Journey from Montreal to Liverpool on the Sylvania

Return to England

In October 1958, Henry returned from his postdoctoral fellowship in Canada. He sailed from Montreal to Liverpool on the Cunard liner Sylvania.

The Sylvania was built by John Brown of Clydebank, the fourth and final of the Saxonia class of steamships built specifically for Cunard’s Liverpool-Montreal service. Like the Empress of Britain that Henry sailed to Canada on, the Sylvania was designed to carry cargo as well as passengers and had extra strength built into her hull to allow her to withstand icy conditions. Her strengthened hull later saved her from becoming a total loss when she crashed into a rock in 1997 when sailing under the name Albatros. The Sylvania’s maiden voyage was in 1957, but she was taken off the Liverpool-Montreal service just three years later because of declining passenger numbers. Sylvania was sold in 1968, but like the Empress of Britain continued to sail in various parts of the world under different names and ownership until 2004 when she was broken up. (For more information see www.liverpoolships.org.)

Just before sailing, Henry sent a postcard of the Sylvania to his parents:

Postcard of the Sylvania - the ship that Henry sailed from Canada back to England on. — *Postcard of the* Sylvania – the ship that Henry sailed from Canada back to England on.

Time is running out now, only an hour or so left before sailing. John [Henry’s landlord] took me to the station and I was seen off by Chris and Douglas, the same Imperial College chaps who met me last year. Shall miss Canada for a while! See you on the week end – I’m not quite sure when we get in.

Henry, postcard to parents, October 3rd

Unfortunately, the fact that Henry was going to see his parents “on the week end” means that he did not write them a letter, so we have no record of his journey across the Atlantic. However, we do have Henry’s Sylvania memorabilia, some photographs, and Henry’s account of the model bees he made as part of an on-board competition.

Route

Henry’s Cunard Line leaflet “The Historic St. Lawrence River Route To and From Europe” contains ten maps showing the route to Canada taken by Cunard Line ships, each with notes about the area and towns shown. There is a map of the Atlantic crossing and an overview map of the St. Lawrence. The other eight maps detail sectons of the St. Lawrence from Montreal to Newfoundland.

Overview map of the St Lawrence from Cunard's "The Historic St. Lawrence River Route To and From Europe" leaflet. — *Overview map of the St Lawrence from Cunard’s “The Historic St. Lawrence River Route To and From Europe” leaflet (click to enlarge).*

Map of the Atlantic crossing from Cunard's "The Historic St. Lawrence River Route To and From Europe" leaflet. — *Map of the Atlantic crossing from Cunard’s “The Historic St. Lawrence River Route To and From Europe” leaflet (click to enlarge).*

Passengers

Front cover and title page of the Passenger List of the Cunard Sylvania sailing, 3rd October 1958. — *Front cover and title page of the Passenger List for Henry’s sailing (click to enlarge).*

Passenger List of the Cunard Sylvania sailing, 3rd October 1958 - List of Officers. — *Passenger List for Henry’s sailing – List of Officers (click to enlarge).*

Henry on the Passenger List of the Cunard Sylvania sailing, 3rd October 1958. — *Henry on the Passenger List (click to enlarge).*

The Cunard Passenger List included several pages for autographs! — *The Passenger List included several pages for autographs! Unfortunately Henry’s are all blank.*

Leaving Montreal

*Henry’s Cunard document wallet (front).*

*Henry’s Cunard document wallet (back).*

Below are four photographs that Henry took as the Sylvania left Montreal.

Photograph taken from the Sylvania as she left Montreal.

Photograph taken from the Sylvania as she left Montreal. The ship in the middle of the photograph is the Empress of Britain. — *The ship in the middle of the photograph is the* Empress of Britain, the ship that Henry sailed to Canada on.

Photograph taken from the Sylvania as she left Montreal - Sylvania passing under Montreal Bridge. — Sylvania *passing under Montreal Bridge.*

On Board

Meals

Cunard Sylvania dinner menu, 9th October 1958. — *A dinner menu (click to enlarge).*

Entertainment

Cunard Sylvania events programme, 7th October 1958. — *An events programme (click to enlarge).*

Shopping

This little book lists “things you can buy on board Cunard ships at sea”. The things you could buy are listed under the following categories: Binoculars; chocolates and sweets; cigars, cigarettes and tobacco; chinaware; cosmetics; fancy goods; haberdashery; jewellery; medicinal preparations; medical sundries; miscellaneous; photography; perfumery; souvenirs; stationery; toilet requisites, etc.; toys and games; and watches. The booklet also includes several pages of wonderful 1950s advertisements.

Cunard shopping booklet - inside front cover. — *Inside the front cover: “things you can buy on board Cunard ships at sea”.*

Cunard shopping booklet - sample page of things you could buy. — *A sample page showing some of the “haberdashery” and “medicinal preparations” items you could buy on board (click to enlarge).*

Cunard shopping booklet - sample page of advertisements. — *A sample page showing 1950s advertisements.*

Henry’s Model Bees

Their origin! They were made by me on board the good ship RMS Sylvania in October 1958 as I was returning from Canada to England. A competition had been proposed by the ship’s Event Programmers for entrants to represent a popular song as objects. I chose ‘Honeycomb’ which one heard everywhere at the time. I used my worst (white) shirt on which I drew a honeycomb pattern and made the two bees to pin on to the honeycomb.

I was given the eggshells for the abdomen from the ship’s kitchen and I used (I think) cotton wool for the forepart. The wings are of cellophane of which I had a small stock as I had been using it for a nutrient substrate for colonization by micro-fungi (as explained in two papers on ‘Aspects of decomposition of cellulose in Canadian soils’ resulting from my year in Ottawa). Thread was available from my bachelor’s sewing box which I had at the time (and still have) for replacing buttons, minor repairs to socks – very necessary before nylon – and other small repairs.

So few entries were received that the Event was abandoned and I did not have to sing ‘Honeycomb’ in front of an audience!

From Henry’s list of things in the Archive, probably 2019

Note: The song ‘Honeycomb’, written by Bob Merrill and recorded by Jimmie Rodgers, was number one for four weeks in Canada in the autumn of 1957.

British Waters

Below are two photographs that Henry took from the Sylvania after arrival in British waters.

Down the Clyde: Photograph taken from the Cunard Sylvania. — *Down the Clyde.*

Painting the Sylvania. — *Painting the* Sylvania.

Journey Summary

The Abstract of the Log summarises the journey.

Cunard Sylvania Abstract of the Log for the 3rd October 1958 sailing.

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