The people you meet...

My parents flew out to BGI yesterday. Settled nicely into 6A & K, they were rather surprised to find Sir Richard Branson and his mum in 7 A & K. Dad was, to say the least, made up. My mum and his apparently spent an idle hour trying on duty free sunglasses whilst dad tried to glean some free business advice from Sir Rich.

The great man (sorry dad, but I mean Sir Rich here...) finally put his feet up, opened his copy of the FT, and guess who's on the front page? All rather bizarre.

As a quick footnote, both ma and pa went for the soup, the cottage pie and the rhubarb crumble and gave all three a definite thumbs up.

[Scrooge]

Thats very cool for them,im guessing the service is 5* being that close to SRB.

[Nottingham Nick]

If 7 A & K are good enough for SRB, and his Mum, then they have to be the seats to be in. [}:)]

Nick

Originally posted by jetwet1
Thats very cool for them,im guessing the service is 5* being that close to SRB.

Apparently the service was - rather unsurprisingly - exemplary.

[Bazz]

Would he have been on his way to Necker Island? Thought Antigua would be the best route, after all most of the Necker tourists travel via Antigua but they don't have their own airline

[ChuckC]

Excellent story, mdvipond! SRB sounds like your typical chap ... well, perhaps not that typical.

Chuck-

Originally posted by Bazz

Would he have been on his way to Necker Island?

Apparently he was taking his mum to visit his new yacht in Barbados. Unfortunately no such invites were proffered in my parents' direction...

Mind you, we're out there next week, so here goes: Sir Richard, if by any chance you're browsing this fine website, Mrs. mdvipond, mdvipond jr. and myself will be available for cocktails on the poop deck anytime from next Thursday. Feel free to PM me. Ta.

[Scrooge]

and while your at it see if you can get on Paul Allen's....wow what a "boat"

That's not a boat. It's a ship! Hell, it's very nearly an aircraft carrier. I wonder if Branson, Allen et al enter into a "mine's bigger than yours" mentality when it comes to these things.

[Geek mode]SRB's doesn't have a poop deck. G&T would be taken in the cockpit[/geek mode]

[Decker]

an entire deck for a head seems excessive...

Originally posted by mdvipond
I wonder if Branson, Allen et al enter into a "mine's bigger than yours" mentality when it comes to these things.

We'll i know SRB is we'll off but he's not quite in there league, as for the battle of the superyacht's most grow in length as they start to build them and end up with another 10/15m added buy the end of build and that's around £1M per extra meter.

[buns]

Pegitt

With your connections no doubt you can bring out one thats bigger;);)

By the recent comments here, looks like there is still a market for boats

Back OT:

mdvipond

What a wonderful experience for your folks[y][y] I too can vouch for the cottage pie and rhubarb crumble

buns

Originally posted by ChuckC
Excellent story, mdvipond! SRB sounds like your typical chap ... well, perhaps not that typical.

Chuck-

I can confirm that assumption Chuck. I had the honour of driving SRB and his right hand man around Edinburgh in 1996 and, when a call came in from a well known (now tabloid sized) broadsheet title's journo asking for his (SRB's) opinion on this, that and the other he eventually piped up from the back saying "Tell him to F*@K OFF!

He's my kinda guy!!

Regards

john

Well, I hear Necker is so popular nowadays that the SRBs have to stay in a cottage many times when they go, and that SRB has bought a boat (called Lady B by the way (it has a fuller name but begins with 'B')) so they can have some space and comfort when Necker is occupied!

Good for them.

Originally posted by Decker
an entire deck for a head seems excessive...

Yep, got that one! LOL. If you have a poop deck do you need a scooper?

pegitt - didn't realise you were in the marine business. Out of interest, we made the control and instrument panels on that Squadron 55 of yours.

Originally posted by buns4vs

What a wonderful experience for your folks I too can vouch for the cottage pie and rhubarb crumble

They were rather pleased for themselves, buns, dad said the flight flew by (no pun intended...). As for the grub, think I'll be sampling the curry next week.

[RichardMannion]

Richard and Paul do know each other quite well, hence the whole Virgin Galatic enterprise.

I do believe Paul's yacht/boat is still the largest in the world - he normally gets a new one if someone gets a bigger one.

Thanks,
Richard

What about Roman Abramovich? Isn't his supposed to be the biggest?

Originally posted by RichardMannion

I do believe Paul's yacht/boat is still the largest in the world

Nope.. was the largest in the USA, the largest superyacht in the world is owned by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia is 456ft, where as Allan's is 414ft, and Roman Abramovich largest yacht Pelorus 377ft he also has Le Grand Bleu 370ft plus another around 275ft.

mdvipond - ah now i know who to come to when the Alu backing plate blows up under the paint;) but the Squad 55 is no longer with us she's now with her new owner in jersey[n]

... he also has Le Grand Bleu 370ft plus another around 275ft.

Isn't that the one that follows him around with the extra booze and fags should he run out?

Originally posted by pegitt
mdvipond - ah now i know who to come to when the Alu backing plate blows up under the paint

I blame the owners, getting our lovely panels all covered in salt water then leaving them out in the sun. No respect...

[fozzyo]

Originally posted by RichardMannion
Richard and Paul do know each other quite well, hence the whole Virgin Galatic enterprise.

I do believe Paul's yacht/boat is still the largest in the world - he normally gets a new one if someone gets a bigger one.

I remember ages ago about seeing a program where Paul Allen bought a big yaght, so Larry Ellison (Head of Oracle and equally loaded) bought a bigger one, so Paul Allen had his extended to make it bigger.

Mat xxx

Originally posted by mdvipond

Originally posted by Bazz

Would he have been on his way to Necker Island?

Apparently he was taking his mum to visit his new yacht in Barbados. Unfortunately no such invites were proffered in my parents' direction...

Mind you, we're out there next week, so here goes: Sir Richard, if by any chance you're browsing this fine website, Mrs. mdvipond, mdvipond jr. and myself will be available for cocktails on the poop deck anytime from next Thursday. Feel free to PM me. Ta.

Such consideration! [:p]

Originally posted by mdvipond

Originally posted by pegitt
mdvipond - ah now i know who to come to when the Alu backing plate blows up under the paint

I blame the owners, getting our lovely panels all covered in salt water then leaving them out in the sun. No respect...

Dam, busted.. [:w]