Whatshot
David Hughes: living his passion
David Hughes: living his passion
"I'll be going to Sydney to join the Queen Mary 2 and will spend 22 nights on board. Negotiations have been finalized for me to give a series of lectures on board, on cruise liners, South Africa, and the Indian Ocean islands. My book will also be available on board," smiled David. Passengers on the Queen Mary 2 in the past have included the late jazz musician Dave Brubeck, comedian and actor John Cleese, Richard Dreyfuss, director George Lucas, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, and Donald Trump.
As a travel writer and avid cruise liner enthusiast, David has written two previous books on passenger ships, and is busy updating the information. "The Queen Mary 2 will be calling at Durban on Saturday 6th April, and I'll be handing out tour information on Durban and the north coast. I'm so looking forward to meeting people from all over the world." David will remain with the ship when it makes its maiden call at Port Elizabeth, and then cruise to Cape Town, where the ship will spend three days. In 2014, the Queen Mary will travel the opposite way, from Cape Town to Sydney.
Having received the commission to write the official history of Durban's St Paul's Anglican Church, David said that the rough draft will be ready shortly. "St Paul's is 164 years old. It is part of the original town centre. I have maps going back to 1854. However, the church burnt down in the early 1900s, and was rebuilt in 1906," David explained. David is also involved in freelance magazine travel writing and is Secretary of the World Ship Society. He is Durban born and bred and, not surprisingly, lives in an apartment overlooking the harbor.
Bon voyage, David!