Dress code

[happy daze john in oz]

There were while we were at sea a number of different dress codes for various crew members.
I recall one time as officers steward I created a bit of a stir.
Inbetween the various zones it would depend on either blue or white dress for dinner.
With UCL they had a dress code that was half and half for the times when we were not really in either, it consisted of white trousers and blue jacket.
It was known as Banjo rig.
Every night we had to put on the notice board the dress for the night. This night was to be Banjo, but for some reason I wrote Jumbo.
I have never seen so many men confused by one simple word.

Since December 3rd 1998 I have not worn a tie, that was the date I left the Uni system.

On cruise ships we are expected on formal nights to wear suitable clothing. Ladies in evening gowns or cocktail dresses, men in Tuxedo or dinner jacket.
I did see one gut in a Texas Tuxedo, denim jacket and trousers, not appreciated by the 'Poms' on board.

I put on a jacket but never the tie, the only one left to me now, dumped a bout 100, is my MN tie which is in the pocket of my jacket.

So there we were at dinner with the 90 year old ex army major sitting next table.

'I see you wear no tine young man"

'No mate, do not wear them now. there was a guy by the name of Ned who was given a rope one to wear and the outcome was not good, put me off the idea'.

'Oh yes, Kelly, heard of him bit of a scoundrel by all accounts'.

[vic mcclymont]

Hi John, UCL never wore white trousers and black top, other way round black trousers, white top.
Regards
Vic

[robpage]

we blue mess before Las Palmas , if you did not have it , uniform with a black bow tie .

[cappy]

##always in a hell of a mess but started to come round by the azores......cappy

[Captain Kong]

We always enjoy dressing for dinner on Formal Nights when cruising, Dinner suit and bow tie, make me feel good,
I think a Dinner suit is the greatest social leveler of all,
I have socialised with all kinds of people, Movie Stars, Diplomats,Multi Millionaire famous business men and so on.
They do not know who or what I was. It is bad manners to ask what you do or did, so it is good.
Brian

[Ivan Cloherty]

We always enjoy dressing for dinner on Formal Nights when cruising, Dinner suit and bow tie, make me feel good,
I think a Dinner suit is the greatest social leveler of all,
I have socialised with all kinds of people, Movie Stars, Diplomats,Multi Millionaire famous business men and so on.
They do not know who or what I was. It is bad manners to ask what you do or did, so it is good.
Brian

Brian reminds me of my friend Tom who was a carpenter with the Bovis Building group (I think) part of the Cunard empire, he got very cheap cruises , has his dinner suit etc and usually got invited to Captains table (he was a good talker) when asked what he did (bad form old chap!) he always said he was in timber business and let them draw their own conclusions. DJ's like school uniforms are a great leveller

[cappy]

i have put this on the site before ..but it is a good laugh ...in malta on holiday many years ago i hired a small boat and scooted round grand harbour and over to gozo ....i met a greeat guy fleet air arm heli pilot ...he invited pat and myself to be his guests at a naval cocktail party which was full of lieutenant commanders.....a couople of rear admirals......and lord southampton .....i didnt really fancy it but to suit him we went ...pat and i were introduced as we entered by my new buddy and his wife to a few guys all friendly etc ....they did i must say looked smart .....the other civilian was lord southampton who was working his way round chatting in a extremely loud voice my new mate and i were whopping the drinks down.....his lordship appeared very quickly and stuck his hand out ......saarthamton...i a bit taken back said south shields ......he loked taken more aback and quickly shot off to the next lot ......by new buddy thought it was hilarious...and said it would fly round the wardrooon of many naval ships........well it was hilarious at the time but perhaps the free drinks and... proper tabnabs... not mn tabnabs of which i never ever saw... but wouldnt expect on any vessel out of shields........cappy

[robpage]

you should have said Sandancer

[Bill Morrison]

I was always lead to believe when asked what business you were in, the standard M.N. reply "oh I am a Traveller in Steel"!

[j.sabourn]

One time in Portsmouth when working for the MOD we were all invited to a morning pre lunch drinky poos in the shore wardroom. Our normal dress on the ship for everyone was black trousers and black wooly pully. However it was expected to go with epaulettes. We managed to scrape together much modified ones, the Chief Engineers being a pair of British Airways ones. No one seemed to notice. However noticed we were never invited back again. JWS