“The crowd’s horribly dull and clicky – even the young ones. Remember the woman in the cabin with the grey hair, glasses and violin? She’s not just subnormal, she’s insane. She’s suddenly set against me and I’m now notorious with crew and passengers due to her lurid imagination and advertising, and complaints to officials regarding my behaviour. Among the complaints are drunkenness, parking on the ship’s deck till morning with ship’s officers even mentioned name of innocent victim in complaint to deputy officer – unfortunately no element of truth whatever in them.”
“I’ve had an awful cold. They’ve been going round the ship since we left Melbourne. However a night’s sleep on deck has almost cured it. I think I’ll sleep on deck for the rest of the trip – there’s not much sleep in the cabin with “Auntie” getting up at all hours to annoy us be banging doors, running tips and any other method of making noise she can think of”.
From Jean’s letter to her sister Marj, dated 1 May 1951
Fortunately Jean had fallen in with some good company on the trip from Melbourne, as she goes on to write:
“We arrive in Columbo at noon tomorrow and are planning a tour by a car for six, dinner and night club at the hotel. There’s one snag – we can’t find a third man! Here’s hoping we rig on up in time … I’m looking forward to having letters tomorrow at Colombo (perhaps I’m being hopeful). You’ve no idea how I look forward to hearing from you. I feel as though I’ve been away for years! Send me some snaps some time. I’ll try to write to Mary ordinary mail, but may not get it done in time. Love from Jean.”
