My Time at Sea - Tapa blanda

Eden Mathews (Tony) was born in Weymouth in 1937. He was taken to Kenya just before the war to join his father who was working as an Agricultural Manager. There are memories of his early life there, and also in Tanzania. Returning to the UK on a troopship in one of the last convoys of the war, they enjoyed life in a Cornish Vicarage and Tony started at Beaumont House, a Preparatory School in Hertfordshire. This involved journeys on the famous Cornish Riviera Express train. Then there was a return to Africa, parental divorce, and subsequent return to Cornwall and school. Tony's experiences at sea began with pre-sea training on HMS Conway at Plas Newydd on the Menai straights in the 1950s, which included the Coronation Spithead Review and Outward Bound Sea School in Aberdovey. He then completed an apprenticeship with the Blue Funnel Line to the Far East and Australia, including visits to Red China, and enjoyed two years of voyages to West Africa and USA with Elder Dempsters, which included the time of Independence. About this time he married and swallowed the anchor. After 14 years ashore he returned to sea aged 38, and joined Ocean fleets, who had taken over the above two companies. Voyages around the UK, the Continent, and West Africa followed, which included experiences with the infamous cement ships off Lagos and with pirates. During this time he sat and passed his Masters Foreign Going Certificate. Then followed two enjoyable years with the Geest Line on banana boats travelling to the Caribbean in the late 1970s.