Southampton, Home Port of Queen Mary 2

We docked around 5 am, and by the time I got up at 8 the sun was still not!   Very grim and grey out there.   They say of England, 9 months of winter and 3 months of bad weather!    I bundled up and caught the shuttle that Cunard provides into the center of town.   The city was bombed during the war so there's a lot of newer buildings-- what does remain that is cool are the original walls and gates of the city, dating from the middle ages.  After wandering around town, and after doing the computer thing I ended up near the docks.   I saw a place called the Bosun's Locker with a sign out front advertising room's from 30 pounds.   I thought well if I was ever to depart from here again it would be perhaps a good place to stay, so I went in.   It turned out to be memorable.   I had cashed a 20 dollar bill into pounds earlier, and had spent all but 2 pounds of it on 8 AA batteries and 2 donuts--each donut was $2.50 (which might have given my dad a heart attack),   England is expensive!   Turns out the Bosun's Locker is a pub with rooms above.  There was a fire in the fireplace and half a dozen locals enjoying the afternoon, so I asked if 2 pounds bought a beer and the barkeep said it would buy half one.   Next to me was an older gent who said,  "i'll buy the lad a beer".    Wow!     I of course started to chat him up--told him I was in port for the day.   Well, turns out he had been a waiter on the Queen Mary in the 50's and 60's,  and I was all over him with questions.   The Queen Mary is my favorite place to visit in Southern California (with the exception, of coarse,  my brothers and sisters homes , of coarse).   Robbie was his name,  he had worked all three dining rooms, tourist, cabin and first.  Well we talked and talked.  He bought me another beer and then another bloke did.    It was endearing!     I had my laptop so I showed him movies that I've taken on board in the beautiful dining room on QM2 and in the pub onboard and elsewhere.  He was fascinated!   Thank goodness I had a twenty dollar bill still on me and gave it to the barkeep to buy drinks the next day.  Another afternoon I will never forget!   It was a short walk to the pier, where a band played and fireworks were set off as we headed out into the night.