Precious little time remains for dropping hints about those LSC whisky tumblers which might grace the boat; there is barely sufficient tide for a frost-bitten Fast Cruise; and our Carol Service tells us that Christmas waits for no man. There is nothing like good acoustics and a strong choir to encourage a congregation in the first Carols of the year: even the LSC can sing well at St Michael Paternoster Royal.

Led by the choir which Anne Rickwood had kindly arranged and carried along at pace by the organ, the Little Ship Club embarked upon Christmas. A haunting choral fanfare had unfurled in the church as we took refuge from the cold; Once in Royal David’s City had given us our bearings; and The Rev Tom Heffer’s Bidding Prayer then set us on course for carols and readings which told the story of Christ’s birth and bid us be thankful to God for it.

The choir saw Three Ships Come Sailing In and RL Stevenson’s Christmas at Sea brought us a vessel tacking out, the crew hauling on frozen sheets on blessed Christmas morn. Sailors’ thoughts are rarely far from their boats, even in Carol Services.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas, sang the choir to deserved applause and, as Rupert Merson coaxed a voluntary from an organ with one manual and no pedals, we ran the gauntlet of Upper Thames Street, hats pulled down and collars turned up, in search of warmth and mulled wine. The Club had plentiful supplies of both.

Twinkling table centres, silver crackers and a reliably traditional Christmas Dinner were set before us by Didier Felix, Taz and their team. The Dining Room was full; the party poppers popped and the sound of dining in good company filled the Club.

Commodore, David Roache is renowned for brevity. His speech was elongated only by the time it took to extract Taz from the kitchen so that he, Didier and all our catering staff could be thanked for the evening and for their service through the year.

We are grateful to Val Tunmer and Anne Rickwood for organising the evening; to the choir Anne arranged for their singing; to Rupert Merson for playing the organ; to our fellow Members for readings; to The Rev Tom Heffer for the use of St Michael Paternoster Royal and for leading our service; and of course to Didier, Taz and the team for feeding us.