Dave Batchelor - T.O.W. waiter 1981-82

[David Batchelor]

Hi All,
        This is my first post to introduce myself, I have meant to post on here much earlier so aplogies for my tardiness...
           Back in '8o I was a 17yr old teenager having just completed my 3 months catering training at Gravesend Kent... When I signed on at the 'Pool' I was aware that 3 cruise ships were in at the weekend end, Oriana, Canberra & QE2, I was lucky and signed on a a commis waiter for the QE2 
          After a few month's and just befor my 18th birthday I was waiting the tables, I completed the 1981 world cruise and signed off on arrival back in Southampton prior to the Falklands refit...
People that I knew were;

Graham Davis, Tony Evans, Ron Dharamraj, Peter Skelcher, Marc Flute & Chris Jones (cook)

If anyone remembers me then feel free to say hello, especially those named above...

Take care all,

Dave     

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Welcome, Dave, and thank you for your introduction!

You are looking very smart in the pictures, and I would never have guessed that you were still a teenager at the time . Did you get some support from your older colleagues when you arrived?

I hope you'll find plenty of others to share memories with. And us ex-passengers, most of whom never really knew what went on behind the scenes, would love to hear more about your daily life and about those fun times that made life on QE2 so special.

[Lynda Bradford]

Hello Dave

It was good to read your introduction with memories of joining the QE2.  What an experience for an 18 year old to work on a world cruise - fantastic.   Looking forward to hearing more of your stories and hope you find information on people who worked with you onboard the ship.

[Alan Snelson]

Hi Dave and welcome,

It's great to have yet another new crewmember with us, especially one from the earlier years of QE2. I am fairly sure you worked on some of the concessionaires tables as you look very familiar, as do all the faces on the 1980 photo. I wish I could remember more names. Did you run a station with the guy on your right in the group photo, the one who is looking away, if so you would have definitely served the photographers table.

A couple of photos here where you might recognise a few faces.
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,300.msg55117.html#msg55117

[cunardqueen]

The guy on the far right of the photo with the ginger hair looks familiar, did he go ontoto be come a wine waiter?

The Tables of the World, now theres a throwback to the old days, what section did you like the best. there were several themes.
Anyway welcome to the forum, and happy sailing !

[David Batchelor]

Hi All,
         Thanks for all the kind wecoming messages, I'm not too sure why the pictures I uploaded have disappeared, however hopefully they can be seen on the links below;





The chap with the ginger hair did go on to become a wine waiter and yes for a brief period I did look after the ship's photographers 

Being a youngster I was never given a set of table near the galley, I started in the brickyard (right at the back of T.O.W.) and gradually crept as far as the middle of the restaurant...

Below is a pic of me just after leaving QE2 with my beloved Triumph Dolomite Sprint, I still own a 1977 model which is used for dry summer days...



Hopefully I'll get time to upload some more pics another day, sadly I couldn't see the pics from the link that Alan provided...

Regards Dave

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Thank you, Dave, for posting the photos again -- great to see them in larger size, and to see your beautiful car as well.

As for the photo attachments -- both your own and Alan's -- thank you for having drawn our attention to their disappearance. This is a technical problem apparently affecting almost all attachments in the Forum, and thanks to your asking about it, Rob will now be checking what is causing it. Hopefully, they will be back before long.

[Rob Lightbody]

As for the photo attachments -- both your own and Alan's -- thank you for having drawn our attention to their disappearance. This is a technical problem apparently affecting almost all attachments in the Forum, and thanks to your asking about it, Rob will now be checking what is causing it. Hopefully, they will be back before long.

Now fixed !

[Clydebuilt1971]

Dolly Sprint as well!!

Welcome Dave.

Gav

[James Harvey]

Hi was Marc flute also a waiter and do you have any photos?

[David Batchelor]

Hi, yes Marc was a Commis waiter, we both were when we joined the Qe2. The pics were taken in 1981.

[James Harvey]

Thank you