Flying tab nab

[John Arton]

The mission in shields is still going strong after suffering a bad flood a number of years ago.
Used to like visiting the small mission in shell pernis in Rotterdam but that closed back in 2000. The mission in Houston was great, they organised a coach trip to the Houston space station for us along with their Friday night dances with plenty of very friendly Texan ladies.
The strangest mission I ever visited was in xingang in China. First time there it was only a room with a dartboard and a big fridge selling bottles of tsingtao beer for a dollar a bottle but they did organise a day trip to the great wall and the winter palace in Beijing for us at about 40 dollars each including two meals. The mission was attached to a small friendship store and barbers. Twelve months later visiting the same place the barbers had gone, the friendship store quadrupled in size, the mission charged admission, had smart Chinese hostesses serving drinks at treble the previous prices, the room had been converted into a disco bar with sound and lighting as good as any western disco and if you wanted to do the great wall trip again the price had more than trebled. Good all Chinese Communist commercial rampant even down to the tallyman calling me no good chief officer as I had not offered him beer and cigarettes at our daily meeting to check discharge figures.
Rgds
J.A.

[Richard Quartermaine]

On my first trip (on the Lowlander) we turned around at Haliifax, Nova Scotia for three weeks in March/April 1947. It was prohibition but there was a bar downstairs in Barrington Street serving beer to seamen only. I was still remembering the hangover I had after my Geordie cabin mates introduced me to the Doghouse Bar in Colon, Panama and was not particularly interested at that time. Later, on that round the world voyage from there to Fremantle I was introduced to Swan Lager to the distress of some of the passengers in the old parlour car bus back to Fremantle from Perth as I sang along with my cobbers.

Richard

- - - Updated - - -

Hi Des,
Do they have a "SpecSavers" down there in Cooma?
Richard

[Doc Vernon]

Great to see you back Richard hope all is well and that you will be posting more often mate!
Enough Rain we have been getting ,but well needed at least it will help the receeding Dam Levels.
Cheers

[Richard Quartermaine]

Thank you Vernon mate. Quite a bit of attention to the Chassis and Engine culminating with an angiogram down at Blacktown Hospital in December that was quite amazing. As the wire went up from my groin I could see on the enormous screen where it was in my heart. The upshot was that of the two major cardiac arteries, one was attended to but the other is permanently completely blocked. Not too bad after 25 years since my quintuple bypass. And as the cardiologist said, bearing in mind my vintage, "it's all good". I am happy with that and am quite active now.
And what about you, my friend? You've had your CABG and I trust things should be settling down since the big scare.
The heavy rain is really a blessing, The Nepean River is breaking its banks but I think the reports that the catchment further up in Warragamba Dam has only risen about one percent are sneaky so we don't get excited and waste water.
I'm flat out like a lizard drinking catching up around the house but will be here regularly now.
Cheers.
Richard

[Doc Vernon]

Good Richard glad all is well and we can only expect what we are at this stage of life i guess.
But nice to hear you are up and active.
As for myself also doing very well after my bypasses, took a little while but i too am up and very active again.
Playing Golf at least once a Week when weather permits,been doing that for some time now,actually my Years Membership is nearly coming up again in April. I am however thinking of changing Clubs to Wentworth Falls as their fees are a lot lower than Blackheath.
Thanks for reply and keep looking in now mate!
Cheers

PS Say a very fond hello to Margaret from us both please!

[Richard Quartermaine]

Thanks Vernon. just realised it was 15 years since my bi-pass - not 25! Just feels like it!! Keep up the golf. I'm going for my bi-annual 85 plus driving test on this Wednesday - I have no issues but always a worry and glad when it's over.
And a very fond hello to Irene from us both.
Cheers
Richard

[happy daze john in oz]

Richard, welcome home we missed you.

Angiograms must be flavor of the months just now, had one last October, all good no blockages, but what a performance in the pre procedure endurance test.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Thanks John, it's nice to be back in the fold. You're lucky with the angiogram and I remember that you watched your diet etc. that old adage;'What you eat and drink today. walks and talks tomorrow". My cardiologist has booked me in for an ECHO test for January, 2021. Not sure if that is optimism or just being nice. I'll watch his face when I turn up.
Richard

[Red Lead Ted]

Well lads most of them rolled out the welcome mat, As a young seaman I used to use them a lot once your sub run out there was always the swimming pool of an evening and a bottle of cola I actually mailed the mission in Texas a while ago and thanked them for the great hospitality apparently my e-mail takes pride of place in a frame hanging in the entrance to the mission happy days lads, Another that springs to mind was the one in Trinidad great company for a crew of guys who had spent there sub and out on a limb

[Des Taff Jenkins]

HI Richard.
No Spec Savers down here, but going by the state of that ship you should have gone to one before signing on.
Cheers Des