Those Magnificant Big Ships

[Rodney Mills]

As explained previously in my post "Kismet" my wife and I are forced by health reasons to downsize from a House (home) to an apartment. At the moment, between hospital and doctors we are removing many treasures from our lives. A heart breaker for both of us is emasculating our library. We are both bookworms: I have kept a record of how many books I read a year. My highest was 140, all other years over 100 and to date April 29, 2019, I'm reading my 45th. We watch 1 1/2 hours of news on TV, that's it, I can't sit through a movie as too many trips to the John. So reading is the thing.

We have hundreds of books, mostly of a reference nature, history, facts, language, grammar, cooking and ..."shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings..." 90% have to go.

While attempting to be more merciful than Judge Jeffries, the hanging judge of the 1685 "Bloody assizes"...and failing, I flipped through a book entitled "Romance of the Sea" published by The National Geographical Society. With fantastic photos and interesting narratives it describes the boats and ships of the world from coracles to the "big ships" of our days.

The book is being cast adrift, its being donated (with many others) to the "Animal Shelter" where it will be sold, hopefully, to someone who loves the sea, or at least has fond memories of HER as we do.

In the book is a remarkable once on a life time photograph, which I attach. It's of the piers in New York harbor and pictures The Queen Elizabeth being helpedinto her berth by tugs along side the Sylvania; followed by Maretania (2nd), The aircraft carrier Intrepid, Olympia, United States, America (2nd), and the Independence.

I apologize for the quality of the photo, but I couldn't shoot it in stronger light because of reflection on the shiny paper and it's a two page spread.

Those "Cunard Yanks" that sailed the Queens (and picked up a yankee accent) and docked in N.Y., should get a kick out of it. The photo was taken "in the mid-1950s."

It brings back memories to me: I emigrated from the U.K in June 1958, sailing on the Sylvania (tourist class) from Liverpool to Montreal. I jumped ship Friday, 6th of June, got married on Saturday, 7th of June and sailed, I think it was Wednesday 11th, if not it was Thursday, June 12, 1958., from Liverpool to Montreal.

Rodney

[happy daze john in oz]

G'day Rodders, do hope you and the good lady are going Ok just now.

Always a bit sad when you have to downsize in such a manner, but hopefully the books, particularly the ones of ships and the seas will go to the right person.

Great photo of the ships in NY.
The Maretania is of special notice to me.
as a young lad growing up in London the man of the house in the flat below was second steward on her for some time.
I recall him telling me of some of the places he had visited, sounded great at the time.
May have still been in the back of my mind when I signed up.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Rod.
Like you I read every day, even when having breakfast, [My wife has her shower then] I can't tell you how many books I read a year but now have trouble in the local Library finding a book I haven't read. I re/read the books in my own Library many times and can sympathies with you having to cull yours; but as you say maybe someone will covet some of the ones you have to get rid of.
Des

[Les Woodard]

Those where the days when going on a liner meant something ulike the ones of today. Can understand the trauma of getting rid of your books mate just hope that your new place is close to a library and if not close to a watering hole LOL. Do not envy you the moving as there must be so much nostalgic stuff that your good wife and yourself have collected over the years. Best of luck with it all Rodney

[Rodney Mills]

Thank you guys for your kind comments particularly on my wife, but also appreciated the sympathy from fellow book worms on our loss.

My wife has continued to not require blood or platelet infusions. that's nine weeks since the last ones, which means she is reacting positively to her treatment. This does not mean we can anticipate a cure, it is a terminal disease. How ever, if it stays positive it extends her life. The
first week positive we said to each other "One swallow doesn't make a summer." Any of you bookworms or general knowledge whizzes know how many swallows in a flock?, Just gave away most of our bird books....Just kidding.

Warmest regards to all, Rodney.