So far, the cruise had visited New York (during shore leave a friend helped me filch a nerdy Open University sound effects LP from New York Public Library) and now we were in India. Rather disappointingly, the view was a car park in Shoreditch although black pythons and crocodiles were roaming over the cracked concrete. Meanwhile, three poets were introducing each other’s work in a rather cringeworthy lovey-fest. Only Simon Armitage was coming out of this event well.