ROCKIN’ DOWN THE RHINE on an AMAZING ALL-STAR PROG ROCK CRUISE
By Chris Welch
Welcome aboard the trip of a lifetime. Who could imagine floating past the finest scenery in Europe aboard a luxurious passenger ship laden with legendary Classic Rock heroes and their fans gathered from all over the globe?
Well it was certainly a dream come true when Trading Boundaries the adventurous organisation made it all happen. And it was achieved amidst the heat of a summer month that broke all records for temperature, sunshine and music!
During July 2026 the River Rhine became the setting for a floating palace of star performers that welcomed aboard Rick Wakeman, Thijs van Leer and Menno Gootjes of Focus, Eddie Jobson, Peter Jones, Ray Wilson and Paul Carrack.
Other artists enthralling audiences during nightly shows were the entertaining duo of keyboard wizard Adam Wakeman and singing star Damian Wilson, guitarist Martin Barre of Jethro Tull fame, the legendary band Caravan and an electrifying Pink Floyd tribute group who played on deck in the afternoon sunshine.
The whole concept was unique in its ambition and success and left the passengers, organisers and efficient crew members with a lifetime of memories. The music even impressed passersby by on shore, who waved as our ships ploughed their way from Switzerland to France, Germany and Holland.
We say ‘ships’ as events saw two vessels, the Emerald Astra and Emerald Luna put into service during the two week voyage.
This was due to forecasts about the depth of the Rhine affected by the European drought. In any complex operation there are bound to be problems to overcome. Water not deep enough in a crucial section of the route? Get another boat. A guest star needs a grand piano? Buy one and ship it aboard! It was Michael Clifford of Trading Boundaries who took charge of such problems and with his staff and advisers saved the day and kept us on course.
TRADING BOUNDARIES
Trading Boundaries is unique. Not just another corporate music events company it is a family business founded by Michael Clifford and Tracy Thomson in 1996 at their headquarters in East Sussex. The facilities now include an award winning live music venue as well as luxurious accommodation with eight boutique guest rooms and facilities for wedding receptions. It is also the official gallery for the work of acclaimed artist Roger Dean.
Many great bands and solo artists have appeared at the venue over the years including the late Greg Lake of ELP, Steve Hackett, Rick Wakeman and visiting American band Rocking Horse Music Club
Last November 14th 2025 I was invited to host a Questions & Answer session at Trading Boundaries with Tony Banks of Genesis before a packed audience of fans. During the evening Tony happily talked about his life, career and music.
The success of the evening led to my being asked to join the ambitious Prog Rock Cruise along the Rhine and conduct more interviews with key figures involved in the Golden Age of 70s rock. What could be more fun!
ALL ABOARD
And so I flew to Basel, Switzerland on Friday July 10th with my wife Marilyne to join the happy hordes of cruise passengers staying at the Marriott Hotel and later convened in a riverside bar for an evening reception.
We were delighted when Sir Thijs van Leer joined in the celebrations by playing flute for the guests. The following day (Saturday 11th) due to docking restrictions in Basel our ship the Emerald Astra was due to set sail from Breisach across the border instead and passengers were transported there by bus.
We were welcomed aboard the spacious vessel moored on the river bank and once luggage was stowed and cabins occupied we hastened to sample the luxurious restaurant and bar hospitality. Guests discovered the facilities included an exercise gym room and even a swimming pool. We were helped throughout the voyage by Captain Macho, Cruise Director Claudia and her equally friendly assistant Emily who kept us up to speed on all the events and activities due each day. ‘Take a water bottle!’ Aye, aye Miss.
Introductory talks by Michael and co-organiser Tracy Thomson also revealed what delights we could expect during our two week voyage. Following dinner, the first of the entertainers took to the floor of the middle deck as the Astra swung out into the Rhine and began churning through the swirling waters.
ROGER DEAN: CLOSE TO THE EDGE
One of my first assignments was to interview Roger Dean, the legendary artist long associated with such bands as Yes, Asia, Gentle Giant, Budgie and Uriah Heep. Introduced as the Art Master of Rock famed for his fantastic landscapes, elaborate paintings and meticulous art work we talked at length about his career.
During our wide ranging conversation we discovered we’d both worked on a creating the design and sleeve notes for a debut album by British rock band The Gun in 1968. We also shared a love of the music of Yes during the Seventies onwards, which he complemented with awesome stage sets and LP designs for hit albums Fragile, Close to the Edge and Tales from Topographic Oceans. Later Roger hosted his own Art & Design workshops when he demonstrated illustrating techniques and examples of his artwork were placed on display.
ARMANDO GALLO
Another exhilarating Q&A session occurred during a memorable early morning engagement with legendary Italian music photographer and journalist Armando Gallo. We have known Armando for over 50 years, since he first appeared in London eagerly reporting on the rise of Genesis in the 1970s in the pop and rock press. He followed them from their early days and was instrumental in helping them break through to a young audience in Italy.
Armando has recently published Remembering The Lamb a collection of rare Genesis photographs taken live when they were performing The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway while touring America in 1975. That’s when Peter Gabriel was at his most outrageous on stage and a photographer’s delight. Armando was available to sign copies as well as tell more great stories about his trips around the globe with Peter, Phil, Tony, Steve & Michael.
BLOWIN’ BLUES ACROSS THE RHINE
Among the first live acts to make an impression on the passengers cramming the main lounge was the appearance of Martin Barre formerly of Jethro Tull on guitar and flute. His show was part of a major tour billed as A Brief History Of Tull. Martin was joined by Dan Crisp (vocals, guitar) and backed by Alan Thompson (bass) and he proved a witty compere claiming: ‘We are not the Bee Gees and I’m not sure what I’m playing tonight, but this is the first song I ever wrote”.
Martin played ‘I Can’t Play the Blues’ which showed he can play anything, including the flute on ‘Bourée’ a solo piece unveiled by Ian Anderson on 1969’s Stand Up album. The group’s other tuneful highlights were ‘Sossity, You’re A Woman’ from Tull’s Benefit album and a version of ‘I Can’t Find My Way Home’ as sung by Steve Winwood with Blind Faith. There was more lively fun with ‘The Pine Marten’s Jig’ and later came ‘Life Is A Long Song’ from 1972’s Living In The Past and Martin played an impressive tribute to blues hero Robert Johnson with his version of ‘Cross Roads’.
Another satisfying performance was given by Caravan, pioneers of the Canterbury scene. Their line up included founder member, guitarist and lead vocalist Pye Hastings, joined by multi-talented Geoffrey Richardson on viola, flute, spoons, guitar and vocals. The Caravan was driven across the waves (not desert sand) by drummer, percussionist and vocals extraordinaire Mark Walker. Mark later conducted Percussion Workshops that proved a big success with a deck full of eager would be drummers beating bongos and splitting skins – sometimes their own as it turned out.
CHURCH OF PROG
Not all the live music was confined to the ship. One extraordinary event (July 19th) was Church Of Prog, which drew passengers ashore to meet at the Saint Paul church in Strasbourg, an impressive building with a vast interior space devoted to hymns, prayers and sacred music. Only this time it was Prog Rock performed on an historic organ complete with towering pipes by guest star Marco Lo Muscio, one of Italy’s most celebrated classical musicians.
Introduced by Michael Clifford he performed pieces by Pink Floyd, whose ‘The Great Gig In The Sky’ seemed appropriate given the lofty setting with its stained glass windows. Marco also played ‘Catherine Of Aragon’ and ‘Jane Seymour’ from Rick Wakeman’s hit album The Six Wives Of Henry V111.
Next came ‘Hands of the Priestess’ composed by Steve Hackett the former Genesis guitarist with whom Marco works as a musical collaborator. During these hypnotic performances came a surprise appearance by Sir Thijs van Leer joining Marco on flute for an emotional performance of Bach’s Air on the G String. Fittingly the organ roared a tribute to the late Keith Emerson with ‘Touch And Go’ from the Emerson, Lake & Powell (1986) album and ‘Clotho’ part of ‘The Three Fates’ as featured on ELP’s 1970 debut album.
(Keith would have loved it). At another Church of Prog event held later Marco played works by King Crimson while Eddie Jobson stepped up to play on the pipe organ an instrumental composition he wrote aged 13, drawing applause that echoed around the Ềglise Saint Paul.
ADAM AND DAMIAN
Back on board the Astra a most entertaining ‘double act’ delighted passengers when Adam Wakeman and his singing pal Damian Wilson launched into a series of songs ‘about kindness and friendship’. Adam peered over the shiny (and expensive) grand piano provided by the ever resourceful Michael Clifford and played as brilliantly as his Dad in his own commanding style.
He also exchanged jokes and asides with Damian, whose singing proved a stunning experience for the cheering audience. No wonder Damian became a star in the stage production of ‘Les Miserable’. Soon after the cruise, both Damian and Adam set about rehearsing for an upcoming new production of Jeff Wayne’s hit musical War of the Worlds.
As the Astra ploughed on through locks and sailed past the French and German countryside towards Amsterdam more bands played and visits were made ashore to visit historic riverside towns. On a Wednesday in July (15th) due to lowering water levels in the Rhine, the passengers and artists had to leave the Emerald Astra early in the morning and visit Heidelberg before boarding the Emerald Luna in Koblenz, a ship that could cope with the conditions that lay ahead. Changing ships from the Astra to the Luna was an exhilarating adventure as we whizzed along Autobahns in a coach to visit thriving towns packed with busy high street stores restaurants, museums and historic churches.
MELANIE AND MARTIN
A pleasing diversion was a visit to the Rhinehessen Wine Museum, a cool underground cellar surrounded by stacks of tempting bottles of vintage wine and where the history of wine making from Roman times onward is stored. There was also musical entertainment provided by singer Melanie Mau and guitarist Martin Schnella who charmed us wine-sipping tourists with sensitive vocals and guitar backing as they played ‘covers’ and original songs with Prog overtones.
Watch out for their CDs notably Through the Decades (2020) which includes an ambitious version of the Genesis song ‘Dancing With The Moonlit Knight’, from 1974’s Selling England By The Pound (1974) album, sung beautifully by Melanie backed by sax and drums and Martin’s acoustic guitar.
They also recorded ‘Running Up That Hill’ by Kate Bush plus ‘And You And I’ by Yes, recreating Steve Howe’s guitar intro before Melanie sings a la Jon Anderson. We’d also recommend Invoke The Ghosts (2022) that has ‘The Beast Is Lurking’ sung by Melanie with the Iron Maiden style passion of a Bruce Dickinson.
That evening we returned to the Luna for dinner and a terrific two man performance by Sir Thijs van Leer on keyboards and flute and Menno Gootjes on his trusty guitar.
RICK, EDDIE & CHRIS
The Astra’s lounge was also packed with passengers from all over the world including America and Europe when I interviewed Rick Wakeman and later Eddie Jobson on stage, introducing myself as ‘Michael Parkinson’.
Rick and Eddie are both masters of anecdotes as well as their chosen instruments from keyboards to violins. It would take a book to recount all the stories both funny and moving we heard. Rick began by reminiscing about his early days as a classical music student (when he met the Queen Mother) and his burgeoning career as a session player working with everyone from Cat Stevens to David Bowie and Marc Bolan. Then came his later musical life with Yes not to mention his own bands and working with equally talented sons Adam and Oliver now stars in their own right.
RICK WAKEMAN
Following our interview Rick later gave his own brilliant performance at a battery of Korg keyboards during which he interspersed more stories with humour, passion and that dazzling technique. At one point he said that the keyboards were fine but if he was to perform his 1974 epic album Journey To The Centre of the Earth he needed Michael Clifford to provide him with a full symphony orchestra and choir. Michael had assured Rick this was quite impossible. The compact Korgs had to do!
Returning to more stories about those Bowie sessions he had played on, Rick recounted how David insisted on ‘Space Oddity’ being the first ever U.K. stereo single release, despite loud protests from the record company. If it wasn’t in stereo they couldn’t have what would prove such a massive hit. Rick also revealed that if we listened carefully to ‘Life On Mars?’ we could hear a telephone ringing during the fade out. It was coming from a public phone in the Trident studios and it accidently got picked up on the tape during the session.
Rick: “When the engineer wanted to edit the tape David said ‘Leave it, let’s see how many people notice it.’ Not many did apparently!” The audience was transfixed when Wakeman played us both ‘Space Oddity’ and ‘Life On Mars?’ a medley of Yes hits and excerpts from Journey – sans orchestra.
Rick was in meditative mood when he said: “I’d like to play something for all the great people we have lost over the years including Chris Squire – the list goes on and on. So I’d like to play a piece I wrote a few years ago especially for them called ‘Gone But Not Forgotten.’” Rick continued: “We lost a great friend and important man in my life Dave Cousins, who I saw shortly before he died last year.
“Ironically his last performance was with me at Trading Boundaries. He came to see a show I was doing and got up to sing ‘A Glimpse Of Heaven.’ It was the last time he sang that song and Michael and his team had the common sense to video it”.
(Dave Cousins, singer, composer and founder member of The Strawbs died July 13. 2025). Rick played us the theme from a ‘Glimpse Of Heaven’ a track from the Strawbs’ 1971 album From The Witchwood that featured Rick and led to him being hailed as a new star musician on the front page of Melody Maker.
He explained that after due reflection he also wanted to pay tribute to the man “Who was undoubtedly the biggest influence in my life. It was my Dad.” He revealed that his father was a great pianist in his day and how much they enjoyed playing duets together. “One of the pieces we used to play was ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’”. The exuberantly jazzy performance Rick sprang on us, was one the highlights of that memorable day on the Rhine.
EDDIE JOBSON
Eddie Jobson too was a delight while recounting the story of his life as a childhood prodigy and later his teenage years playing with ground breaking bands Curved Air and Roxy Music before being recruited by Frank Zappa. Eddie went on to co-found Prog Rock supergroup U.K. with John Wetton, Allan Holdsworth and Bill Bruford and subsequently performed as a special guest with Jethro Tull. In the 1980s Jobson retired from touring to concentrate on developing his career as an award winning TV and film soundtrack composer.
Eddie then made a welcome comeback to live performance in the early 2000s playing both piano and violin in a variety of settings. It was instructive to hear Eddie talking about his theories of music as an intellectual experience. The Astra audience were also treated to the pairing of Eddie on violin playing with astounding dexterity with his young son Christopher making his cruise debut on vocals, guitar and drums. They premiered a new song called ‘Life Gets In The Way’ and performed ‘Wish You Well’ the title track of Chris’ debut album produced by Dad released in 2025). Well…we wish them both well!
THE GOLDEN VOICE SINGS OUT
It was on the evening we set sail for Koblenz that we were treated to one of the finest sets of the voyage when Paul Carrack made a special appearance with his backing group. Hailed as ‘the Golden Voice’ the singer/songwriter wearing dark glasses and a straw hat, sat at the piano while accompanied by a tasteful, responsive bass guitarist and drummer.
It was a master class of musical excellence as The Master delved into movingly romantic songs like ‘Satisfy My Soul’. He softly assured us ‘Love is all around and all the hurt will heal…’ propelled by a gently clipped snare drum rhythm. ‘Life In A Bubble’ from his These Days album had an appealing conversational style although he warned ‘There will be trouble in Paradise again’.
One of his most moving songs as the banks of the river Rhine floated past was undoubtedly ‘Love Will Keep Us Alive’ exposing us to the country music side of Paul Carrack. ‘Bet Your Life’ was about the perils of gambling that was driven by Paul’s piano at its most funky. And if you were more in the mood for toe- tapping irresistible riffs then his ‘Shame On You’ was enough to rock the boat.
When Paul surprised us with his version of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘If I Should Fall Behind’ from Lucky Town a lady in the audience gasped aloud ‘Oh, that’s a lovely song!’ Our host had more great songs of his own, ‘How Long (Has This Been Going On)’ written aged just 23 and a smash hit for the band Ace that caused such a sensation back in 1974. Also his Mike & the Mechanics hit, ‘Over My Shoulder’ a huge hit in 1995.
On Monday 20th our lovely Luna was moored in Koblenz and we marched en masse to see an intriguing combination of art and music demonstrated in the town hall. Here the German artist Frank Grabowski painted images that appeared on a screen, inspired by the music of Genesis being played by pianist Steffen Waidelich. This resulted in The Lamb Lies Down On Piano & Paper a concept and presentation that captivated the audience that included fellow pianist and Genesis fan Peter Jones.
THINK LLOYD THINK FLOYD
As the Luna cast off and set sail toward Rűdesheim at 2 p.m the French tribute band Think Lloyd began a magical set of Pink Floyd classics on our sun deck to an enraptured audience. They included ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ a tribute to Syd Barrett before an extended version of another Floydian master piece ‘Wish You Were Here’ as well as ‘Another Brick In The Wall’ (from The Wall). ‘Money’ and ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’. (We passengers were of course on the Hot Side Of The Sun).
All the musicians and singers played brilliantly, notably charismatic leader Christophe (guitar, vocals), as well as outstanding singers Eloise and Manuela, backed by Bruno (keyboards), Jerome (guitars), Stephan (bass), Nicola (drums) and saxophone soloist Oliver. Magnifique.
It was a dream like experience to sit on the sun deck and enjoy the whole event described by Michael Clifford as: ‘One of the most extraordinary additions to our 2026 Rhine Music Cruise that we have been quietly working on for many months.’ Indeed it was a true trip in the Psychedelic Sixties sense to find ourselves floating past the Lorelei Rock as well as castles and vineyards while the music echoed through the gorgeous Gorge and a woman sat among the deckchairs burst into tears during a particularly passionate performance.
Later as we went below deck we found Sir Thijs van Leer on keyboards and flute and Menno Gootjes on guitar having a jazz jam session in the bar below deck. Swing it guys!
HOUSE OF THE KING
When Thijs and Menno returned for a full set starting at nine o’clock it was a joy to listen to them close up in focus. Thijs unveiled such romantic items as ‘Bei Bist Du Meir’ a beautiful flute solo piece his father had once played. It seemed even more moving as our ship now cruised in silence in the fading light of the evening sun. Thijs also sang a lively song in Dutch, the first he’d ever composed aged 12 called ‘The Wind And the Cloud, The Sea and Sun.’ Actually he confirmed it was called ‘Moving Waves’ in English and it was moving to see Thijs singing in his black cap, huge glasses and white whiskers like a poet of the New Romantic Age.
Then he announced: ‘It’s a great honour and I’m very excited to announce Mr. Menno Gootjes my guitarist who has spent the last 20 years with me in Focus. Tonight he will play acoustic guitar – and he is a genius!’ They launched straight into ‘The House Of The King’ as the audience clapped and the ship slowed to a dramatic halt. We were too hypnotised to wonder why. There were cheers as Menno strummed into the intro of a song Thijs revealed was the first he’d written for Focus and was a big hit In Holland and ‘the Flemish part of Belgium.’
Thence came ‘Focus One’ the first hit Thijs had written for the band. A staggeringly beautiful melody it was played by Menno with gentle care one minute and with bursts of powerful authority the next.
Next came a jazzy version of the standard ‘Autumn Leaves’ with a bossa nova beat and flute solo followed by ‘Eddy’ which Thijs explained was written about his flute playing father and his Wartime experiences. ‘He was a lonely man with a lot of secrets…’ Then came ‘Sylvia’ that exultant theme that shot to Number 4 in the UK charts in January 1973. In the second half the pealing and appealing ‘After The Bells’ chimed out before Thijs boldly tackled ‘MacArthur Park’ the 1968 hit for actor Richard Harris.
MENNO IN FOCUS
Menno returned to play ‘Focus 3’ (from the 1972 album) having removed his glasses, perhaps to concentrate on the key and rhythm changes that floated through his joyful combination of melodies and moods. Then came ‘Hocus Pocus’ with Thijs joking ‘We will try it as an experiment’. It went so well there had to be an encore and promised the leader: ‘It’s a piece we like very much indeed. It’s called ‘Focus 7.’ This time Menno put his glasses back on for more hypnotising guitar solos played with clusters of wild improvisation between carefully chosen melodic notes. The audience went wild again. ‘Absolutely wonderful’ came a woman’s vocal verdict as we all reluctantly dispersed to start packing for a change of boats as well as shirts.
Night gave way to dawn, as our trusty ship made its way towards its final destination of Amsterdam in Holland, while the French and German cities still to be visited en route proved equally attractive and full of surprises.
ROLL OUT THE BARREL
A tourist highlight for many of our passengers was Siegfried’s Museum of Mechanical Musical instruments in Rűdesheim packed with wonderful working exhibits. These included an amazing machine that played six violins at once, and a vintage barrel organ of a type I heard as a child churning away in my East London back street home. Now, thanks to the guide, I finally got a chance to turn the handle – while wearing a bowler hat! There was also a visit to the vast Cologne Cathedral, a ride through a tunnel on a funicular railway and a High Street boasting C&A Modes, a store sadly long gone from the UK shopping scene.
As we approached Amsterdam we were warned that merry making university students fly around the streets on fleets of bicycles, trying not to fall into the murky canals with varying degrees of success. After visiting a canal side bar and a street market, we decided to return to our ship, only to get hopelessly lost. Hailing a polite Croatian taxi driver he thought we wanted to board a cruise ship moored 50 kilometres away. Mercifully, he understood our frantic pleas of ‘No, no five minutes away!’ Seems we were saved from heading for Norway via the North Sea.
INSIDE WITH RAY WILSON
There was always great music on the Rhine oft purveyed by outstanding singers with long standing reputations. It was especially rewarding to hear Ray Wilson exuding Scottish charm and humour when he took to the stage while cheerfully recounting memories of his earlier career in the post grunge band Stiltskin and his subsequent role as lead singer with Genesis. (Incidentally there was no stage as such, just a Musicians Only area at the rear of the lounge).
Ray joined the band in the late 1990s and sang on the album Calling All Stations (1997). Previously Stiltskin had enjoyed a worldwide hit with ‘Inside’ (1994) that was used in a Levi jeans TV commercial and became an MTV favourite. When Phil Collins left Genesis in 1996 Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford were greatly impressed by Ray’s singing and he was invited to replace Collins. It was an important but wise decision as Calling All Stations became a Top Ten hit.
Post-Genesis, Ray began his solo career in 2003 releasing such albums as Change and The Next Best Thing and in 2006 he revived Stiltskin with a new album She. He also he unveiled a solo acoustic album Song For a Friend followed by the electric rocking Makes Me Think Of Home, both released in 2016. More recently he performed with Steve Hackett singing ‘Carpet Crawlers’ live at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2024. During his set Ray sang a medley of his own songs and classic hits including ‘Inside’ when he pleaded he was broken minded. Certainly Ray’s talent bursts ‘outside’ whenever he sings.
On our last day now reunited with the Emerald Astra we headed at speed for the disembarkation port in Breisach in bright morning sunshine. After breakfast we caught a bus to visit the picturesque town of Colmar known as La Petite Venise of France. We took a ride on a sightseeing street train, crossing over rivers and exploring ancient streets lined with historic houses and saw the Musee Bartholdi dedicated to the French Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi who sculpted the Statue of Liberty for America. However, when I dropped two (pricey) picture postcards addressed to the U.K in a box marked ‘Letters’ sadly, they never arrived. (Perhaps the Mail Master of Colmar might organise an urgent investigation).
THE TIGER MOTH FLIES HOME
The last evening back on board ship became a blur of meet’n’greets and packing before it was time to attend the promised evening jam session facilitated by Trading Boundaries dedicated audio team headed by sound engineer Roy Weard assisted by Ben, who had worked tirelessly throughout the trip. The jam began with Thijs van Leer and Menno playing ‘Sylvia’ followed by multi instrumentalist Peter Jones with his Tiger Moth Tales concept that captivated the audience until the early hours.
Whenever Peter played the grand piano and sang with charm, humour and passion his own songs and medleys of favourite Genesis hits, we just knew we liked it, in or out of a wardrobe. We certainly liked it when he sang the beautiful ‘Keeping The Dream Alive’ articulating the original lyrics by Aron Strobel and Stefan Zauner in fluent German and playing an alto saxophone while caressing the piano keys. He also dedicated a special song to his mentor and friend Michael Clifford sitting in the audience called ‘Sail Away’.
Thence came a tune about Sherwood Forest written when Peter learned the famous Robin Hood tree had died. (For the data hungry it was officially called the Major Oak, and declared dead aged 1,200 years in June, 2026 after bearing no more Spring leaves). The Tiger Moth also played ‘Carpet Crawlers’ a song from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway in honour of Peter Gabriel a living hero to match our Robin. Twang!
And so it was undoubtedly the music of Mr. Jones that most charmed those passengers enjoying their last hours aboard ship. Peter was joined by Paul Carrack making a surprise guest appearance and their emotive songs created a grand finale to a truly bon voyage.
While the passengers expressed their gratitude through applause and cheers the ever helpful Tracy Thomson had already paid her tribute to the man who conceived and kept the dream alive in a speech made earlier in the week.
Tracy: “When Trading Boundaries celebrated its 30th Anniversary in June 2026 that was one of the reasons for doing this cruise. Every so often we pull something together that is quite extraordinary. I say ‘we’ but actually it’s largely the crazy, imaginative ideas of one particular person, passionate about live music. And that person is Michael Clifford. His was the creative energy and ability to see the vision and pull people together that resulted in all this.”
If the Emerald Astra had a steam whistle, it would surely have blown its own salute. Aye, aye Sir! CHRIS WELCH
Thanks to Trading Boundaries and Genesis News for the photographs.