# What did you do on Christmas eve.......



## Glyndwr (Jul 8, 2008)

In 1975 whilst on board Kinnaird Castle we were stuck in Lobito (Angola) for several months due to the civil war. At Christmas we decided to do something different. The Captain's wife brought a piano on board with her before we set sail from Avonmouth, and during the time in Lobito created a small dixie band made up of banjo, guitar, piano and sax. On Christmas eve we decided to lower the piano into a lifeboat and go round the ships at anchor singing carols. Before we did this though the young cadets had to calculate the correct trim for the lifeboat. Once we were given the go ahead it was plain sailing all the way. The boat was lit with candles and artificial christmas lights. There was also a tree. The Captain's wife played for nearly two hours and carol singers sang in the boat behind which also carried draft beer including cooler.....

Can anyone better this fine attempt in bringing some happiness and joy at Christmas to a very delicate and sensitive situation, which it was at the time.

Best wishes for a Merry Xmas and prosperous New Year.

Glyn Lewis Genoa Italy


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## Heathcote (Feb 11, 2021)

Glyndwr said:


> In 1975 whilst on board Kinnaird Castle we were stuck in Lobito (Angola) for several months due to the civil war. At Christmas we decided to do something different. The Captain's wife brought a piano on board with her before we set sail from Avonmouth, and during the time in Lobito created a small dixie band made up of banjo, guitar, piano and sax. On Christmas eve we decided to lower the piano into a lifeboat and go round the ships at anchor singing carols. Before we did this though the young cadets had to calculate the correct trim for the lifeboat. Once we were given the go ahead it was plain sailing all the way. The boat was lit with candles and artificial christmas lights. There was also a tree. The Captain's wife played for nearly two hours and carol singers sang in the boat behind which also carried draft beer including cooler.....
> 
> Can anyone better this fine attempt in bringing some happiness and joy at Christmas to a very delicate and sensitive situation, which it was at the time.
> 
> ...


I was a deck cadet on the Kinnaird Castle for Christmas 1971 in Lorenco Marques, Mozambique. We did not have AC so we spent a lot of time on a Clan Line ship that had AC that was also in port. I remember having ice cream with our Christmas meal and watching it melt before I could eat it. Good times and memories.
Robert Hughes.


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