Seeing all of the above reminded me about my two trips (and a European coast and dry-docking) on the Glenfalloch (Voyages 40 and 41 I think) First trip the old man was Bill Bellamy; an ED man on was his last trip to sea. The Glen boats had been designated as cadet ships, bit of a joke really because the cadets had taken over the passenger accomodation upping the complement of cadets to ten middies, two officer cadets and two engineer cadets. We had four female cadets in the passenger accomodation and the six male middies had the half-deck (so much for sexual equality!) The other passenger acomodation was taken by the engineer and officer cadets. For those who never sailed with BF, ED or Glen, an officer cadet was a deck cadet who had completed phase 1 at college and was a watchkeeper. Great run, London to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Japan. Then a fast blast back to Europe. Second trip I shared one of the passenger rooms with Al Feast, another middy who I understand is now on the quay somewhere on the Mersey. We were evicted for some misdemenor and ended back in the half-deck. Very strange to see the 'Falloch with what appeared to be an ED funnel, never quite got used to it. The old man this trip was John Liptrot, who was a Glen man (odd that we had a Glen Funnel with a Captain who spent his time with a buff funnel and had a buff (ED) funnel with a Glen Line Captain!) This trip was Europe to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore then back to Genoa and the worst hang over I've ever suffered! then up to dry-dock at Avonmouth with tanks full of Palm Oil and having to watch the temperatures like a hawk!
These were beautiful ships, comfortable and fast but extremely hard work with all of those derricks! I still carry a little memento of these trips, got a jag from a wire broken off in my right hand-its still there and has moved about 1/4 of an inch in the thirty years since it joined me!
