To whom it may concern:

I do not know your name though I closely listened to what you said and followed up what I heard.

You and wife together with myself and wife, and a number of others, were on a Europe coach tour several years ago. At breakfast one day, having placed bags at the hotel door for the driver, as one does, you and I spoke, probably while chomping toast, concerning our past endeavours. I explained that I had been at sea, you said so had you. I said I had been at the Vindi in 1948, you said so had you. I said I had been there in May/August, you said so had you. I said I had left the sea in 1957 having remained an AB and QM for the latter part of my time, you said you had not.

You explained that you had progressed to gain a Master's ticket and stayed with British Tankers until retirement then had bought a B&B on the Scillie (Spelling?)Isles and was on the coach for a winter break. You said that of your seagoing the greatest voyage you had undertaken was as a passenger on Hurtigruten and gave me a brief rundown of the voyage. The driver called and we parted. We had not met previously, or since, and will not know the names of each other.

Should you read this post, you may care to know that self and spouse took your Hurtigruten experience as a guide to where we should holiday when next in Europe. We did the 12-day voyage and sincerely thank you for what you told me over that breakfast. Any other cruise would not be the same. And when I see in today's paper that the Ovation of the Seas, more like a block of flats than a ship, will be in Oceania shortly, I dread the thought of any other cruise than the coast of Norway which I would happily do again - though nextly at Christmas time.

Simply, I thought you may like to know.

Thank you Mr Unknown.

(I'm not involved with any shipping line or travel agency)

Ken T
Auckland