ON THE OLD P&O LINE

FIVE THRILLING YEARS AT SEA

WITH KEN BEARD

This whole series of articles came about in 2018; I was just starting out as an enthusiastic, if somewhat naïve, illustrator and was keen to hear some first-hand accounts of life at sea on board the big liners of yesteryear that I was planning on drawing. I came across Ken’s contact details on a guestbook and what followed shocked me; Ken could recall technical details that had largely sat dormant in his brain for decades. I only hope that this account of his life at sea will be a source of pride for his family and form some small part of the rich and ancient tapestry of maritime history, that ages-old tale of man’s attempts to conquer the mighty ocean of which Ken certainly played his role.