Like Mariner I spent many a Christmas at sea and cannot recall singing any particular Christmas songs, apart maybe from a personal rendition of 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas' or 'Jingle Bells' in the shower. In UK waters all the ship's crew would get a parcel from the Seaman's Mission (the striped wooly hat, a small gift and a Christmas Card), the idea being that no-one should be alone at Christmas. We appreciated the gesture probably more than was realised.

In later years I worked (still work) offshore on a Gas platform in the North Sea. Until very recent years Christmas Morning was heralded by the arrival of a supply vessel strewn with Xmas fairy type lighting - with a choir, Santa and a PA system on the stern deck belting out 'We wish you a Merry Christmas', 'The First Noel', Away in a Manger', etc. We would collectively gather on deck and gaze down on this (I have to say surreal)sight and eventually wave them off as they sailed off to another platform to repeat the goodwill message. I used to feel sorry for the normally landbased Santa and choir who inevitably succombed to the cold weather and sea conditions as the day progressed, the choir was usually smaller at the last platform visited than at the first. I'm not sure why the 'Santa' visits eventually stopped but I would imagine that costs had something to do with it.

Chris