[Varley]

Tommy has been guarding the pump room bilges incase any low down rodent should make attempts on broaching the port. He is back in my house for a kip come my dinner-time.

(I'll have you know that I met a lovely choir afficianada this afternoon outside the Bridge whither I had been summoned by my usual chess challenger for extra humiliation. She would love to win that prize as she is determined to return in the Summer).

The RR would, I submit, have done more than adequate emergency duty had we all not, in those days, done our utmost not to test them properly. The Saturday sports day start up to make acid exhaust and then to stop it again as soon as it excited could not have done more to encourage cold corrosion than a cold corrosion salesman. One failure I remember revealed itself during a real emergency - ER flooding following a mutiny in the South China Sea. Could only run for just long enough to re-aim the satcom dish before overheating. Piston crown found with a hole in it - testing less frequently and in more depth would obviate the need for steam plumbers to delve into Dr. Rudolph's mysteries).