When The Going Was Good - Christmas Aboard The Queen Elizabeth 2

As Christmas is soon upon us, as my tradition every year, I do two things. First, I watch the 1951 film Classic, ‘Scrooge’ (A Christmas Carol) starring the inimitable Alistair Sim ( as Scrooge) and then a few days before Christmas itself, I start to read the unabridged version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens finishing late on Christmas Eve.
Although written some 166 years ago, it still holds up and the language is as glorious as ever. I think even as a child, the language captured my imagination long before the story itself did. What can I say, I was a strange child.

As Christmas approaches this year, I remember with great fondness, about 20 or so years ago, I was sailing from London to New York on Christmas aboard the Cunard liner, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (one never says QE2!..Its very NON-U).

On that particular Christmas Eve, dining in the Queens Grill, having had my fill of Champagne, lobster and unlimited scoops of Osteria caviar (that’s right, scoops), I made my way to the theatre and was pleased to find out that there would be no movie that night, but instead, as the English company of the Ole Vic was on board ( heading to New York to perform), that one of the cast was going to read, Dickens “A Christmas Carol”. That evening proved to be one of the many highlights of my life.

As I sat back (well sated on food and drink), sitting there in the dark, for the next 1 hour 1 /2, I was to be captivated by a reading of A Christmas Carol by an actor; a Shakespearian actor mind you, to boot, of my favorite book. The language of that book had not tarnished with time and in fact with his reading, seemed to have grown more and more in my mind as the most wonderful thing I have ever heard.. That hour or so was magical, I wish I could describe it, but is was a mothers hug, a lovers embrace, all the food and drink one desires- all rolled into one. I am sure we have all had magical moments like this, but this is high on my list, next to my first visit to Paris.
I did not wish the reading to end and I did not wish the ship to ever port, but to sail on forever!
Traveling on a ocean Liner, such as the Queen Elizabeth 2 (and other ships of that ilk), dressing for meals (I loved that!), being around interesting and well behaved fellow passengers was the best of times for this young man.
That era has gone, long gone, and one can not live in the past (except in ones mind) and I was lucky to have had the opportunity to experience it.

So as Tiny Tim says at the end of the book, I say to all of you readers on this run up to Christmas……..                 “"God bless us………. every one”