paperback I found in a public toilet in Phuket, "Bruce and Shelia for Dummies". Oh and Slim Dusty knew my Uncle.

well this is nice...peace and quiet, just the gentle hum of the genny in the background.
Steward! keep an eye out for a buxom wench at the bottom of the gangway will you! Bring her straight to my suite there's a good chap.
Purely business you understand!

What would a wench from Buxom in Derbyshire be doing wandering the Docks in Galveston, or wherever the hell we are. What is our UN/LOCODE?

Hello. HELLO! HELLO!!


Anyone on board?


Sorry for my absence - had to go up to Hanoi for a couple of days for "family" business but back now.

McC

Ah! Mr. McCloggie -- Welcome back -- I'm still aboard (So is Sir William, but I believe he is expecting a visitor in his private suite.) You may meet her at the gangway. Just in case you are as confused as Engine Serang, we are actually in New Orleans, and have been for the last 2 or 3 days. I gather that he and Tmac are taking Red-17 out for a dignified supper with good wine, etc. If you would care to join me on the Monkey Island, we have some deck chairs up there with a wet bar. Farmer John & Dartskipper might be up there as well. Nice view of the town, etc. from up there.

Got some take-away on the way -- Local shrimp jambalaya, pulled pork, and Cajun chicken with all the fixin's. :)

welcome back McC. Some are ashore. Toms up top and I am about to break open a case of vintage malt.

Bloody Malt extract, don't offer me any. Quite like that Haliborange with a stiff belt of Gin.

Matured in casks of oak for 30 years......sip!....Oh yes, very smooth and palatable. A slight dash of Cairngorm water I think...frozen of course.

Wow! I was just knee high to a grasshopper then, but I still remember getting dragged to the local town hall by muvver to get my dose of malt extract and cod liver old and orange. Then there was the immersion in a lime bath when there was the scabies going around. Don't even mention the bloddy margerine, horse and whale meat, and liver you could sole your boots with.

At least there was the BBC on grandma's blind radio (dial was in Braille) and songs to keep your spirits up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qhLPWcm-0w

:pint: :pint:

See you on the Monkey Island Tom!

McC

We haven't got a complete liver between us. McCloggie's liver wouldn't sole Prince George's little shoes. I blame all the cheap hootch on this rust bucket, lets cut the bullshit and buy Bushmills that is made in Bushmills, not in Chennai or Tsing Po. And dump this Fever Tree Elderflower concoction that is altering Tmac's hormones for the worst.
We were talking in Quaglino's recently and Red's voice is definitely getting deeper, next she'll be wanting to borrow a boiler suit. How will we explain this to the Shipping Master in NSW when we go there to load premium coal for Tristan Da Cuna.

You mean there is Black Bush that doesn't come from Bushmills ???????????? away man you are pulling my chain, next you'll be telling me Guinness doesn't come from Dublin and Leprechauns don't exist. You have been sniffing the slop tanks again haven't you? :D

I seem to recall we had a nice welcome in Tristan da cuna. A few tears when we left too!
Bit of a pain having to Anchor off though. High time they built a decent deep water quay there. My mate has just built them a nice medical centre come hospital.

A gang of Irish navvies are building a pier at Tristan da Cuna. It is taking some time because the water there is so deep they haven't broken surface yet. I think the boat they were using was stolen and put on display at the National Maritime Museum in London, so it may take a bit longer yet.

Would this be the same brave lads who built an airport on St Helena? That has worked well.

I believe they built the airport when they were working their weekends off.

1. Yes there is.


2. No it Doesn't.


3. Leprechauns are above my pay grade.


4. Pay Grade, what pay grade, here I am sweating like a, like a, a navvy and no money coming in and Tmac and FJ and the Kiwi Lass wanting to go ashore at the drop of a pair of hats. A Grace and Favour Cabin, or Stateroom as Mr Cloggs calls it, don't compensate. I may take my ire back to GD1.

Haliborange. There's a past blast. As extra at school some, like me, had haliborange and some had malt extract (some had nowt). Doled out by Matron after breakfast. I had not realised that the lucky buggers on the malt extract had it from a distillery.

(Although Lady I know, originally from enemy occupied Hibernia and much taken to extolling all things comestible and in medical care from that woodneck, did once prescribe poteen to small Plymouth Brethren child temporarily in her care. Child fine but maybe explains why mainly not Plymouth Brethren competing for the pews down there).

You've got a belt like that too. I also have a cummerbund in the same fashion, for dress wear (can usually get away without being caught for corkage).

yea the poor devils thought they were putting in a motorway

That explains the exit ramps and roundabouts off the main carriageway (or runway.) I never thought the overhead gantry signs were going to work. I expect Granada Services are wondering when they are going to get some customers.

What Kiwi lass? Didn't know that we had one on board. Who has been hiding her?

Hi gang.. miss me???

they only realised after completion that it was supposed to be a flyover.