One of my earliest memories of travelling, or even going on a holiday, is one of traveling to Ireland.  Travelling from my home in Cheshire, either by car or by Caledonian Sleeper train (another Podcast or Blog there I feel!), to get to the Stena Ferry at Stranraer, West Scotland, for a close to five hour crossing.

I had just turned thirteen when I first flew on a plane, but was little more than a new born when I boarded my first ferry voyage, my first memories of the crossings are vivid to me from the age of about two or three.

The Ferry was always an exciting part of the journey, and still is for me today, for I write this Blog (5th March) while sat on board the Stena Embla half-way across the Irish Sea bound for Liverpool, having spent a week in Ireland visiting my mum.  So I am still using the ferries nearly forty years later [I don’t like the numbers involved here!].

I have always enjoyed traveling, the journey for me is part of the holiday, even plane travel with it’s security protocols and mad queuing systems, it’s part of the adventure so I try to soak everything in.  It may have lost some magic as an adult with my ever growing cynicism, and shortening tolerance of others’ stupidity [although this has always been a trait- it is getting harder to retain all of my thoughts] but I endeavour to make the most of the experiences and enjoy it as a whole rather than a step to get to the holiday.

Lying down, curled up, dosing on on a comfy chair upon the overnight sailing from Stranraer to Larne was for me my earliest memory of travel, and some of the biggest adventures of my young life.  It felt naughty.  Mature.  Exciting.  To a child to be up so late, wandering around on this hulking sea vessel so far from the shore and solid land.  It was an adventure that my friends had not ever done, so was a unique experience I could share, something that continues even into adulthood occasionally.

It was a very different experience dependant on how we actually arrived at the ferry.

The car; meant my Dad driving.  He did not like to stop for toilet breaks too often, and even when he did, it was a rushed affair for there was a schedule, or plan to adhere to!  [One that apparently hadn’t accounted for human bodily functions- or at least stopping to relieve them! Well short of the planned stop- woe betide you if you didn’t take the opportunity to go when we had stopped] This is something I must say, that I have inherited from him- although I feel that I plan stops adequately so that I don’t have to panic about the delay to the journey time [I still do though].

By train;  This was different as when we travelled on the train  minus dad.  It would just be me, my mum and older brother.  We normally used the train when going without my dad, as my mum couldn’t drive when we were younger [she wouldn’t have undertaken the long journey even when she did pass though to be honest] this was either a quick trip over without him, or to precede my dad on the journey- we would sometimes leave a few days prior to hime if he had to work or couldn’t get leave that would fit in with the school holidays- so we would go as an advance party without him.  I am sure my mum must’ve had anxiety doing this journey alone with two small kids.  You don’t think about this at the time but wow, yeah she’s awesome.

Dad if he was to join us, would do so with the car.  Having your own transport with two kids takes some pressure off, and was in some ways vital to visiting relatives and entertaining us.  Having said that with or without the car we still utilised the public transport in Belfast frequently, and even used it to travel down to the coast where my grandads caravan was.  Seaview caravan Park, in Millisle.  It’s still there now.  Not his caravan sadly, but the location.

We would board the train just before midnight, seen off by my dad, normally in his smart railway Intercity West Coast uniform as he was normally working or just finishing- it made me feel important, proud even, as my dad was sometimes dispatching the train, and speaking to the guard to get us some special treatment.

We would find our room, play games, eat a snack and sleep.  Well I would try to sleep, or pretend so I didn’t get told off by my mum, but the excitement was just too much so would peek out the window all night. In those days I needed only three hours sleep to be fully functional, I would run on minimal calories and rest- what happened!

The rooms were bunkbeds and I can recall very clearly just looking at the blackness out of the window, looking the twinkling lights of the stars and towns flying by, trying to distinguish shapes in the night shadows, my mind racing with imaginative thoughts and very much resisting sleep in case I missed something.  I am still the same.

Arriving at the ferry.

Boarding the ferry by car involved arriving at the ferry port, booking in, parking in a lane, and then going for brew before returning to the car to drive onto the massive Ro-Ro ferry.  Me and my brother would normally ask mum for some money for so we could have a few goes each on the ‘Golden Axe’ arcade machine.  We were devastated when they changed it one year for a game neither of us liked!

At a certain time or when called you’d return to the car and then drive onto the ferry in a long convoy with other cars, vans, holiday homes and the occasional motorcycle (the latter always thrilled me- I was a biker at heart at a young age!)

You would exit the car inside the belly of the ship and take stairs to the passenger decks.  I found this a bit mad, confusing, scary and the most epic thing ever!

Ferries are so big and so heavy, yet they float!?  During loading they get filled up with people, cars, coaches, vans, animals, lorries, goods and cargo and they still float!  I am somewhat familiar with the physics of this, the equation for buoyancy [upthrust] that Archimedes surmised but it still blows my mind.

The process for the train was much the same but the difference being was that you walked from Stranraer train station along mostly covered walkways, this was vital as it was nearly always raining in Stranraer and into the terminal building, check in and wait.  Then, there was the long walk along the gangway to board- you walked straight onto the passenger deck level.  From here you would go and find a place to sit and this would be your nest for the crossing.

We nearly always did this journey in the dark, dusk or early sunrise [due to using the sleeper trains or driving overnight to catch the early hours sailing]- I don’t actually believe that I saw daylight in this place until my age reached double figures!

So, why is the ferry such a good and happy memory, and also why do I still use it?

Nostalgia will obviously play a part in my love of the ferry journey.  Having done it so many times over the years it feels part of my childhood and my life I suppose as I still do the trip now- and oddly on a slower ferry (I now journey between Liverpool Birkenhead to Belfast port which is a freight/ passenger ferry that takes eight hours).

Also, having the viewpoint that the journey is part of the holiday you can enjoy the time aboard, the ferry is less stressful than flying, there is security but it is a quicker affair to board and less waiting around.  The waiting you do have once on board, awaiting the departure, passes quickly as you find a space and make ‘the nest’, before wandering the ship.

There were, and still are plenty of amenities aboard [this isn’t an advert, and I am in no way sponsored, but Stena if you’re reading this then…;)] a shop, cafe, different seating areas, restaurant, kids play soft play area, cinema and gaming area.  The restaurant ‘back in the day’ was more like a canteen which I prefer to be honest.  A thing that was missing on previous ferries from my youth was at seat power, which the modern ferries have, but then again there were no smart phones or tablets to keeper juiced.  It was a simpler time, and made for an enjoyable gaming time aboard, with cards being played for hours!  Although I suppose I could have utilised a plug for my Sega Games gear, which ate AA’s in minutes.

On today ferries there are TV’s all over the place, showing sports, programming and news.  You can also upgrade to the ‘plus lounge’ where you get free drinks and snacks in an  exclusive private area at the front of the ship.  Something never available on previous sailings of my youth.

Or you can sleep [there are cabins if you want to be comfortable!], read, or like me write a blog!  There’s the deck area for fresh air and you can even bring your dog, as we have on this trip.

Although not as equipped as a cruise liner, there is always something to do and with a few episodes of your latest Netflix show downloaded, a book, or deck of cards, eight hours really does fly by!

My favourite memories, and joy I retain from these early experiences, are family life- being with my parents, and brother on an adventure to a place I love, Ireland.  Roaming the ship with my brother and feeling grown up, having a full belly and playing the arcades.

…and…

Just being a happy child.