Page 157 - Michael Frost-Voyages to Maturity-23531.indd

of great international importance, but symptomatic of the problematic nature
of international negotiations was the fact that the first formal steps to these
ends were not introduced until as late as 1970. Soon, of course, it was, “How did
we manage without these traffic rules?” (Naturally, Whalley stepped up to the
plate to be admired, but although he himself was plainly obsolescent, one had
to commend the manner in which his Warsash had taken its place at what was
considered UK’s leading maritime training institution.)

One advantage of my location was its closeness to Southampton University.
David and his girlfriend Tina had settled into ‘group living’ in which a number
of disparate individuals had rooms that adjoined central facilities, and the access
being so easy, I much enjoyed periodically going over to cook a chicken or two for
the group (I have to say, with respect, that their cooking was far less impressive
than their learning; one student of Greek extraction favoured for a snack above
all else a raw garlic sandwich. I was always able to keep a sufficient distance from
him – apart from this habit, though, he was a good fellow). It did bother me a
bit, however, that my brother was discussing Montesquieu, of whom I had barely
heard, while I was learning how many lights a tug needed to exhibit. Not that
there was anything wrong with that, but once learned it did not have much of a
future in the sense of rewarding intellectual flights of fancy.

This issue was of concern to me, of course, because I could see that I was
following the trail of knowing more and more about less and less. My exposure to
the sea thus far had been very favourable, with the major caveat that it was difficult
to find any senior personnel who did not regret their international ‘vagrancy’.
I had made the endeavour at some self-education by investing in a number of
Pelican books (‘Ethics’ by Nowell-Smith, ‘Anarchism’ by George Woodcock, ‘A
History of British Trade Unionism’ by Henry Pelling and ‘Keynes and After’
by Michael Stewart, for example, but was distressed to find that I couldn’t even
understand ‘Ethics’ despite re-reading and much cogitation) but it was obvious to
me that learning was not gained just by reading. I was young enough to soak up
more disciplines, but not while in a typhoon in the Pacific!

There were other matters to attend to, however. On a whim, I thought that a
nice evening out would be good for me. I recalled that Elly had lived in Warsash
when I was on MAR, and perhaps I should give her a call. I found her at home, and
I was gratified to find that she remembered me! We met at the pub, and I found
her in splendid form, perhaps even more splendiferous after a year of further
maturity. After my usual rum and blackcurrant (a pretty disgusting drink, but at
the time I thought it quite sophisticated) she invited me home, and we repeated,
but with more vigour, the exercises that we had practiced twelve months earlier.
I was disconcerted to find that while certain touching was not only allowed, but
encouraged, she was also wearing something resembling a chastity belt, a rock-
hard creation that resisted all my subtle and not-so-subtle ministrations. She was

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