me at work

Tuesday 28th November 2006

11:16 a.m. Have just found on-line the photos that the guy that was in the bar last Wednesday night took of me. There are some excellent ones. Check them out:

http://photos.jml.net/c1144548.html

He also took some more from the front but he doesn't appear to have uploaded them yet. I will have to ask him if he can upload them.

11:25 a.m. Having just been idly surfing around that site I have just discovered that the same guy who took those photos was also partly responsible for penning a ditty entitled 'Keith Chegwin For A Day', as featured on an episode of Have I Got News For You.

winding down

Sunday 26th November 2006

2:06 p.m. CET Had another excellent night last night, even though there were no groups or couples sat piano-side for the evening, which is quite unusual. Had a good mixture of people in and had many requests, so many in fact that my first vocal set lasted an hour. The bar was still busy when I finished at 11:45 (no encores, although in a way I felt that the night had only just got going!)

Mathias came over yesterday afternoon and we were giving each other a hand with some songs. He helped me interpreting the chord progressions in Nat King Cole’s ballad These Foolish Things and the popular classic As Time Goes By, both of which I will shortly be adding to my repertoire after going through a few more times!

I have spent the last hour packing, and in a few minutes I am going to meet Gareth and the guys from the band, and go down to the terminal for a farewell drink.

Monday 27th November 2006

5:08 p.m. I am now back home, and amazed at how quiet it is!

Spent half of yesterday afternoon packing, then the other half at the terminal in Zeebrugge with the rest of the entertainments people, which was a nice low-key affair.

Last night was something of an anticlimax, but it went quite well all the same as there were a few attentive groups.

I have just noticed four unread comments from the last four weeks or so, as I had forgotten that I had turned on comment moderation. I have just published them, thank you to my contributors!

Not sure how long it will be before I am working on a boat again, but I know for a fact that I could do with at least a couple of weeks’ break.

around the world in 98 days

Friday 24th November 2006

12:28 p.m. CET Quite a busy night last night, and as has happened a few times recently it didn’t really get going until the last set. There were still several groups and couples in at the end, and I had three encores.

Earlier on I worked out that by the end of this contract I will have done 98 crossings, each crossing being 202 nautical miles, making a total of 19,796 nautical miles (36,662.19 km) that I will have travelled on the boat this year. That's only 3,346 km off the distance round the earth!

Saturday 25th November 2006

10:53 a.m. GMT A good night last night, thankfully free from drunken geriatrics and hecklers. No encores though.

I walked down to the beach again yesterday afternoon and took a couple of photos, which I have uploaded to my web-space.

Only one more round trip to go now…

11:27 a.m. Have just been reading the shipping forecast on-line again. It would appear that a city in the south-west has got bored of its position, and is having somewhat of a personality crisis…

“LOW PLYMOUTH 980 MOVING SLOWLY NORTHEAST AND LOSING ITS IDENTITY”

a glimpse of what's to come

Wednesday 22nd November 2006

4:16 p.m. CET A rather odd night last night, with the majority of the folk on board being from the older generation, a few of which accosted me during the course of the evening in various states of drunkenness.

Yesterday afternoon I went over to the Pride of Rotterdam with Mathias, the resident pianist from there. It was the first time I had been in the new terminal and the ship. The terminal felt like a small airport; had to go up four floors to get to the gangway leading to the ship. The ship itself is a lot bigger and more modern, it is easy to see that it was originally designed to be a cruise ship. Even walking through the crew accommodation felt like ambling through the corridors of a hotel. The piano bar is a circle shape, and is a lot more spacious and slightly classier-looking than the Pride of York’s Moonlight Lounge. There is also a panoramic array of windows, out of which it was possible to get an excellent view of the River Humber and Hull, and surrounding areas. I am due to be going across again tomorrow.

Went to Lidl again this afternoon, this time on the tram. Bought a pile of chocolate to take home for Christmas. Was nice weather today, sunny and a little chilly but not as cold as it has been.

Spoke to Peter at Live Business when I got back. Apparently the guy who was due to be taking over from me has pulled out, so there is a chance I might be staying aboard a little longer, possibly three or four trips. I am not sure yet though. During the course of the conversation, Peter told me that he was keen to use me on the larger ships next year, possibly including the Pride of Bilbao (which sails from Portsmouth).

Thursday 23rd November 2006

10:17 a.m. Again a bit of a non-starter last night, although there were two chaps in the bar for a time who I would guess to be about the same age as me, and one of them took some photos of me playing which he agreed to e-mail to me when I am back home, which should be useful for publicity purposes.

I have decided not to stay on for another week, it has been too long since I slept in a proper bed, and although it was just over four weeks since I was last at home it feels more like four months…

stargazing

Tuesday 21st November 2006

11:43 a.m. GMT Had a reasonable night last night but not really a patch on the night before. Having said that I still had several compliments and words of thanks afterwards, including from one older gentlemen from a group who had been in all evening both nights running, which I thought was quite positive.

Went out on deck last night before I went to bed, and found that the sky was completely clear and could see a lot of the night sky, which was quite breathtaking! It’s a shame that it was so cold or I would have stayed out there longer, and as before the multitude of lights on the boat obscured my view slightly.

blog to the future

Monday 20th November 2006

4:17 p.m. CET Just noticed that my second post from yesterday was erroneously dated in the future, I have now corrected it!

Had an excellent night last night, all of the material which I played was well received, and as is often (thankfully) the case, there was a group in for most of the evening who were sat nearby and I got a good rapport going with. So much so that the guy from one of the couples in the group gave me his business card and said I should look them up when I am in the area and they would take me for some drinks!

The new entertainments manager Gareth boarded yesterday, and he seems like a decent bloke. Will only actually be working with him for three round trips, until I disembark a week today.

Had another pretty rough crossing last night, although not up to the standards of 1st November. I forgot to say in my last entry that on Saturday night I was stood on deck during one of my breaks, and witnessed a thunderstorm at closer range than the one a few months ago. Was amazing seeing not only the lightning in the clouds, but also the reflection on the sea.

shipping forecast

Saturday 18th November 2006

4:30 p.m. CET Had a nice time yesterday with Ida. Fortunately the public transport was a little more reliable this time round so we got to spend most of the day together.

Last night was average, not too busy despite it being the start of the weekend. One of the few Fridays when I have finished early.

Managed to squeeze in some practice this morning, before going into Blankenberge again this afternoon with some of the other entertainments crew. Did some window-shopping and had a coffee on the heated terrace of the ‘Terminus’ again. Went in the band’s van again, fortunately with no near-misses involving trams this time! Unlike the other day, today has been quite sunny but again rather cold.

The relief entertainments manager Malcolm gets off tomorrow, and a new guy comes on along with James for one round-trip, so that he can do hand-over.

Only nine nights to go now… and counting…

Sunday 19th November 2006

11:43 a.m. GMT Last night was very busy in the piano bar but it was an enjoyable evening all the same. There were several groups in for most of the evening, including a group of teachers who were sat piano-side, singing along to most of the numbers and making plenty of requests. Had two encores so didn’t end up finishing until just before midnight. The best night I’ve had for a week.

2:47 p.m. GMT Just been reading the shipping forecast on the BBC web-site. Glad we aren't sailing in the Hebrides tonight. The forecast for this region read,

"HEBRIDES SOUTHEAST VEERING WEST SEVERE GALE 9 TO VIOLENT STORM 11, OCCASIONALLY HURRICANE FORCE 12 LATER. VERY ROUGH BECOMING VERY HIGH. RAIN. MODERATE OCCASIONALLY POOR."

natural art

Thursday 16th November 2006

12:50 p.m. CET On Tuesday night the bar was fairly busy, despite there being a relatively low passenger quota. In many ways was a similar night to Monday, was reasonable but nothing to get ecstatic about. Last night was quieter, but a fairly good night all the same. During the last set a couple came in (who I later gathered had travelled before when I was on) and requested a few numbers. I concluded with my first rendition of Heaven by Bryan Adams, which went better than I had anticipated (as it was unrehearsed).

Friday 17th November 2006

12:49 a.m. GMT Apparently the guy who I mentioned last night was singing my praises at reception after he left the bar!

I went out for my usual again walk this afternoon, which ended up being quite bracing since it was rather windy, cold and raining. A combination of the elements had created some interesting formations in the sand, and I took some photos of them with my mobile phone.



Had quite a good night tonight as well, as with many nights recently had a fairly slow start but it picked up and had a warm reception throughout the evening. Towards the end a young guy requested Don’t Look Back In Anger, so I played it, then came a small flurry of requests for songs of a similar genre to be played, so I ended up performing a couple of Radiohead and Coldplay songs, which was an unexpected and welcome conclusion to the evening.

Ida is coming up again tomorrow… (well later today actually…) which will be nice.

close shave & moving up

Tuesday 14th November 2006

4:30 p.m. CET Had a reasonable night last night, and for the first time in over a week two couples stayed until the end, and I had some compliments after I had finished, both of which were encouraging. After plying himself with Murphys, an older chap was dancing to a few of my closing numbers. He also complimented me on my repertoire. I am fairly confident that it wasn’t just the alcohol talking!

Went to Lidl in Blankenberge with all of the band members this afternoon (in their van). Afterwards we took some coffee at the ‘Terminus’, a bar on the edge of the square, and despite the rainy weather it was very pleasant. However, we nearly had a head-on collision with a tram on the way back; I think I will be arranging my own transport next time!

(I forgot to say the other day that before he went on his break, James wrote in a report to Live Business that he believes I am now sufficiently prepared and ready to work on the larger ships.
There’s a good chance that I might be doing this from early next year. My only main reservation about going onto one of the other ships is that I won’t know anybody!)

more new material

Monday 13th November 2006

11:32 a.m. Has been very busy the last couple of nights. By the time came for my vocal sets on Saturday night I was already on a high, and decided (with James’ impetus) to play all up-beat numbers. This I did, and they were mostly well-received. Performed Billy Joel’s River Of Dreams for the first time, which went better than I had anticipated. Also performed an instrumental version of Gershwin’s Summertime (using sheet music), which also went down well.

Last night was the first typically ‘good’ night I had had for several days. By this I mean that the crowd were receptive and I found it enjoyable instead of a bit of a chore. Premiered my renditions of Dionne Warwick’s Walk On By, and Stevie Wonder’s popular classic, I Just Called To Say I Love You. Again both were well received.

James (the Entertainments Manager) has decided to have three months' break due to family commitments. He left today. The new relief Ent's Manager, Malcolm, will be getting on for a week, then will be replaced by another guy who will be covering James' absence.

Only two weeks until I disembark now. This contract has been the slowest and most testing of the three so far.

that's what I call service!

Saturday 11th November 2006

1:58 a.m. GMT The last couple of nights have been extremely uneventful and in some ways quite frustrating, very few people seemed to be paying any attention to my playing, so I ended up playing mostly instrumentals both nights. At least I had the benefit of finishing early on each occasion though.

Yesterday afternoon whilst in Zeebrugge I went for what is becoming my usual walk down to the beach and back. On the way there I got stopped by the Belgian police and was half-expecting them to demand half a dozen different forms of ID. Instead they asked me which boat I worked on, then asked me if I wanted a lift anywhere!!! You wouldn’t get that in the UK!

a bit of a breather

Wednesday 8th November 2006

4:12 p.m. CET Both Monday night and last night were quiet, so I ended up playing mostly instrumental numbers, with a few vocal ones thrown in half way through the evening.

Got up early today to help with the band changeover which was pretty hectic. After lunch I went for a short walk despite it being cold, wet and foggy.

We’ve got a few large groups on tonight so hopefully there will be a bit more of a mixture of people than the last two nights.

Thursday 9th November 2006

11:42 a.m. GMT Had a good night last night, it seemed to get busier as the evening drew on which is the opposite of what usually happens, as you would expect. Had a fairly slow start, and the audience were mostly over-50s (as is often the case), but by the end I had several people singing along, and two couples were even slow-dancing to some of the more romantic numbers! Had two encores, and as a result I didn’t finish until just before midnight for the second time since the start of this contract. Also after I had finished my second set I got talking to a couple I had met on the outward journey the night before who were from Nottingham.

Another glorious day here in Hull, so I might venture out a bit later on. Not sure where to though!

[On a sporting note, just found out that Tottenham played Club Brugge at home in the UEFA cup last Thursday, beating them 3-1.]

fireworks II

Monday 6th November 2006

4:30 p.m. CET Ida visited yesterday, despite several transport problems. Had a nice time together, and I got stocked up on essential supplies, i.e. Snack-A-Jacks, fruit juice, and Turkish Pepper (strong Swedish liquorice which I have been using as a nicotine substitute).

A largely uneventful night last night, the sea was relatively calm again, and as I was suffering from stomach cramp I wasn’t running on all cylinders.

Had our first proper boat drill since my return this morning. Apparently there is another scheduled for Friday, as we missed out last week.

Also 4 And More, the resident band for the last ten weeks, are due to be leaving on Wednesday, and another outfit known as Pink Panther are set to be replacing them. Once again I have offered my services for the band changeover.

Walked down to the beach after lunch today. It was a little chilly but sunny with not too much wind. The beach itself was predictably deserted, apart from a couple of elderly locals walking their dogs. It has been several years since I walked on a beach in November and it was remarkably pleasant.

(I did manage to see most of the fireworks display on Sunday. As before with the one in Belgium I was watching at some distance but it was still pretty spectacular.)

overtime

Saturday 4th November 2006

4:39 p.m. CET Thursday night was very busy, largely due to a Belgian company who partially took over the ship. The couple who I mentioned were on their return trip, so I played the Peter Skellern number they requested which went down quite well. However in general it proved to be a rather testing night, as the majority of the audience were German, which as always was a bit of a challenge. And as if that wasn’t enough, we were extremely late into the dock in Hull yesterday morning (even later than on the previous round-trip) due to an unusually low tide, so much so that we ended up spending the morning crawling along the Humber waiting for the water level to rise. The majority of passengers resorted to passing the time until disembarkation in the bars, and I unwittingly consented to doing a one-off 45-minute set in the piano bar. Still I just played instrumentals, and it seemed to be well received by the passengers and officers. Plus the added benefit earning a bit of extra cash.

It was rather strange sailing during daylight hours (not something we tend to do at this time of year) so I seized the opportunity of taking a few photos. Here is one of the Humber facing inland, with Hull visible to the right of the picture, and the Humber Bridge in the distance.



Had a much more encouraging night last night, the best of the week actually. Managed to captivate the audience from the outset, which is always difficult. There were several attentive couples and groups in, not least of which an English group of students who were sat next to the piano most of the evening and requested several songs. Ended up playing allsorts, as diverse as Abba, Bon Jovi and Nat King Cole. They will be back on next Saturday for their return trip, which will be another welcome boost!

Also the MD from Live Business, Blaine Sherman was on board again last night, and gave me more positive feedback via James.

The sea was relatively calm last night, plus the sky was clear for the first time in a long time, which helped make for pleasant sailing conditions. The weather has held out today as well, has been a beautiful sunny day, if a little cold. Didn’t go further than the terminal this afternoon though, due to lack of funds.

When on my way into the terminal building earlier this afternoon, I was interested to note that there was a U.N. van parked outside.



Ida is coming up to Hull for the day tomorrow which will be nice, plus seeing her should help to relieve some of the tedium that I have been experiencing since returning to life on the ocean wave!

Sunday 5th November 2006

1:57 a.m. GMT Tonight went very well despite the average age of the audience being slightly higher than last night. Had a good mixture of people in too, and a few of them responded to my pleas for requests, among them were songs by Keane and Coldplay which I relished playing, along with Creep by Radiohead which I don’t think I have ever had requested or played before.

There is a fireworks display at Princes Quay in Hull tomorrow at 6pm so I should be able to get a pretty good view of it from the dock.

stormy weather

Thursday 2nd November 2006

4:19 p.m. Did end up going down to the sea-front on Tuesday with the children’s entertainer Jo (it was her last day) although we ended up battling the elements as it was extremely windy and a sand-storm quickly ensued! We took refuge in The Old Barrel, which seemed to be the only bar open on the sea front (which was hardly surprising really given the time of year).

Hallowe’en fever took hold when we returned to the boat; Jo and James both got into costume and set about frightening the passengers at embarkation. Then later James made a P.A. announcement about Kids Club preceded by some blood-curdling laughter which I found very amusing! Here are a couple of photos of the festivities: James, Jo, Peter (Ship's Police) and a junior skeleton, and the resident band 4 And More, in full Hallowe'en swing.



As is often the case at this time of year there were several people on the return trip of their mini-cruise on Tuesday night, so there were quite a few familiar faces. The crossing itself was rather hair-raising as we were sailing against a force ten gale the whole way, going up to a FORCE ELEVEN at one point, without a doubt the most severe weather I’ve experienced in my whole time at sea. So much so that by the time I got up (which wasn’t early) we were still in the process of making our way into the dock.

I felt like a celebrity when I was walking back from seeing Jo off at the station yesterday: I was accosted by a young man who asked me if I was “ze singer from ze boat, ja?” Rather strange as I didn’t recognise him at all. Maybe word has got around…

Last night was extremely quiet, certainly the quietest of this contract so far. There were no more than twenty people in the whole bar all night, and by 11:15 p.m. there were only two couples left. I became friendly with one of the couples who requested several songs and I sat chatting to them for about twenty minutes when I had finished. They are back on tonight, plus they specifically requested that I play You’re A Lady by Peter Skellern on their return, so I was rehearsing earlier on.

I have to admit to feeling a trifle sheepish about my obsession with superlatives on this blog, but I suppose they are unavoidable really given my unusual line of work.

brief repose

Tuesday 31st October 2006

12:34 p.m. CET A quieter night last night. The evening started off with quite a few people in the bar, and I even got applause during the second of my instrumental sets, which is very rare. I also had a few people singing along during my two vocal sets which also doesn’t happen very often. However the numbers started to tail off and by the time my last set came around it was so quiet that I played all instrumentals, and finished early for the first time since coming back on board.

A very sunny day here in Zeebrugge so I am probably going to walk down to the sea-front in a bit.