Tim was 17 years of age
He'd saved up $3,000
To go and visit his brother Richard
He flew to Perth to visit with
Uncle Paddy and Aunty Doreen
And their family
Drove to Fremantle Docks
The boat was so exciting!
Departed that day
Bars and a swimming pool
Young female school teachers
All on holidays: fraternizing with the crew
Spent Christmas Day on the boat
Crossed the Equator and were given
A special safe passage certificate by King Neptune
Invited to sit at the Captain's table for dinner
Went to many dances too
(Tim had saved all these mementos for years
Until Nana burnt them in a fit of anger
That's because of me: she wasn't happy!)
Cigarettes were 16 cents a packet
It cost 10 cents for a drink of Goddard's rum
It was all Duty Free
Went past Christmas Island
The cabins were air-conditioned
Arrived in Singapore a few days after Christmas
Tim had to have a haircut on the boat
Because of the laws in Singapore
It was the first time
He ever experienced a different culture!
No comments:
Post a Comment