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And we had learned a lesson in insurance broking from Crocodile Dundee. The Market would follow him, and we went back to Duke’s Place and instructed the ‚back office‘ to make a start on the large quantity of formalities that were necessary for a binding authority from the honorable underwriters at Lloyd’s. Two weeks later the cover was complete and the binding authority was consolidated. The business could start. We were perplexed and in the same measure glad for that unexpected development. We would pay a visit in the foreseeable future to ‚down under,' and have a good time at the cost of the Yacht Club.
Four months later the business of the Yacht Club had developed, not explosively the way Fred had forecast, but still we booked for Anglo-Continental a handsome monthly premium, which was anything but disappointing. The accounting was done punctually, the claims were within acceptable limits. Smooth sailing all along and our leading insurer said that it would not be long before the first underwriters meeting should take place. „Down Under“ - he could not wait, he wanted to get out in the world to find the distraction he needed at this time of my life. Four weeks later we received from Fred a message from Melbourne. Meanwhile it was November, summer in Australia. Jefferson sent a perfectly planned travel schedule with a stopover of two days in Singapore, then with Qantas to Cairns in the northern state of Queensland, then to the Barrier Reef, to Hayman Island, where luxury rooms were already booked. Five days in paradise! An itinerary that was very appealing to us. We were to look up the local branch of Cayzer Irvine, have ourselves entertained opulently, and then, refreshed or not refreshed - as it depended on the night - continue the flight.
All my young life I have lived and behaved very much like the sandpiper - just running down the edges of different countries and continents, 'looking for something'.
Elizabeth Bishop
These were my thoughts when I looked at the agenda. The flights were handled by CSB; Singapore Airlines, then on with Qantas. The costs for the hotels and the social program were covered by the Yacht Club. (Later we would find out that everything was paid from the premium, but that is a minor detail in the picture of the whole.) On November 15th, we took off from London’s Heathrow with Singapore Airlines Flight SIA 114. The flight was to last 13 hours, time for many gin and tonics. We sat in business class and landed punctually at Singapore’s Changi Airport, an overwhelming sight. Moira had booked us into the Shangri La Hotel, a high-class accommodation on a luxuriantly vegetated area in Orange Grove Road.
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