The title of this book Captain’s, Queen’s & Curry Cooks might leave some readers a little perplexed. Sea captains are self explanatory, the ‘queens’ referred to are the gay stewards of the Pursers Department that I had worked with over the years, most of them excellent stewards, witty and funny to the extreme. The curry cook, was always the man to go and see if you didn’t know the answers ‘Go and see the curry cook’ The poor chap knew absolutely nothing of what was going on other than making curries of which P & O was renowned for, they could place a different one on their menus for 365 days of the year.
Strange things happen at sea and whoever it was that said it, was absolutely right. I have always maintained that if you had a boiled egg in the aft end of the ship for breakfast, by the time news of it reached someone in the forward end; you would have been informed that you had had a mixed grill. How ship’s rumours multiplied from fact to fiction in such a short space of time, forever remains an enigma.
Life at sea has changed dramatically from the early post war years where you made your own entertainment, from providing music and a sing-along with a ‘Foo-foo band’ A ‘Foo-foo band comprised of a broomstick shoved into a tea chest, with a taut string secured from the broomstick to the tea chest to provide a sound rather like a bass instrument, one man with a comb and tissue paper and another on occasions with a wooden coat hanger strumming it and imitating the sound of a ukulele. Making sailing ships from turkey breast bones, cocktail sticks as masts and menu cards for the sails, picture scenes etched on the backs of cigarette tins, many were quite skilful and innovative. Today practically every crew member has a DVD player and television and in many cases a lap top. Technology has leapt leaps and bounds from when I first went to sea, but sadly in doing so it has lost out on innovation and originality. Where it was a lifetime career, people no longer remain at sea for any length of time. It’s characters, of which there were numerous, are no longer there. The fun and sparkle seems to have disappeared forever. Working in a confined space seven days a week for months on end would not be everyone’s cup of tea. In my case I would have had it no other way and what it taught me. We worked hard and played hard
‘Captain’s,Queen’s and Curry Cooks,’ is a sequel to my first book ,‘A Bethnal Green Memoir,’ published by History Press on 15th July 2009. It was further published by Isis, in hardback, large print, on 1st February 2010 and again in large print paperback on 1st March 2011.
Strange things happen at sea and whoever it was that said it, was absolutely right. I have always maintained that if you had a boiled egg in the aft end of the ship for breakfast, by the time news of it reached someone in the forward end; you would have been informed that you had had a mixed grill. How ship’s rumours multiplied from fact to fiction in such a short space of time, forever remains an enigma.
Life at sea has changed dramatically from the early post war years where you made your own entertainment, from providing music and a sing-along with a ‘Foo-foo band’ A ‘Foo-foo band comprised of a broomstick shoved into a tea chest, with a taut string secured from the broomstick to the tea chest to provide a sound rather like a bass instrument, one man with a comb and tissue paper and another on occasions with a wooden coat hanger strumming it and imitating the sound of a ukulele. Making sailing ships from turkey breast bones, cocktail sticks as masts and menu cards for the sails, picture scenes etched on the backs of cigarette tins, many were quite skilful and innovative. Today practically every crew member has a DVD player and television and in many cases a lap top. Technology has leapt leaps and bounds from when I first went to sea, but sadly in doing so it has lost out on innovation and originality. Where it was a lifetime career, people no longer remain at sea for any length of time. It’s characters, of which there were numerous, are no longer there. The fun and sparkle seems to have disappeared forever. Working in a confined space seven days a week for months on end would not be everyone’s cup of tea. In my case I would have had it no other way and what it taught me. We worked hard and played hard
‘Captain’s,Queen’s and Curry Cooks,’ is a sequel to my first book ,‘A Bethnal Green Memoir,’ published by History Press on 15th July 2009. It was further published by Isis, in hardback, large print, on 1st February 2010 and again in large print paperback on 1st March 2011.
