If you don't like ships.. don't look part 2 - 56k Warning

[DaveB]

Hello chaps

Another handful of shots from my trip down memory lane


This little tinker just outside Pompey harbour on it's way into the Solent. Not sure if it's been around the world or is about to go.


One of a number of Cat's that make regular trips over to the IOW.


Another rather swish looking yacht.


Well.. if it flies, it also has to be photographed The Bristow SAR helicopter


Not sure what this is but I suspect some sort of restaurant/night club-type venue.


At least one familiar sight to dwellers of Gosport.. the infamous Gosport Ferry (the green one)


A boozer I never frequented much but known to all Pompey based matelots


Ahhh A switched on Swan making use of whatever comes to hand for a nest!


The Submarine Museum over at Gosport. That long black thing is a 'Boat' Tonks


Glad I don't have to polish these!! There are 2 more sets identical to this.. one on each of her main lower decks (HMS Warrior)


Didn't take my external flash unfortunately so this is a tad dark. Tween decks.. HMS Warrior.


This shouldn't have turned out at all but the built-in flash coped very well. It's black as the ace of spades down here.. the boiler room (HMS Warrior). Slightly more modern in Rick's day!!


This was sitting out in the harbour for donkey's looking nowt like this. Someone realised what it was and hey presto.. renovation to her former glory. Still a way to go yet mind you Monitor M33 c1915


A closer shot of the badge on Ark's funnel I mentioned in the other thread showing that she's now Amphibious Assault.


Illustrious from shoreside.


This is a pretty poo shot and the only one that came out. This is the infamous Mary Rose!! She is sealed in a temperature controlled environment and sprayed constantly with some preserving solution. Another 5 years of this and they'll be ready to start drying her out. First time I'd seen her and was surprised of just how much they'd recovered off the sea bed.


A place that now looks closed and should have been closed many years ago The only place in Pompey/Southsea where you could get a late drink. Always good practice to wear solid shoes or the sticky carpet would have your soles off!! Our hotel was next door :shock:


We always knew we were close to home when we saw the Fort's out in the Solent.


Remember a certain RN ship that very publically ran aground a while back and had to be floated onto a huge ship and brought back to the UK in a very undignified manner?? For it is she.. HMS Nottingham (Batch1 Type42 Destroyer). I think she's about ready for the chop now.


I wish I could remember the name of this Frigate but I can't. Apparently, we've already sold 4 of em off to Chile!! See below..


The Almirante Something-or-other!!


Another shot down the trot. The ship in the far distance with the red bottom has been there since I can remember. She's used by the SAS/SBS/Special Forces for training :shock:


Illustrious and Ark Royal. Nice to see carriers in Pompey.. even little ones


And finally.. get a load of this monster!! It looked like they were doing some sort of engine trials on her.. either that or she'd broken down! Very impressive and looks fast even when she's DIW

That's it folks. I have a gallon or so more but I've put you through enough. Tks for looking and spending a couple of days down memory lane with me

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Garry Russell]

Thanks again Dave for sharing

I guess the round the world is yet to leave as it says Clipper 07-08 on it. The mailsail looks old and seems to say 05-06 so it might be training still :think:

The Lightship is interesting....I remember we had one locally that was a restaurant...served light lunches :roll: .

Finally.....don't those offshore forts always look a bit spooky :think:

ATB

Garry

[jonesey2k]

Nice photos, although it looks like you've got some dust on the sensor. Thats the only problem with these DSLR's. Nothing a quick blast from a blower brush with the bristles removed wont fix though.

[petermcleland]

Thanks Again Dave...what a splendid tour and what a knowledgeable guide. I really enjoyed that, and what great quality photographs :dance:

[Robin]

Not a huge lover of the Sea but really love the Navy and Pompey.

Thanks for the photos. Looks like you had a whale of a time.

[Paul K]

Excellent stuff, thanks Dave. I always enjoy these photo essays that people publish in the various forums I go to, and as Peter McC says, its great to be given the guided tour.

I particularly liked the shot of Warrior's boiler fronts; very interesting to an ex-ship's engineer. What's the story behind 'Princess Is Much Pleased' on the Warrior's wheel ? Any idea ?

[thehappyotter]

Remember a certain RN ship that very publically ran aground a while back and had to be floated onto a huge ship and brought back to the UK in a very undignified manner?? For it is she.. HMS Nottingham (Batch1 Type42 Destroyer). I think she's about ready for the chop now.

She may be knackered now after hitting the worlds biggest rock but us up here are immensely proud of our ship.

I may have mentioned it before but I did all of my basic and most of my trade training before leaving under the 'PVR' rules as a teenager. Left due to a girl I split up with within weeks of leaving... Biggest mistake of my life and am sometimes within seconds of going back.

Your Type 23 photos bring back good memories, the first warship I ever set foot on was F81, HMS Sutherland.

Keep em coming, you could flood the whole forum with these and i'd not get bored.

[Captain Pugwash]

well those photo's bring back many memories, good and bad. i will never forget the Gosport ferry, after eight months at sea and paying off at the oil jetty. my worst sea sickness was the 5 min trip to pompey train station. :-& the lads on the ferry knew straight away what ship i had come off and laughed.
there are many times i wish i could be back on the ships, the life, friends and not forgetting the bangers /mash and beans. so i guess there were no fleet auxiliary ships in, not even number three dry dock.
the dry dock the furthest from the main gates and a mine trap to get back to when slighty wobbly. never forget the night when a gang of us were picked up by the MOD Plod. there we were with dustbin lids on our heads shouting i'am a darlek ( sorry for spelling but old age is catching me up ).
try explaining that to the choff the next day.

[DaveB]

Thanks guys for your very kind comments and enthusiastic responses The pleasure has been all mine.

Rob..
I had a 'falling out' with the Yeoman on HMS Nottingham some years ago (he was a bit of a twit!!) but did a Gulf Tour with her while I was on Andromeda (we were a Frigate and she is a Destroyer but we had a senior Captain) so I got my own back indirectly She was involved in an 'Incident' (that never saw the light of day) during that particular deployment when.. against the ROE at the time.. illuminated an Iranian (or was it Iraqi) Phantom with her Fire Control Radar after it got a bit close. It certainly didn't do much for diplomacy but sure as hell made us all laugh like hell For the uninitiated.. both sides used to 'sqawk' civvie numbers and fly civvie flight plans making them difficult to detect. Seeing a 'blip' is one thing and while you're certain the size of the contact cannot be correct, the fact that it's saying is a B757 on IFF is a little disturbing!! :shock: This is how the luckless Americans managed to shoot down those poor folk in an airliner. OK.. there are other circumstances to be considered but that's another story. Regardless.. the Nottingham correctly identified the Phantom as spoofing it's IFF and lit it up like a christmas tree. I'm glad I wasn't responsible for the crews laundry! Fortunately, swearing in Farsi is indistinguishable from the norm to the untrained ear though you can tell by the pitch that all is not well

Paul..
I'm not sure of the 'Princess..' wording and should have asked while I was there Who would have been a 'Princess' in 1860?? Are we looking at Victoria here :think: Indeed we are. 1860 falls well into her sphere of influence so I guess she IS the Princess referred to Incidentally, she displays over 9000tons (9210) and had a crew of 705. Pit that against one of those Type42's at around 4500tons and a crew of 200-odd and Warrior's size for her time drops into perspective. I bet the MoD wish the Type42's only cost £390,000 to build mind you

Peter..
I quite forgot that RNH is/was also part of that complex of buildings over on the Gosport side. With her link to QARNNS, she is probably more than au fait with the 'goings on' on that side of the water While we in the 'Grey Funnel Line' oft spoke poorly of RNH Haslar, often through myth than by first hand experience.. my better half was diagnosed with pre-cancerous cells while I was on Andromeda in the Persian Gulf.. her treatment carried out at Halton (an odd place if ever there was one) and done with complete success towit, I am eternally grateful
Incidentally, the only course longer than the Radio Operators to complete when I joined was that of the medical branch (though why it took them so long to teach folk to prescribe Codine as a cure for all ailments known to mankind is beyond me) I jest

At this juncture.. I can't remember what other questions were posted so I will retire gracefully.. or not as the case may be

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[DaveB]

Interesting story David There were a couple of RFA's in Pompey but not where you'd like to see them unfortunately.. they were in 3 basin :sad: Definately, Orangeleaf was one.. the other perhaps Olwen?? I remembered trying to think of the others.. Olna, Olmeda. The second.. the one I can't remember, looked bigger. Bugger.. I should have paid more attention :sad:

ATB

DaveB :tab: