Competition

Short Story Competition

Interest in the BI story competition has been unexpectedly low and thus the organiser, Peter Raymond, has sadly had to abandon the idea.

This competition was conceived during the reunion in Penang when I thought that the stimulus of getting together with ex-shipmates and colleagues would stir the grey cells and perhaps, with the reason for the competition in mind, persuade people to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard and set down a page or three of recollections. I found it interesting that some of our number had diverged completely from the marine scene and were sheep farmers, bee keepers, and what have you. Others like myself have 'progressed' to becoming surveyors, consultants or large marine project managers.

I thought the decisions made to do whatever it was that people were doing as a result of the demise of BI would be of interest. Obviously the second category of our experiences with the ships we sailed in would have been essential for a book on the latter years of BI and the third category of the experiences of the ladies would also have been essential. My bride was sailing in to Bombay on the very day that I sailed out. We spoke on the RT and I had to give her the bad news. Fortunately she was met by "BI wife" and shown to the accommodation I had arranged. I'm sure many others wives had similar experiences and would have had to acclimatise and adjust to Indian life. All grist for the mill.

Perhaps the [competition] idea was not promoted well enough, the task seemed too onerous or the prizes were insufficient but the result was very disappointing. I received two submissions and two enquiries. I have therefore to announce that the BI Story Competition is dead.

Peter Raymond