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enlisted in boxing classes. I quite took to this sport, eventually becoming the
school boxing captain. We had enjoyed being taught by Mr Mallard, a PT teacher
of the highest quality, who taught us that, properly coached, one need not be
fearful of most things that at first glance might frighten or seem dangerous. So
effective was his teaching that when I went on to public school, I could with
ease fulfill all the gymnastic requirements that few of my class-mates would even
attempt. At Warsash, there was no real sporting activity, but we were taught self-
defence by a formidable Royal Marine sergeant (their barracks being nearby),
whose first advice was that, especially when overseas, one’s best defence is a
good pair of heels (too true, as I later sailed with a second mate who was stabbed
to death in Houston because he refused to hand over $25 to three thugs, and
he actually possessed a black belt in judo, second dan, I believe; his feeling of
security was entirely chimeric). Additionally, during the first term at Warsash,
one of those in our ‘cabin’ of six was Al-Husseini, a heavily built young Iraqi
of somewhat fearsome appearance. On one occasion, he expressed a visceral
hatred of everything Jewish. I remonstrated, some of our London friends having
been decidedly and proudly Jewish. He rose to what he regarded as bait, but
remembering basic principles in confined spaces (hit target – bridge of nose,
throat, bottom of rib cage – not often, but first, and as hard as possible), I stood
ready. He stepped back; how often does one have to learn that bullies abhor
defiance? (To give balance to the tale, there was another senior Iraqi cadet in the
school. He was very much a civilised gentleman; actually, one learned a great deal
about other nationalities at Warsash – which were things one certainly did not
learn at boarding school – because there the government subsidised the training
of foreign students. We even had a Swiss cadet, hardly a nation known for its
merchant marine!).

Thus, when presented with a threatening Plumridge, I had a choice. I knew
that he was quite well-muscled, but I felt that I could take him on fairly easily,
as I knew that I had a heavier punch than most and I had a target probably not
much accustomed to dissent. But, on the other hand, although I had a witness to
all of this (Young was with us), it would certainly be unseemly and hardly likely
to generate much favour amongst all those with whom I then worked and would
undoubtedly work in the future. The downside seemed too considerable for any
minor demonstration of macho superiority.

I gave him the seat … somewhat to my personal regret in later years.

Back on the bridge, however, I was not inspired by the eastern Mediterranean.
Far from it being semi-tropical, there was a continuous cold north-easterly wind,

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