A Voyage of (Re)Discovery

I wasn't born in this county but to anyone who asks I will reply that it is a gem among all the gems in England, this is the largest and most sparkly. Hampshire is the cradle of the nation and you can't turn round here without bumping into a plaque or historical artefact, let alone the gentle rolling scenery. Yet, I still take it for granted in my daily life, being a human does that to people.

Friends came to visit this weekend, they had never been here before and as their young son would like to go in the Navy, I suggested a trip to Portsmouth.

Now, I'm a landlubber, just mention boat/ship/coracle and I start to yawn. It doesn't help that I get seasick standing in shallow puddles, taking a bath is a slow affair as I try hard not to make any waves.

We visited the HMS Victory, Vice Admiral Lord Nelson's flag ship in the battle of Trafalgar and still in commission today as the Flagship of the Royal Navy. It was built back in the mid 1700's and is the only surviving warship of that time. The guided tour was excellent, even though, at the mighty height of 5ft 5 inches I had to bow my head to prevent the soporific effects of bashing my small head on the beams. Life on the ocean wave was no fun back then, especially if you were 6ft, and we were given the gory details in their full splendour! We also visited the Mary Rose (Henry viii's flagship) and HMS Warrior (Queen vic's ship).

Today, (after I'd had not checked up on opening times of various sights in Southampton OOPS's) we visited HMS Alliance, built in 1947. The Alliance is the only submarine you can have a tour around. Again the guide was excellent, he had served on similar subs in his naval days and really knew his stuff. This relatively small vessel (compared to today's standards) housed 65 crew. No one could take a shower or remove their clothes (in case of emergency situations) and a can of sardines came to mind.

Life was tough on the 3 ships we visited, food was meagre and rotten, punishment was harsh and metered out at the slightest provocation but the sub reminded me of a large coffin. The guide played a recording of what it was like when a destroyer had gotten wind of an enemy sub and set her sonar going to detect it, then as the sub had been located, the noise of the bombs going off all around. The repercussions of the bombs had to be imagined but it wasn't difficult! He talked us through the escape drill. The recording made me think of how it must have felt being under attack, totally alone, no way out, no help. It was horrifying to imagine and as the guide said, the films aren't even close to the real thing.

War is portrayed as glorious or as a grand theatre of the world. It is neither. I will forget in time, the horror I felt today, the people who served their country in previous times, do not. Let us remember those who have to live with those memories as well as those who died and those who will have to relive those moments of sheer terror in the future generations to come. Let us hope and work for peace in our time and times to come also.

For those interested I've added the links to both visits. It has been an enjoyable and thought provoking weekend.

http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/tour/alliance.htm

http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/WfS/Tourism/Portsmouth/HistShips/

Baa! Thank you for this trip! The pictures were so realistic, and the cramped areas! I could never even go through there on a tour! I bookmarked both hyperlinks. Thank you for posting this, Doris

Well Baa and all i have done is to wallow in horse manure, most of the day, lovely.

Your Welcome Doris

Well Sheila ... each to his/her own I reckon :-) and to be honest after 21 years of horse/livestock manure its nice to have a break!

Baa... Great trip, Thanks!!!