Up Spirits

[Bill Cameron]

Up Spirits: Ode to a tot of rum

There once was a time in H.M.Ships,
When the magic hour had come.
The leading hands of every mess
Prepared to collect the rum.

The smell of Jamaican filled the air
As the ritual began
A daily tot of Nelson’s Blood
Was a favourite to every man.

When the Rum Bosun stood, his measure poised
To serve every man his tot.
Two fingers always in the ‘cup ‘
Making sure that the ‘Queen ‘got her lot.’

The ‘ticker off’ was there, of course
His pencil at the ready,
With a sipper given from each man’s tot
His hand was no longer steady.

The rum rat sat, his eyes aglow
His whiskers twitching well
He liked his rum so much it seems
He could get pissed on the smell.

Sometimes the tots were passed around
As each man paid his debts
Favour, rubber, game of crib
Could cost a couple of wets.

Then came the time to sup the ‘Queens’
“God Bless Her “was the toast
A watchful eye, as each man supped.
So the Rum Bosun got the most.

Once the rum had been consumed
And nothing left to pour;
The dits began, as the ‘Grog’ took charge,
Of favourite runs ashore.

A feed, a fight, a couple of pints
Was part of a run ashore.
A game of darts was in there too
Then all night with a Pompey Lill.

No longer though, does the scent of rum
Pervade her Majesty’s boats.
No more to sup Lord Nelson’s Blood
And give the Queen her toasts.

So to all who drank Lord Nelson’s Blood
And heard the Klaxon’s blast
May old shipmates meet and share a wet
Spinning dits of the good times passed.

A toast then to Horatio
And another to the Queen.
And may we all, wherever we are
Remember where we’ve been!

ANON

[Keith at Tregenna]

Excellent, thanks for that.

Is "Up Spirits: Ode to a tot of rum" your own work, by another, unknown etc?

The following may be of interest:

As Christmas draws nearer and families across the country prepare to be reunited over turkey and tinsel, spare a thought for those whose relatives are in active service and unable to return home for the festivities.

To raise awareness of the issue and bring some Yuletide warmth to sailors and their families, Wood’s 100 Old Navy Rum has curated the Christmas at Sea Vintage Photo Gallery – contributed to from naval personnel past and present.

Comprising celebratory snaps from the Sixties alongside more poignant images during wartime – the collection highlights life on board ship during the Christmas period. Wood’s 100 partnered with Navy News and historical archive blog How To Be A Retronaut to source the images.

Some of the images showcase the popular tradition of making the youngest member on board the captain for the day while others reveal the contrast between the raucous festivities and the more formal celebrations of times gone by.

LINK: Events | Wood's 100 Old Navy Rum



K.

[Bill Cameron]

Sadly Keith, this is was written by a anon writer, I only wish I had his talent., And the Rum sponsered by the Navy News and the Royal Naval Association is Pussers, the rum of my choice, its been a long time since I have ever seen Woods.