Paddy
18-02-2009, 10:14
Hi all.
How do we entertain ( the PARTY ) , and are our women folk still referred to as such ?
Just before I got married I was on HMS Sheffield, and Bellerophon at Whale Island.
I had pulled a duty weekend so invited my wife to be down from Berkshire for dinner, ( or do they call it lunch these days ).
I got permission to use the library on Bellerophon and set out a nice table with flowers and even a table cloth from the wardroom steward.
Early in the day I asked the duty chef ( ships co ) to do something nice and he agreed to do a nice roast pork with all the trimmings as pork was the meat of the day.
A little later, it suddenly dawned on me that I seemed to remember my other half saying that she did not eat pork, I got into a flap.
Just then one of the wardroom chef's was passing and I told him my dilema, "LEAVE IT TO ME " he said.
When she arrived ( in her BMW Isetta ) we did the tour of the ship then settled down in the library.
Knock at the door and in sweep 3 wardroom stewards loaded with plates and turreens, they laid out a feast before us of fruit and melon starters, roast beef like mum used to make and a huge apple crumble.
We waded through it and got to the apple crumble, when there came another knock on the door. Guess who,,,
Yes you'r right, the ships co chef with a big tray of plates.
I took the tray, keeping between him and the table, said, you can't come in she's not decent and shooed him away.
Then I took the second lot to the table and told her we had to eat it or we might upset him.
She has never forgotton that meal, and that was 47 years ago.
I have found that in the RN there has always been an almost religeous respect for women folk and nothing is to much trouble when they are on board ship. ( yes before you all shout back at me ) I know that there are Suzy Wong exceptions, but even Suzy wong does get respect of sorts from a matelot
Paddy.
How do we entertain ( the PARTY ) , and are our women folk still referred to as such ?
Just before I got married I was on HMS Sheffield, and Bellerophon at Whale Island.
I had pulled a duty weekend so invited my wife to be down from Berkshire for dinner, ( or do they call it lunch these days ).
I got permission to use the library on Bellerophon and set out a nice table with flowers and even a table cloth from the wardroom steward.
Early in the day I asked the duty chef ( ships co ) to do something nice and he agreed to do a nice roast pork with all the trimmings as pork was the meat of the day.
A little later, it suddenly dawned on me that I seemed to remember my other half saying that she did not eat pork, I got into a flap.
Just then one of the wardroom chef's was passing and I told him my dilema, "LEAVE IT TO ME " he said.
When she arrived ( in her BMW Isetta ) we did the tour of the ship then settled down in the library.
Knock at the door and in sweep 3 wardroom stewards loaded with plates and turreens, they laid out a feast before us of fruit and melon starters, roast beef like mum used to make and a huge apple crumble.
We waded through it and got to the apple crumble, when there came another knock on the door. Guess who,,,
Yes you'r right, the ships co chef with a big tray of plates.
I took the tray, keeping between him and the table, said, you can't come in she's not decent and shooed him away.
Then I took the second lot to the table and told her we had to eat it or we might upset him.
She has never forgotton that meal, and that was 47 years ago.
I have found that in the RN there has always been an almost religeous respect for women folk and nothing is to much trouble when they are on board ship. ( yes before you all shout back at me ) I know that there are Suzy Wong exceptions, but even Suzy wong does get respect of sorts from a matelot
Paddy.