Three days after I left school, I met a family friend who
happened to be the secretary of the Southampton branch of the
Seaman's Union, who got me a job on the Queen Mary as bellboy ...
this was in 1937. So three days after I left school I made my first
trip in the Queen Mary as a bellboy. Well, for a solid fortnight I
was seasick out and home, and I thought to myself I never dreamed a
ship that size could move about so much as what she did. And when
we reached Southampton, Mother and Pop was on the quay and I came
down on the quay and I had a fortnight's tips wrapped in a white
handkerchief, 2/6 (laughs). That was worth a fortnight's
seasick.
