Three days of sailing across the Indian Ocean after departing Bombay, the Himalaya arrived in Aden. In 1951, Aden was a British Colony.
“Dear Mary
It’s been wonderful getting your letters at nearly every port. I don’t know how you keep up with them – I can’t.
We’re just beginning to really enjoy the trip – no that it’s almost over. Even the dances have brightened up – unfortunately all the bright sparks are Indian or Singalese.”
“I’ve fallen so far behind with correspondence that I don’t remember what I last told you. There seemed to be so much to talk about that I decided to write to you ordinary mail, but thought I’d better send this first, or you’d feel neglected, after you’re being so good to me with the mail. So you’ll probably get stale news ordinary mail after this. “
“We were in Aden on Tuesday evening and I bought a camera. A girl who come on at Perth and sits at our table has been friendly with us, and she’s made friends of the ship’s orchestra – they’re great fun, all middle aged and married but regular wags. One of them develops and prints passengers’ films as a side-line and is a keen photographer himself. He (Bill) was helping a Singalese buy a camera, and let me tag along to help me buy mine. I bought an Agfar – chose between that and an Ikontur – I think I’d rather have had the Ikontur – but would have had to go back to another shop, and Bill said they’d do the same job, and quite satisfactory for all I’ll want I expect. I’m thrilled with it really, thought a bit scared. Bill’s offered quite a bit of advice, and wants me to finish the film so that he can develop it and criticise I expect. Paid fifteen pounds for it. Ikontur was sixteen pounds and ten shillings. He was saying that the Rolliflex and Rollicord are the rolls-rocye in cameras. His singalese friend was after a rollicord but none available in Aden.”
From Jean’s letter to her sister Mary, dated 11 May 1951
Jean set to practicing her photography skills – taking quite a lot of photos around the ship over the coming days … here’s some of those pictures from her first anxious foray into photography:
