After snuggly warm and comfortable nights sleep (I am going to take this bed home with me) we woke quite early as ships time had been put back one hour during the night. Just before 8am we were one of the first in the queue for breakfast in the Britannia. We could have had a buffet breakfast in any of several around the ship, but we didn’t think and picked the one that was just down the corridor and one deck up. The next people in the line were our dinner couple of the previous night. We opted to sit together again. It was waiter service so individual items had to be selected, still suffering from a brain that had fallen in love with a pillow and couldn’t contemplate anything complicated as another part on my body I asked if the waiter knew what a full English breakfast was and the reply was, “How full do you want it?” Of course my stomach kicked in and responded with, “As full as it gets.”

Disappointingly there was no black pudding, but as a substitute there was two eggs and some how my coffee cup never seemed to empty. I will keep a closer eye on it tomorrow to see how it is done.

We had a brisk walk around a sunny deck, a long conversation with a lady from Sheffield and then a look around the shops (again), discovering that the dollars we had brought on board were of no use as everything went onto account. Afterwards we strolled through the art gallery commenting on the exhibits as if we were seasoned collectors, dropping the odd comment the $13 500 was a reasonable price for such an effective piece of art and where would we put it as we are so quickly running out of space.

Sue went to a lecture on Tanzanite jewellery which sounded fascinating, but luckily not enough to purchase any. I watched a fencing class for a while and then listened to a few quiz questions in the Golden Lion pub, before deciding that lunch beckoned.

We chose one of the restaurants with a nice window table and squeezed a few more calories in. Unfortunately for Sue as she was getting her dessert I spotted (along with the lady o the next table) a couple of dolphins swimming along side the ship. Of course they had disappeared by the time Sue returned.

During the afternoon we both attended a lecture on Whales and Dolphins. It is the first of a series and we are looking forward to the rest. After the obligatory coffee and sandwiches, Sue went to watch ‘The Great Gatsby’ and I started the crossword in the ship’s newspaper in our cabin with Skysports on the TV. It was my intention to relocate to the Golden Lion for a pint and watch the Man. Utd v Swansea match, but I made the mistake of leaning against my most favourite pillow in the world and it worked its magic.

On Sue’s return we relocated to a restaurant for afternoon coffee and I had some nice finger sandwiches, which I guess are designed to keep your hands from starving.

That evenings meal was formal. Being not as trim as I would like to be my DJ is no longer a bespoke fit, though the jacket passed muster the trousers gave me an insight into the tortures that Victorian women suffered when they stuffed their voluptuous waists into tight herringbone girdles. I substituted an old pair of black school trousers in their place and felt much the more comfortable for it. A shame Sue wouldn’t let me take my pillow with me to further increase my sense of comfort and security!

Sue dressed in a very fetching black dress accompanied me into dinner where we once again sat with our new friends from Northumberland. Earlier on that afternoon the Captain had announced that during the night we were due to sail into a storm, and as our meal progressed the ship began to increasingly rock and roll. By the time the main course arrived Sue announced that she wasn’t feeling well and retired gracefully to lie down in the cabin. I joined her after the cheese course.

Sue felt well enough (though the ship was lurching randomly) to attempt the evening show in the main theatre. The act was a singer guitarist from Indiana. He sang a medley of popular songs from the 50’s to the 70’s, Sue loved it, though I must confess it wasn’t my cup of tea. By the time the performance had finished there was quite roll on the boat and our compere for the voyage informed us ominously that tomorrows performance of ‘Vanity Fair’ may not go ahead due to sea conditions. Afterwards, rather than risk any unpleasant accidents in the Grand Ball (as planned) we decided to retire to our stateroom while we were both still in a fit state to do so. With heads resting on Cunard pillows we knew all would be safe with the world. We shall see tomorrow.