Smudger Snippets
Created | Updated Apr 29, 2009
I suppose it's because I have so much time on my hands these days, that all these memories come flooding back to me.
The Work Detail
It was with a bit of apprehension that I got into our car and drove away, that day when I left to join the working party on board the Yacht, my old ship from way back in the 1970s. I had been on board a couple of times before over the past couple of years, but that was only a day visit and a reunion reception, and never involved an overnight stay, let alone five nights. The whole thing had been arranged on the ship's website, by the social function organiser, in combination with the Yacht's chief executive. The idea was for all us volunteers, all 46 of us, to help bring the ship back to its original standard, by means of carrying out certain restoration and clean up jobs within the week we had all set aside to do this.
Yet after I had arrived and unpacked my gear in the room, and made my way down to the ship, which was only about half a mile away from the hotel, all the fear and anxiety I had earlier just faded away as soon as I made my way on board. I actually felt like I was returning home after being away for a few years. I had missed the morning briefing as I drove over on the Monday morning, whereas the rest of them had arrived the evening before and had spent their first night in the hotel. So I made my way to the Royal deck, which was my old part of ship, and asked the blokes already there what they wanted me to do. Within a few hours it felt like I had gone back in time to the 1970s, which was the last time I was there. The banter was great, as we all worked away and of course the tourists, who were doing the tour around the Yacht, would stop and speak to us and ask us questions about our time on board. I even ended up taking pictures of them with their cameras. After the news article had gone out, we were told by the chief executive of the Yacht association that some members of the public were asking if we were still on board, before they would pay for their ticket to take the tour. They were fantastic as well, as they shared the banter with us: it was just the old days when we met the members of the public of whatever country we were in, and it brought the memories from the old days flooding back into my mind.
The whole atmosphere was fantastic, and even the bitterly cold wind on the second day did not affect it. That was the day the media came on board to film the event and take photos. They had us all gathered up on the forecastle singing the old songs and waving as they took the footage they required. A couple of the press folk then came and interviewed some of the lads, while the rest of us made our way back to work. My wife recorded the Scottish News that night and phoned me up to tell me that she had seen me on the television during the article, and that I could be seen a few times during section aired. One of our own chefs was with us, and he made our midday meals which were really good, and we all enjoyed them. We had to have two sittings for lunch as the mess we were using was small, but cosy. It didn't take me long to find my way around below decks, in fact it was just like I had never been away. But it was not hard to find the mess where the food was, as all you had to do was follow that wonderful smell.
We had all purchased our working kit, which was a couple of polo shirts and a pair of white overalls, all with the ship's crest embroidered on them, and of course a pair of the old Yottie white plimsolls, which we always wore when we were crew so we didn't mark the wooden decks, and of course they were quieter for when we were working on the upper decks.
I was really pleased that I had bought the new digital camera a few weeks earlier, as I took a lot of photos during that week. After all, it was a rare event, and one that I knew we would all want to remember. The jewel in the crown for us was the banquet they put on for us on the last evening. They really gave us the red carpet treatment, and I mean that literally, as they had a piper to pipe us all on board as we made our way up the red carpeted gangway. The rest of the evening including the meal was just out of this world, the service and welcome they gave us, was the same. The whole evening went great, but I must admit when it came to the speeches after the meal, I did get a bit emotional, as did the others. We had completed everything we set out to do and more besides, yet we all had a tear in our eye as we made our way back to the hotel. I sincerely hope that we can repeat the whole event some time again in the future. Our numbers may be declining as the years go by, but I know for a fact the feelings we all had towards that ship and our old ship mates never will.
