Should my wife be reading this I know she will be amused at  this  page because today was my first fully operational visit to the launderette.  Awake early and at 7.00 am I had the place to myself.  So only me to look  forward to on Tuesday my dear:  no mountain of washing.

Breakfast in the Britannia Club Restaurant then off to the first serial of the day, another IT Seminar in Connections before the first of the morning’s Insights lecture, a continuation of Dr Isobel Williams’ series surrounding Scott of the Antarctic.

Today’s theme was fully devoted to Scott’s loyal assistant, and only non commissioned officer, Petty Officer Edgar Evans who, having been selected for the last five to cross to the South Pole, was the first to die on the return journey.

 

There were a number of programme clashes today where, yet again,  I had to make decisions. In particular I gave the Chef’s Workshop and Olympian Athlete Derek Redmond’s talk a miss.

 

Lunch was always going to be set in stone today. Arsenal were playing Southampton live in the Golden Lion. That took care of not only  lunchtime but most of the afternoon.

Here is the line up at the bar …

 

 

I took afternoon Tea in the Queens Room with a little Internet time either side led into the early preparations for the evening’s social events.

 

These kicked off with the Cunard World Club Party, held once again in the Queens Room. This is the party for the top three levels of Cunard’s  loyalty programme. Apart from meeting and socializing with like minded Cunarders two of the interesting highlights is a presentation to the current voyage’s ‘Top sailor’ and an account of just who is at the party.

 

Figures for this occasion were 86 Diamond Members, 240 Platinum and 576 Gold members. Adding together all the nights accumulated by these members was 62,269 or, as put by the Loyalty manageress, 170 years.

 

The Top Sailors, Bryan and Bridget Wilson from Wales had accumulated 965 nights on board Cunard…

 

 

Party over, it was time for Dinner. My table companions all booked into Todd English so Invited two other guests,  their  table mates also absent, to join my table. And so I had a most interesting evening chatting and dining with one of the Insights programme personalities, Olympian Athlete Derek Redmond….

 

 

I couldn’t let a blog pass without a reference or picture of food and the absence of my table mates this evening afforded the opportunity to order the Flambe Peaches…

 

 

All prepared table side by our Head Waiter Jacek…

 

Main entertainment for the evening was the first of the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers production show, Viva Italia…

 

This was a completely new production of an old Cunard favourite and at the end of the performance the Entertainment Director informed us that it was also the first occasion the new Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers had performed this particular show.

 

The  Queens Room put on a ‘Big Band Night’ and yours truly managed a couple of Quicksteps before midnight.

 

My thanks to everyone for the encouraging comments accompanying this series of blogs.

 

In the event there are any questions regarding a Trans Atlantic crossing I will be only too pleased to offer answers.