She bit me! All I asked was for her to autograph my log as Miss Marple. Nurse!

I think Blake must have sailed on the GD in his time. A lot of engineering in here.


In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Definitely some references to our fearsomely secret Injuns in there. Tmac, have you had your crayons out again?

It is my firm belief that poetry on this vessel should be left to the Great and Good Mr Youde.
And when we set sail for the Mersey we can put him on st-by, a tastier Pilot there is not.

Possibly not dear Redser, possibly not.


But then I had the un-cynicism or dis-cynicism to marry an SRN or as she is now a CNM 1 or 5 or 4 or something. And as the nursery rhyme would have it, they all lived happily ever after.


Apologies if I've disappointed you.

We can't Shanghai him... or can we?

Be still my beating heart. Farmer John, how did you know that Blake was one of my all time favourite poets. Several years ago I had to deliver a paper on him and his life and I have been fortunate enough over the years to go to several exhibitions of his work. One that was especially important for me was at the State Gallery of Victoria, a time when I could educate my DIL about this wonderful and, for his time, Avant gaurde man. I feel sure he will melt Tmacs' heart. :rolleyes:

I am not disappointed at all ES, I am sure she is an independent and courageous lady who knew exactly what she was letting herself in for and let love lead the way. I feel sure that she and I would get along very well. :flowers: The flowers are for her.

Who bit you Varley? I do hope that I will not have to give you a rabies injection dear man as they can be quite painful to be on the receiving end of. If it was Richard Parker he is not a she. At least not when I last checked? :confused:

Come, come, now ES --- I must admist that Barry-Y is a very talented poet, but there are other poems written that would also be fitting for the GD, such as:

• The Captains Name was Carter.
• The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck.
• Away, Away, with Fife and Drum.
• 'Twas on the Good Ship Venus.
• There was a Young Man from Nantucket, etc., etc.

In the light of those, the Blake was a refreshing and enlightening change. :)

The boy stood on the burning deck
licking a thruppenny Walls,
The flames ran up the leg of his shorts
and singed the hair on his *****.


Next to such beautiful poetry Blakes effort is but a bit of doggerel. Our librarian must be more critical of the books she buys for our poetry shelves.
Mr V is a member of the IOM Poetry Society and likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his cabin with a slim volume of Usha Kishore and a tumbler of gin and parazone, we should co-opt him on to our Poetry Committee.

Erm. From memory two of them are the same song, Tom.

Are we being lampooned
or poetically mooned?
By that lady from a distant (once British) suburbia

But our oily Serang,
Doesn't hail from Penang
But from deepest and darkest (and British) Hibernia.

(Thanks ES. I had no knowledge of her or any idea she lived here. I hope we are not quite as mean and stupid as she obviously thinks we are - there is, after all, plenty of evidence she can use in her own support!)

I had no idea ladies wore supports. I used to wash mine after every rugby game, but haven't had one for years. :bounce:

GOOOOOODD MORNING HAVAAAAANNAAA!!

Perhaps Farmer John you could get some plasticos to pick up 20 humidors of their finest.

A few cases of their finest rum wouldn't go amiss -- strictly for sampling, and medicinal purposes, of course. :pint:

and a few cases of Baccardi too please. It makes a change from the usual.

Ha-ha Castro banned rum in 1965. Limited supplies of artisan vodka available for hard currency.
Air conditioning on the blink, me and Tmac off to sample the Bueno Vista Club. Hasta la Visa shipmates.

That is rather like ordering Port by the pipe - excellent!

I order by phone. Pipe and a blanket too messy for modern digital communications. Marconi to be congratulated.

I don't know about coagulated Macaroni -- sounds like something would find in the seamens' mess when coming off watch at 04:00. Mind you, a bowl of that would tide you over until the full English served at 07:00. :yawn:

ahhhhh nothing quite like a good Ulster fry in the morning or at anytime except Squeek doesn't like the mushrooms as they make him fart and gets him banished to the shaft tunnel.

Apropos this Marconi chap, is he the one who leaves the stringy bits in the Minestrone soup?

Still love Irish potato farls under the fried eggs , Waitrose do nice ones

That is Sparkie speak for getting your wires crossed.

What the …. are egg potato farts? You can move that coir mat yourself, Tmac, until I get a proper explanation - just watch out for the shaft earthing arrangement.

would that be with White pudding Tmac. Only had that once. a friend brought some over...Nice.

And we are warned not to talk about the Injun technographyitis!

TANNOY: Attention all hands, we have a stow-away aboard -- He is to report immediately to the PAX lounge to buy a "permission to come aboard" round for the entire crew. Tmac - it looks like he has an injuneering background, so suggest you could possibly appoint him as refrigeration injuneer. We haven't had one for a while, and it is imperative for the proper running of this ship that our beer be at the correct temperature for consumption, that the Dom Perignon be ice cold, and that there be plenty of ice for our gripetinis --- (Which brings up the point --- Would Varley kindly enlighten us as to the progress of the promised batch?) Also a chance that we could get a special cargo at some time which would require 'fridging. :pint: