Mary and I have just spent a couple of weeks on the QEII - dear old thing, she's 40 years old next year, and Cunard will be celebrating by taking the lady around Britain - but don't bother to apply for tickets, as they're already sold out. The ocean liner still has an old-fashioned grandeur about it, and it's wonderful to visit major cities while being allowed to come back to the same cabin each night.
I gave three lectures while on board - one entitled 'How to write a bestseller', another on 'Can the Conservative Party win the next election' and the final one on prison, 'What's a middle-class boy like me doing in a place like this?' No prizes for guessing which one was the most packed with the audience standing in the aisles. Though to be fair, the questions after the prison lecture were very serious, and asked mainly about the terrible drug problem this country has. The audience seemed genuinely horrified that some 96% of prisoners smoke, and more than 70% are either on drugs, or have experienced drugs.
On a lighter note, on my last trip on the QEII they kindly presented me with the most dreadful 1970s shirt, covered in ocean liners. On this trip, a very generous American paid $2,000 at auction for it, and I've given the money to Mary for one of her Addenbrooke's hospital charities.
I still have the shirt. The very generous donor's wife, Barbara, refused to let her husband Conrad take possession of it - yes, it's that bad.
I gave three lectures while on board - one entitled 'How to write a bestseller', another on 'Can the Conservative Party win the next election' and the final one on prison, 'What's a middle-class boy like me doing in a place like this?' No prizes for guessing which one was the most packed with the audience standing in the aisles. Though to be fair, the questions after the prison lecture were very serious, and asked mainly about the terrible drug problem this country has. The audience seemed genuinely horrified that some 96% of prisoners smoke, and more than 70% are either on drugs, or have experienced drugs.
On a lighter note, on my last trip on the QEII they kindly presented me with the most dreadful 1970s shirt, covered in ocean liners. On this trip, a very generous American paid $2,000 at auction for it, and I've given the money to Mary for one of her Addenbrooke's hospital charities.
I still have the shirt. The very generous donor's wife, Barbara, refused to let her husband Conrad take possession of it - yes, it's that bad.
6 Comments:
I wondered if it was that Conrad and Barbara you were referring to... until I saw that you referred to him as an American donor, when Conrad Black is Canadian.
So, can the Conservative Party win the next election? What was your conclusion and what do you think of Cameron?
The shirt sounds bad, but exactly how bad? Can you bear to glance at it? In the House where I work a member of the family owned a shirt so severe that very few people could see it without visibly wincing. A part of them died whenever they glanced at it.
The QEII must have been wonderful.
john - of course the Conservative Party can win the next general election, but that doesn't mean they will.
We cruised to New York on the QE2's sister, the QM2, last month, and what a wonderful vessel she is! It's a shame you weren't lecturing on there, because that would have been the highlight for me! As you probably know, Cunard's new liner, the Queen Victoria, embarks on her maiden voyage in January 2008 and will be making her first transatlantic trip saling in tandem with the QE2 - any plans to be on board for this historic occasion?
I don't suppose you would be kind enough to send me a copy of your speech about how Conservatives can win the next election, I would keep if confidential if you wished, it might help me with my work in promoting a Conservative candidate in Yorkshire.
My family also had a cruise this summer, we sailed from Southampton the day of the terrorist scare at our airpots; it literally was smooth sailing the whole time.
ellee - I'm afraid I didn't speak from a written speech, just from a few headings. Sorry.
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