Trip from Trinidad - part 2 - by Ebeneezer

April 10, 1930

I feel quite silly writing in a diary about our trip, but Louise asked me to do it. She says she feels it is important to catalogue anything of importance that happens, as it will be interesting for our grandchildren to read in the future. She herself is not up to writing this time. As we are leaving Trinidad for good this time, it also means leaving our family behind – our son and his wife and our very much beloved grandchildren, Phoebe and Philip. Louise is very depressed, and spends much of each day crying. Of course, we hope they will be able to come and visit us in England, but that will depend on circumstances. Arthur is not well off, and the children’s education must be though of. Louise hopes they will be sent to England for University, but that is still some way off.

I know that what Louise really wants me to write about are the other people on the boat, especially the important ones (according how she thinks.) Well, I know for a fact that there are two baronets on the ship, so for her sake I will try to make their acquaintance and will write up what I find out. But I don’t intend to question them, nor do I intend to write up about what books we are reading or films we will be watching. I'm sorry but there is a limit to what I am prepared to write about.

We were hoping to get on the Bayano again, as we had such a good time on it two years ago, but it was not to be. We are on a similar ship also under the control of Elders and Fyffes and also a banana boat. It is called the Coronado. It also does about 20 knots an hour, as it is much the same size and layout as the last one was.

There are 56 passengers on this trip – somewhat less than on the last one, and only six children including two babies. Almost everyone is British and about 20 are tourists, on their way home.

The two baronets are as follows: Dudley Clark-Jervoise, with his wife Grace and daughter Gladys, and Hugo Fitzherbert, who is travelling on his own.

That is all I can think of for an introduction, and I will add its to this diary as and when things occur to me.

 

April 15

 

Louise keeps asking how I am doing with my diary, so I felt I had to make another effort with this. As it happened, after dinner tonight, I was having a whisky and cigar with several of the people who are of most interest to her, so I might as well try to put down the conversation we had, and see if that will satisfy the sorts of think she wants.

Those present with me were Hugo Fitzherbert about 60, who is the Baronet from Tissington in Derbyshire; Herbert Greenlees, Distiller somewhat younger, from Scotland; Dudley Clarke-Jervoise, about 50 who is the Baronet from Idesworth Park, Hants and Eugene Randall, perhaps in his early 70's from Australia.

The first subject for conversation was as you might expect, sport.

Me: Hello. I believe you're Fitzherbert. We met the other night but didn't really have much time to chat. I'm Ebeneezer Tree. (We shake hands.)

Fitzherbert: So what are yo doing on this boat? I would hazard a guess that you weren't there for the cricket.

Me: No, I've been working there, in Trinidad, that is, for the last 40 years. I have finally retired, and I am now on my way home.

Fitzherbert: So what was your line of business?

Me: Religion. I'm an Anglican minister.

Fitzherbert\: Of sorry. Didn't take you for one of those. But I suppose with a name like Ebeneezer you must have felt you could hardly get on with anything else. (He laughs heartily)

Me: So were you in The West Indies for the test Match?

Fitzherbert: Yes I was and worth every pound and every minute of my time. Greenlees, over there, came for the same reason. We didn't know each other before, but met up on the boat over in December, and have sort of stuck together every since with nether of us having any hangers-on to worry about.

Me: So don't your wives enjoy cricket – or aren't you married?

Fitzherbert: Certainly not. Any of you going to the UEFA cup in Uruguay this July? I certainly shall try to make it.

Greenlees: (Hearing his name mentioned comes into the conversation.) I was, married, that is, but cricket is not the sort of place to take a woman. Herbert Greenlees. (He said sticking out his hand for me to shake, which I did.)

Me: Ebeneezer Tree.

Fitzherbert: Or the Reverend Ebeneezer Tree to give him his full title. He's been preaching to the natives for the last 40 years. And did they convert?

Me: There have been missionaries for all the major religions in the West Indies since the middle of the 17^th century, and most of us are not now called missionaries, as such, but just preaching the gospel and helping our fellow man, whether he be black or white as best we can.

Greenlees: No need to take offence, old man. What you do and why is your own business. But I'm interested to see you are drinking God's own nectar, and from my very own distillery. See our poster over there.(picture above)

Me: Ah, I should have thought when I heard your name. So you are one of the McDonald Greenlees who make Dalwhinnie are you? Are you the son of James or Samuel?

Greenlees: I am a relative, but not a son. I work for Grendullan Distilery, which was established by William Williams who then merged with the Greenlees Brothers, who belonged to Alexander & Macdonald in those days (1919) and bought Dalwhinnie. But before that our finest whiskey was Old Parr, which we started making in 1871 when the British empire was at is highest, America was uniting after its civil war, and Japan was beginning to emerge as a trading nation after centuries of feudalism.

This was the era when a certain Mr. Dunlop was playing around with ideas for a rubber type, Mr. Bell was talking about a telephone and Charles Darwin was trying to persuade all mankind that we were descended from apes.

And it was the year that the Greenlees Brothers began producing a fine old whisky appropriately names after a man who lived for 152 years, Thomas Parr.

Fitzherbert: I've heard of it but never tasted it.

Greenlees: Old Parr is a truly historic blend.

When James and Smauel Greenlees first began producing Old Parr in 1871, little did they know that one day it would be exported all over the world, and be recolonised as one of the few true deluxe whiskies.

Greenlees: Here's a picture of our distiller (He passed it around.)

Randall: Can anyone join in this discussion? Let me introduce myself. Eugene Randall from Perth, Australia. I work for the Union Bank of Australia, but I am a solicitor. Bankers often are in need of good legal advice. (He chuckled)

(We shook hands all round with each giving his name.)

Randall: I know you gents are all drinking whisky, which I reckon you consider the best drink in the world, but we Aussies call beer, amber nectar. So when I heard the word amber, I assumed you were with me on that, and now I see how mistaken I was.

Greenlees: Were you over for the cricket?

Randall: I picked up a game or two but the West Indians are coming to us for the test match this coming autumn, so I hope to get in as much of that as I can.

Fitzherbert: Did you catch the fourth?

Randall: I certainly did and I can tell you Brits might have won in the last match had Calthorpe, after establishing a lead of 563, enforced the follow-on but MCC batted a second time and as you know, rain prevented any play on the last two days.

Fitzherbert: As is always the case when an English team visits the island, batsmen show to far greater advantage than bowlers, the hard pitch generally proving unresponsive to spin.

Greenlees: While most of the batting generally gave every satisfaction, that of Hendren was outstanding. Four times he put together a score of over 200 and on each occasion carried out his bat. I expect Middlesex was proud of him.

Fitzherbert: In addition, he obtained two other centuries and at the end of the programme had an average of 126.

Clark-Jervoise: (to me) I gather that you perhaps are not such a great cricket fan as these others?

Me: Well, I enjoy a game occasionally, but I must admit that we were so busy packing and getting ready to leave that I didn't really follow much of the test match. I do like football, and one of our local boys from Newtown in Trinidad, where we lived, is famous in England. You might have heard of him, Alfred “King” Arnold, who plays for Everton. I'm Ebeneezer Tree, by the way.

Clark-Jervoise: No sorry, I haven't. Dudley Clark-Jervoise (we shood hands). I have the family here with me on this trip – wife and daughter. We've been living in Barbados, but thought it was time for a home visit to catch up with the rest of our family.

Me: And where is home for you?

Clark-Jervoise: Idsworth Park, near Horndean in Hants. And where are you off to?

Me: Worcester. We are retiring, my wife and I. She is feeling rather low with leaving our son and his family behind, but is really looking forward to spending more time with her sisters.

Clark-Jervoise:  Maybe if she wants some cheering up, my wife might do the trick. She loves making people happy. Why don't we arrange to sit together at dinner tomororw, and the little ladies can get to know each other. And who knows, maybe they will get to be great friends and you can come and visit us at Idsworth. My Grace hardly knows anybody around there any more herself.

Me: What a capital idea. I'm sure my wife will be delighted to meet your wife and daughter, and when they are happily chatting, we can talk about cricket or football or the state of the world economy.

So we shook hands again and I returned to our room to write this and go to tell Louise what I had found out.