From Bannockburn To The Burdekin By Sea
by Denis Gallacher

Quite simply this is an absolute ‘belter’ of a book; once picked up it was hard to put down again. The author takes us through his career, from his time at Outward Bound, to joining his first trip on Blue Funnel’s SS “Jason” as a midshipman with a tyrant of a Master with little love for first trippers. This is a fine book about the real world of ships and seafarers, initially at a time of a still great British merchant navy and a way of life at sea which has now long since disappeared. It is also about about the author’s respect and admiration for the great cargo-liners of Alfred Holt & Co and indeed the company itself. He also goes on to cover the rapid decline and eventual demise of this great company, brought to its sad end by a leadership team far removed from the principals of the original founder. There were, of course, other factors at play, but like so many ex Blue Funnel men, including myself, the death of this great company was brutal and indeed like a Greek tragedy – apt I suppose for a company whose ships were named after heroes in Homer’s works. As the British merchant navy started its descent into decline, the author sought his fortune elsewhere – Australia. He became a master of ocean going anchor handling vessels before he founded and built his own shipping line (Ocean Shipping Pty) with a fleet of four multi-purpose cargo vessels – all carrying the same livery as the famous Alfred Holt & Co. Highly recommended.