Horatio Nelson 1758 – 1805

1st Viscount Horatio Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB

Yesterday's nostalgia has spilled over into today as I say good-bye to my shipmate Huck and head in the direction of yet another who I have seen with more regularity over the last 3 decades. There is of course the subject of the rest of Sunday's pictures which are as follows:-

HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar, seen yesterday without her 'top gallants' as they are being refitted.

The stern of HMS VICTORY which has as long as I can remember lain in Number 1 dock in the Portsmouth Dockyard. Behind this facade lies a wealth of English Maritime History unparalleled in our history.

The Wardroom or Officer's Mess which even today

is the setting for lavished dinner parties and gatherings, as well as the occasional Court Martial.

No 2 Gun Deck

Lead & Line the only method of depth finding in those days. Trivia:- The 'pen name' of US novelist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910, derives from the use of the Lead & Line. On reporting the depth the Linesman would report in Middle English the number of fathoms (marks) as "by the mark twain (2)", hence the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, having heard this on a Mississippi River Boat, took the name Mark Twain.

The Death of Nelson

Up to the Quarter Deck

Nelson's day Cabin

Nelson's Cot

A Canon Emplacement

The Galley

Brodie's Patent Galley (1780) provided roasting, boiling and baking.

These huge, ship borne ranges made Scotsman Alexander Brodie a multi-millionaire.

No 3 Gun Deck each canon bore the name of one of The Saints and when a Gunner was blessed with a boy child it was usually named after one of these armaments. This is where the expression 'Son of a Gun' comes from.

The Bosun's Locker

A moving tableaux of a Victory Gun Deck at the height of battle.

This macabre scene gave a whole new meaning to the order "all hands on deck"!

The Strategy that was Trafalgar

Admiral Collingwood's Regalia

HMS Vanguard a ship of the line.

Figure Heads

More Figure Heads & Ships Plaques

King Charles II Barge used as part of Lord nelson's funeral.

A view across Portsmouth Harbour

Not at all easy to photograph given the size and the low light, this unique sail was well worth a look

I left Four Marks at 10:00 and arrived at Emsworth, both in Hampshire, having very much enjoyed my 4 days with Huck after our absence of 38 years. Rest assured a return bout (to Weymouth) will be arranged in the very near future!

My 'Winger' was polishing the AC Cobra as I arrived but Tess was undertaking Grand Children duties, but as usual was very quick

to get the Gin & Tonics underway,

while Paul took up the sitting position. We are just about to a 'rib of beef' and a nice drop of Claret, so I'll be off!

Anchors & Cables training HMS St Vincent 1961. Me 5th from right, Huck 9th from right.

Sunday Divisions (Parade) HMS St Vincent 1961, me fourth row second from left - yea alright!

HMS Keppel where, after a year in training together, Huck and I served together spending most of our 'sea time' on the Fishery Protection Squadron which, by definition, was mostly inside the Arctic Circle. In stark contrast, we then both served for 2 and a half years on HMS Eskimo part of the Persian Gulf Squadron.

Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging 1978 -2011

How many times has my mate John Gifford made the observation that when I leave somewhere in the world a disaster raises its ugly head there. Unfortunately the trend was set to continue as Red Arrows pilot Jon Egging lost his life only a few short yards from Parley Court Farm, a scene I had visited just 3 days ago. I have phoned my friends the Dampney's, who own the property, to find that they and theirs are all OK. This post is dedicated to Flight Lieutenant Egging and his Family.

Today has been packed full of nostalgia for both myself and Huck as we embarked on a trip to Pompey (Portsmouth) at one time our Maritime Home. Despite a few drops of the 'wet stuff' en-route there was nothing to detract from the amazing scenery that is this part of Hampshire. Having passed a few familiar landmarks on our way into the city, the first chance of a photograph was as we waited for the traffic lights just outside of what was (and maybe still is) the Wardroom (Officer's Mess) at the Royal Naval Barracks HMS Nelson. Once named HMS Victory, both of us were discharged from the Navy through its gates, and I was for a short while a Galley Rat (dog's body and washer up) in this building.

Once parked we headed for The Hard the thoroughfare running along the edge of Portsmouth Harbour affording us our first look at HMS Warrior, the first Iron Clad Warship in the Royal Navy.

The ornate Figure Head of Poseidon

and the Port, Forward Anchor Arrangement

A much better view of the Southsea Spinnaker was had from the vantage point of her upper deck

and a look at the Gosport Ferry that had taken us backwards and forwards across the harbour on many, many 'runs ashore'.

Down aft we found the Multi-directional Canon


while below one of three Gun Decks opened to us.

All of the Anchor Cables and Capstans are under cover, a luxury not afforded on many ships,

and close by Small Arms Quartermaster William (Knocker) White treated some of us to a magical demonstration of the smaller weapons carried on this mighty vessel.

We took a long pause at this gun mainly to look at the rack of Enfield Flint-Lock Rifles that Knocker had already described to us.

The Wardroom was laid for dinner

but only one half of the Captain's Day Cabin was photogrphable.

A case of Colt Revolvers were also of great interest and subject of the Small Arms Quartermaster,

after which we took our last stroll around the Upper Deck.

It was now time for lunch, and what better place than even more familiar surrounding one of the pubs we used frequently in the 1960's as a 'watering hole'. Changes here too included the amalgamation of what used to be 2 pubs, the building on the left having always been the Ship Anson while the other was once the King & Queen. PS thoroughly recommended.

Back inside the Naval Base we admired what was an exhibition of Morgan Sports Cars, of all vintages,

while from this vantage point we were able to view the new Stealth Destroyer HMS Daring these days a familiar sight along the Dorset coast. Probably an indictment to successive governments, that this was the only commissioned warship in the whole Base. We reminisced that in our day (yes, go on swing the lantern) all berths would hold vessels 3 abreast.

We could also see the new quarters for the Mary Rose, looking more like an Olympic Arena

but unfortunately she has been closed to visitor for the last 2 years while works take place. Unfortunately again, we didn't find out the date of the opening of the new home.

There were more Morgans close to HMS Victory, and we did visit the ship, but time is running out so that side of the story will have to wait until tomorrow.

There was time to pop into the Museum to take a look at the Beira Bucket which in Royal Naval circle is steeped in legend and tales of the sea. An old, galvanised bucket became iconic during the times when at least one RN warship was stationed at the mouth of the Mozambique Channel to prevent oil tankers running a blockade preventing fuel reaching Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Their Premier Ian Smith and Prime Minister Harold Wilson's met aboard HMS Tiger in the Mediterranean to resolve the matter while warships changing duties passed the Bucket from ship to ship. We had our turn on HMS Eskimo but couldn't see the name painted on its surface.

Finally, Huck and I posed beside one of the old Field Guns which were use in the traditional Field Gun Crew tournaments at Earls Court, London.

Back in the mid-60's Huck and I used to train with the Field Gun Crew (but never 'ran' with them) event which had the team dismantling a Field Gun, transporting it over a chasm and re-assembling it on the other side. The depiction behind us is of the team member known as The Flying Angel who's task it was to transport the carriage wheels. Memories indeed!