We only ever intended doing just one special Maritime Memories Voyage, but this was followed by others due to the first's fantastic popularity. They really have been such a huge success that so many of you have contacted us to say that you would like to sail with us again.

And what better than a special voyage all around the UK. So come and join us as, once again, we turn back the clock and step back in time to the Golden Age of Shipping and sail on what we believe will be a truly fantastic voyage, taking us to parts of the UK that many of us have not visited before and to places that we have - like the great port of Liverpool.

In my days at sea I sailed on my first voyage from Liverpool aboard the old "Hinakura", bound for New Zealand via Curacao and Panama. Actually, I'd like to pretend that it was fantastic but, in truth, when I arrived, fresh out of Sea Training School, at Lime Street Station on a cold, foggy winter's day, and the taxi dropped me off at the entrance to the docks, I almost died with fright at the sight of the size of the place back in those days, with ships of very shape and size lining the quays for as far as the eye could see. To tell you the truth, my "bottle" went and I nearly turned and ran for it! But something drove me on - and I'm so pleased that it did for that was the start of what I consider to be the best years of my life.

I really want you all to come on this voyage because we will have such a great time as we sail from and arrive back at Harwich (Yippee - no flying!!) via some really interesting ports-of-call. But, in truth, Liverpool is the one I'm really looking forward to ... I wonder if Maggie will still remember me?!!

Hopefully there will be a very special welcome waiting for us there as we sail into the Mersey with all our old shipping company flags flying proudly from our masthead, flags that were once an everyday sight in Liverpool but probably haven't been seen there for the best part of fifty years. House flags of such great companies as Anchor Line, Ben Line, Bibby Line, Booth Line, Blue Funnel, Brocklebank, Canadian Pacific, Clan Line, Canard, Elder Dempster, Ellerman Lines, Lamport and Holt, Furness Withy, Manchester Liners, Harrisons, PSNC and all the other shipping companies that were once so much part of the great Liverpool scene.

I know so many of you shared experiences similar to mine. Back in those days - not so many years ago - every port and estuary in the country was packed full of ships, which is why I think this journey will be a very special voyage of Maritime Memories.

And how nice to be able to do it on a real ship! Most of you know our vessel - the 20,000 gross tons Discovery. Yes, she is a real ship (not like those huge samey looking things they call ships today) with what I call a real bridge and wheelhouse and, with only 650 passengers aboard, there's so much room - and no endless queues of thousands of passengers to fight your way through.

The food aboard is pretty good as well (and a whole lot better than the stuff many of us were dished-up at our old Sea Training Schools!). And, for that extra Maritime Memories touch, during the voyage there will be several special evenings when we will, with the use of rare old menus from the past, recreate the same gourmet food that was once served to the rich and famous aboard the great ocean liners of yesteryear.

You know, as an indicator of just how good these Maritime Memories Voyages
are, many of our passengers have now been with us on every vovage that we've done, which says an awful lot. And if you're at all concerned" whether your wife or partner will enjoy this voyage then worry not, for they have the best time of all and they're always the first on the `phone to book again.

Finally, as you will see from this brochure, we have a very special offer for all our Maritime Memories passengers. So come on, come and join us and let's all enjoy this opportunity whilst we still can, for this really will be the holiday of a lifetime.

If you want to know more about Maritime Memories and this unique voyage then do call us on 0845 017 189

(If you do book through Voyages of Discovery direct, please let us know by email: des@snowbow.co.uk)