A Christmas Carol

[Tom Reidy]

It should be noted that I had been on the ER plates when the Durham exploded, which may have a bearing on my alarm.
A few days before Christmas in vicious Atlantic weather we had had to reduce speed. For engineers, you will understand that meant we were on live steam not bled steam.
I was on the 8-12, at noon I got, on the telegraph, "Full Astern"the whistle tooted and the fire bells were ringing.
I immediately started shutting down. Before the action was completed, the 2nd dashed down and said "Well done 4-O, but the telegraphs jammed. Take her back up."
Well the telegraph had jammed;
the 3M tooted the whistle and jingled the fire alarm to signal noon. Noticing the telegraph was jammed he struggled with it forgetting to switch off the fire alarm.
The chief walked up on the bridge said" Ha ha, your telegraphs jammed." The 2M said "Ha ha , the fourths obeying it"
The skipper said "He should have known it was noon." But the chief pointed out that an emergency can occur at any time,
Shortly after, while we were at lunch, the chief entered the saloon, and to the chagrin of the skipper, sang a song, popular at that time, "I'm walking backwards for Christmas, across the Irish Sea."
Can't remember what Esso ship it was.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Just come across this, will scour the net, inc UTUBE for more. Meanwhile all the best to all, have a good one mates.

K.

I'M WALKING BACKWARDS FOR CHRISTMAS
(Spike Milligan)
The Goons - 1956

I'm walking backwards for Christmas,
Across the Irish Sea,
I'm walking backwards for Christmas,
It's the only thing for me.

I've tried walking sideways,
And walking to the front,
But people just look at me,
And say it's a publicity stunt.

I'm walking backwards for Christmas,
To prove that I love you.

An immigrant lad, loved an Irish colleen
From Dublin Galway Bay.
He longed for her arms,
But she spurned his charms,
And sailed o'er the foam away

She left the lad by himself, on his own
All alone, a-sorrowing
And sadly he dreamed, or at least that's the
way it seemed, buddy,
That an angel quieted him....
An angel quieted the same.

I'm walking backwards for Christmas,
Across the Irish Sea.
I'm walking backwards for Christmas,
It's the finest thing for me.

And so I've tried walking sideways,
And walking to the front.
But people just laughed, and said,
"It's a publicity stunt".

So I'm walking backwards for Christmas
To prove that I love you.

(Contributed by Andy & Mogg - December 2002)

Also at: http://www.richardpettinger.com/poem...christmas_poem