Did you know...?

[speedbird591]

I've been watching the BBC's coverage of the river pageant. There has been a procession of experts spouting facts about every aspect of the day.

My favourite historical (hysterical) fact so far is that the milliner who made the duchess of cambridge's hat, Lock, also made the hat that Nelson wore at the battle of Waterloo.

Sadly it looks as though the Swordfish has been cancelled.

Ian

[cstorey]

Yes, I was fascinated to learn that HMS Belfast was 91,000 tons !! No wonder Tirpitz took refuge in Tromso Fjord

[DaveB]

You noticed that too Chris It's like all events of this length.. the longer the coverage, the more chances of cock ups

Did they say how old that milliner is?
ATB
DaveB

[Dev One]

I noticed too that with all the armour removed Belfast was now only 11,000 tons!
Keith

[TSR2]

You guys know how wee folk from Belfast like to exaggerate

Its quite a sad state of affairs when the best current RN ship we can muster is a mine sweeper ( or whatever it was east of Tower Bridge)

[DaveB]

Don't knock it Ben.. it was a 'first' in it's day.. one of the worlds first GRP warships

ATB
DaveB

[TSR2]

Yep, a nice little ship, but surely if Sunderland can manage to get Ocean for a weekend, Londonshire should be able to match it?

And another thing, have you seen the names for the remaining type 45's, HMS Duncan / Dragon / Defender. Aside from the last one sounding like a Land Rover, Duncan, I mean who in gods name came up with that. We'll be naming them after Coronation Street characters next.

[DaveB]

Sadly mate.. Duncan is the surname of an old Admiral dating back from the 1800's. It's also the name of a gay pub bombed in Soho a few years back.. The Admiral Duncan

ATB
DaveB

[Harry Basset]

I think you are selling Admiral Duncan a little short here gents. Duncan commanded the British forces at the battle of Camperdown. The defeat of the Dutch removed them as serious players in European affairs for a long time. His name is worthy of commemoration by naming a current warship after him.

[speedbird591]

Was he at Waterloo with Nelson and who made his hats? These are just some of the important questions left unanswered by the BBC!

Ian