ABU DHABI

Went there four times in 1959 on a brilliant 4,000 ton passenger ship called the M.S. Dumra - we stopped  at 23 ports in 22 days between Bombay & Basrah. In those days there was no air-conditioning  or deodorants & the ambience was very human. They set up brothel tents on the foredeck & wee improvised kitchens popped up to sell pakoras & samosas, musicians got together to jam.

In those days Abu Dhabi was an impoverished line of mud houses - we anchored offshore & the passengers were ferried home on small motor launches. These days it's a resort for billionaires & the marina is stuffed  with sea-going fornicatoriums with a perfect view of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix...

 Watched our Lewis break the track record three times on the trot & get his pole position for tomorrow!

Also watched the Brits do good things at Rugby Union - Scotland 14 - Argentina 9, then Wales 20 - South Africa 11 & England 37 to Australia's 17!!

Extra shows an extract from my Merchant Navy Discharge Book - the smudgy one's the Dumra!