WORLD SHIP SOCIETY

At the beginning of a lifetime of travel, putting together complex itineraries that stayed on the surface of the globe, be it, wherever possible, by train and ship, were both fun to create and often resulted in experiences that could not be had by flying over the world and landing here and there. Naturally, not everything went as planned, with both positive and negative results, and ratcheting up the drama. Back then, borders were easier to cross, civil unrest was less prevalent, and rail and ship services were, in many cases, better operated then than now, if they exist at all today.

Forty-four years ago, Ted Scull undertook the granddaddy of classic overland and sea journeys from Europe to Southeast Asia, a rite of passage for adventure travelers. Today most of that classic route no longer exists for a whole host of reasons that were discussed during Ted’s account of his travels from London Victoria Station to the port of Murara, the Sultanate of Brunei, on Borneo’s north coast. His transport involved four ships, five trains, one bus, and one flight, and his entertaining program included photos of the many passenger vessels he encountered en route.

For planning purposes, Ted’s essential tools of the trade were the Thomas Cook Continental Timetable, ABC Shipping Guide, and Passenger Shipping Guide, plus whatever rail and steamship brochures he could find in the racks of travel agencies and national tourist offices or ordered by mail.