Sea Day 2/7, 6th May 2022
I awoke far too early this morning, although I did enjoy a decent sleep until around half past five! There was substantial (what I call) turbulence in my cabin, and later, looking out over my rain-swept balcony, a Blackpool grey and white frothed ocean coated in a dull, almost white mist resulting in reduced visibility, was not the image Cunard would like to portray in its publicity! At home, no doubt I would have grumbled to whoever I may have encountered. But here, in the Lido cafeteria high on Deck 9 with floor to ceiling windows along its length, being served endless coffee, and having enjoyed my routine healthy breakfast of porridge, banana, plain yoghurt and very brown toast, my only lament is that deck walking to maintain 10,000 steps each day, may not work out. 10° south of Buxton’s 53° North doesn’t seem to have made much difference today.
The Captain’s noon day address hinted at a better afternoon. After breakfast, I attended an imaginative and fascinating PowerPoint presentation charting aspects of the 1960s, music, major events, political occurrences and an assassination. In November 1963, not knowing what had occurred, I was amazed that Radio Luxembourg (which the lecturer did not mention) was playing back to back classical music. It was a Friday, and the treat of the week was Youth Club, one of the activities of the Church of St. John the Divine, Brooklands, now part of Greater Manchester. Only when I arrived at the Youth Club did I understand the appalling reason regular pop music was not being broadcast on the once “trendy” radio station, which had to broadcast from that part of Europe to avoid contravening the relevant regulations in force at the time. The Profumo Affair, Harold McMillan, Harold Wilson, Dr. Beeching, and the Great Train Robbery also got a fleeting mention. This presentation in the Royal Court Theatre was attended by people perhaps around my age, most of us probably being teenagers or young adults at the time. I looked, very briefly, around the Royal Court Theatre, amazed that like me, the sixties represented our youth…of over fifty-two years since. Yep, 1972 was fifty years ago, the year my niece and godson were born…and I forgot my niece’s landmark birthday!
The sun came out briefly at around 1 o’clock, but it didn’t take long for another system of lousy weather to take root. I think I shall try a curry in the Golden Lion! (13.23 hrs, BST -1)
I have booked my first Cunard shore excursion, the Kennedy Space Center. This will mean having to rise early, but the experience should be very well worth it. I have also booked an appointment with the Future Cruise people for 09.00hrs in 11 days to hopefully assure my place on the Queen Anne in 2024. Curiosity has the better of me, and I’m sure I will still be curious less than two years from now.
My walking plans for today have been thwarted; even ‘though the sun has reappeared. All outside areas remain closed off due to F8 winds. I have adjourned to a deserted section of the Lido cafeteria with its endless floor to ceiling windows affording splendid views of the ocean.
As you can see, the weather did improve, but not enough for the outside spaces to become accessible. I feel optimistic about tomorrow, and within days, we shall be all be enjoying the anticipated warm, even hot weather.
Many thanks for reading. David, 17.16hrs Deck 9, The Lido.
David's Cruise 