Out of hours cover

A long time ago, I sailed three or four of the seven seas in good company. Motives were mixed. I was a reservist and discontent with the NHS, the Royal Navy needed medical officers, and I needed time to write a novel. So I rang up a senior naval figure, the appointer, and asked for a ship going somewhere warm and coming back in time for the Edinburgh Festival.

He rang back minutes later, asking when the Edinburgh …