EU TRIP PART 1
Table of Contents
An example of cultural differences. 3
in my early years as a full-time college lecturer, I had a colleague, lecturing on the same courses, Bill – – who somehow discovered that The European Union, would subsidise the travel, accommodation and subsistence costs of educational trips to the institutions of the EU -where relevant to the subject being studied.
As we ran/ lectured on – all the international trade examination courses within the college – awarded by an external accredited Awarding Body– the UK Institute of International Trade ( as it had become) – it was obviously an opportunity to be investigated.
Cut to the chase – in the fifteen years I continued as a full-time lecturer and course tutor – we ran about ten annual 5 – 7-day trips, most with the maximum of thirty-five students.
All adults – as the minimum entry age on the courses was 18, and the average age was mid/late twenties – so no problems with ‘in loco parentis’.
The Itinerary
Assemble, Monday lunch time, in the local pub – well, they’re all adults – lunch and a drink – then back to the college to board our luxury coach – tables, toilet – hot drinks P A and video systems (for educational videos – plus Fawlty Towers etc.)
Over to Hull – party booked in, along with the coach, for overnight North Sea Ferries (NSF) to Zeebrugge – with dinner, breakfast and double cabins.
Most trips at ‘mate’s rates’ – me and Bill ( who had moved to the Travel & Tourism Department) made friends, over the years, with Tony, the NSF’s Sales Manager – we brought with us an adult group of, practising exporters, freight forwarders and travel agents – all potential customers and influencers – so a decent discount for the whole party.
One early crossing – he was actually on board, hosting a freebie for a bunch of travel agents and spent more time with our group than with them – he realised that our mixed bunch had more potential – even gave me and Bill a ‘free drinks at the bar’ card – we shared it with the group of course. Future trips got a very attractive discounted rate – with Bill and I free with single cabins. (but not free drinks!)
Always an entertaining evening –from what I remember!
Loved the steak pie and chips – real comfort food
Main bar – always a disco and sometimes a live band – and dance floor, Blackjack tables (my game) and I gave lessons – it was an educational trip – well, I always learnt a lot!
however, not every crossing was entertaining or even comfortable.
An example of cultural differences
The British Regiment
One crossing – we had communal dinner – we tried to keep the group together for most of the time – and, as was our habit, transferred to the main bar.
Discovered that a large number of – what turned out to be British soldiers out of uniform – had taken over a large part of it.
I’ve never seen so many bottles of Grolsch in one place!
With some reservations – we managed to get seated together, some distance from them, and within reach of the bar.
No sign of any officers in control and it gradually gets rowdier.
The singing we could live with – until it got rude. But when two of them started dancing on a table and bar staff obviously called in security – who were heavily outnumbered – it was time to go.
At least me and Bill knew our way all over a North Sea Ferry.
We decamp to the Quiet Bar at the stern – having checked with the bar staff that it was open – no problem. They said that they wished they could come with us.
I did notice, as we left, that three of the girls looked like they were staying. Felt obliged to go back and have a word.
They said they were fine and could look after themselves. Told them where we were going and how to get there and left them to it. All mature adults and their call.
Quiet bar – perfect – few other passengers with the same idea but seating for all – including, already there, two British officers in uniform, having a quiet drink – who never even asked how it was going in the main bar – in fact never spoke to anyone else – ‘ out of sight – out of mind.’
So – a quiet night – no disco – but no queues at the bar and there was a jukebox.
Next morning – we did eventually get the whole group onto the coach- a few a little late – but nobody missing.
I didn’t ask the three ladies, how they got on – they might have actually told me! At least they weren’t sbducted.
The Dutch Regiment
Some years later – same outward trip – Hull to Zeebrugge and what at first looked like a similar scenario.
Main Bar large group of, what we found out later were, Dutch soldiers – again out of uniform but nowhere near the number of Grolsch bottles than the last time.
Got our group seated and it was clear that the atmosphere was quite different from the previous experience.
Not rowdy or intimidating at all. Some were playing cards – saw two playing chess – over a drink but nothing out of hand.
Then Bill and I are approached by two uniformed officers, who introduced themselves as the Dutch officers responsible for their regimental soldiers – they named the regiment – but even if I remembered it – I couldn’t spell it. They very politely apologised for disturbing us and asked if they could have a quick word – all in perfect English.
We say no problem and they join us.
They had identified us, with the advice of the bar staff, as the leaders of the group we were surrounded by.
Their first question –
Would we object if some of their men asked some of our ladies to dance?
We thanked them for asking and pointed out that ‘our ladies’ were all adults and it was entirely their choice and not a problem for us – but added that, if they said ‘no’ then that should be accepted without question.
They assured us that would, of course, be the case and one of them went off to tell their men and the other asked if they could buy us a drink and would we mind if they joined us for a short while as they had noticed that our group was quite diverse and mature i.e. not a typical student group and were interested what the purpose of our trip was.
Seemed churlish to refuse and we had an interesting hour or so, telling them what we were up to. They both said that they would have loved to do such a tour and would research the possibilities for their recruits to expand their knowledge. I asked for an email address and said I would send them the contact details I had for the visitor’s service and recommended that they got in contact with the MEP for their main location, who could sponsor them.
We discovered that they were returning from a joint manoeuvres exercise in the Scottish Highlands,
but couldn’t give us the details.
Except that -they had developed a taste for single malts and subsequently insisted on buying a round of them to thank us for our help – once again, churlish to refuse.
I did give them a valuable lesson on how to correctly pronounce, my choice– the popular Glenmorangie.
I had once worked with a woman from Scotland who educated me.
I’ll have to tell you the secret now – the emphasis is not, as many people pronounce it – on the fourth syllable i.e. glen moranGIE – but on the second syllable i.e. glenMORangie.
I was once hosted by a member, in the Caledonian club in London – with a huge selection of single malts on display behind the bar.
Got my pronunciation approved by the barman – who – looked like he didn’t approve of much. It was only a nod, half smile and an almost silent, ‘well done, sir’. But that will do me.
Then I blew it by saying – ‘can I have a cube of ice in it, ‘and his two-word reply – ‘Ye canna’ – could have been worse!
On the ferry – a pleasant evening was had by all – the officers, present and in charge at all times – in fact remained as part of our group and talked to a number of students and no hint of trouble. – In fact, the two groups seemed to blend well together – some of the Dutch lads did their party piece break dancing and some even knew all the moves to ‘Wig Wam Bam’ (just Google it and ‘Sweet’) – and three or four times we weret hanked by a few of them and asked if they could buy us a drink. We thanked them and politely refused – just didn’t feel right somehow.
We weren’t selling tickets!
Though, Bill did give it some thought – even asked the DJ if he could play ‘Private Dancer’!
Zebrugge
Calm crossing and arrive on time i.e. bloody early.
Bit of breakfast. Disembark and onto the coach about 08.00 and, eventually, all present and we are off to Brussels.
Original Itinerary
Tuesday Zeebrugge – Brussels –
European Commission
&
EuropeanEconomic \& Social Committee
&
The Atomium – European Atomic Energy Community
Wednesday – Brussels to Luxembourg – Parliament –
Original Chamber
&
Administration
Thursday- European Court of Justice
Friday –Luxembourg -to Zeebrugge – North Sea Ferries check in
Saturday – Hull – Manchester Back To college – lunch time.
Latterly the Luxembourg visits were eventually dropped when the Court of Justice chose to only allow students on law degrees or better and we focused more on where it was all happening – the Parliament in full session in Strasbourg,
The first trip we did – when we got home –
I slept for 14 hours
Bill for 18 hours
and we still did it again – see Part 2.