Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 2018

Off message but last month as a birthday treat I went with Gill for a weekend in Portsmouth to visit once again its Historic Navy Dockside. It is well worth a visit if anyone is interested or curious about our naval history.

Many years ago I read all the fictional novels by Patrick O'Brian on the Royal Navy in the Napoleonic wars, so it is always a treat to visit HMS Victory (top of collage) which fought in the decisive Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Battleships at the time were floating gun platforms and needed a huge crew to fight the guns. By visiting the ship you can see for yourself the crowded, wet and dangerous living conditions of 850 sailors on board. It must have been dreadful with the pain dulled by the daily half pint ration of strong rum (or 8 pints of beer in home waters).

You can buy a ticket that gives you (nearly) unlimited access to the dockyard for a year. As well as HMS Victory, there is the Victorian Battleship HMS Warrior (see spectacular sunset photos bottom centre and right of collage) and the First World War Gun ship M33 (which fought in Gallippi). You also have access to the National Royal Navy museum, Royal Navy Submarine Museum, the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower as well as a number of other attractions aimed at children and families.

Unfortunately the Tudor Battleship "The Mary Rose" is no longer part of the "all in deal" and you will have to pay extra to visit. 

One highlight included is a free 45 minute boating tour around the Port of Portsmouth during which you can see modern day Royal Naval Warships. The new Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was not in port but the modern Destroyer, HMS Diamond D34 was in the docks (see picture left of college).

When HMS Victory was built in 1762 it cost £63,176 and 3 shillings,[the equivalent of £7.92 million today). HMS Diamond alone cost the UK around £1 billion.  I have to say that I tried to work out how many homeless and overcrowded families we could house in Newham with £1 billion.

Portsmouth is lovely with plenty of things to do if you or your partner are not historically minded included a number of good value restaurants in Southsea. 

The Fighting Temeraire (& the Fighting 63rd)

Off message: This simply gorgeous sunset by J M W Turner of the old Battleship being towed towards the breaker's yard was once voted the "Greatest Painting in any British Gallery". I agree - and a canvass print of the painting is one of my 50th birthday presents yesterday.

Last weekend I went to the Portsmouth Historic Docks and visited HMS Victory and HMS Warrior. I found that there was a 23 year old John Gray who served in HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar  in 1805. I'll post pictures on Facebook of this visit, including a boat trip to look at a £400 million modern day Naval Battleship and older ones awaiting the same fate as the "Temeraire".

This weekend I am going to Ypres in Belgium with my nephew Matthew, his mate Ashley and my brother-in-law Rob. We are planning to visit the First World War Battlefield sites and museums. On this forthcoming Remembrance Sunday, we are going to show our respects to the British and Commonwealth dead at Menin Gate.

My Taid (Welsh for Grandfather) fought in the First World War in the Royal Naval Division (63rd). There was too many men volunteering for the Navy at the beginning of that war so Winston Churchill who was in charge decided to form a land fighting navy division. The RND was constantly in the thick of it in France (and Gallipoli) during the War. It lost the equivalent of four times its numerical strength in dead and wounded (stop and think about this figure) .

My Taid (who also survived Gallipoli) received this citation in 1917 "Temporary Lieutenant Frederick John Matthews RNVR for conspicuous gallantry and devotion in leading his company forward with ammunition under a heavy machine gun fire. He also attacked and captured a machine gun position, seizing the gun and taking about forty prisoners for which he was awarded the Military Cross".

I think this action took place in or around Ypres and I will try and find out further information. How on earth can any infantry unit under heavy fire attack machine gun positions? It would be fascinating to work out when and where this action took place and to visit the location.

My Auntie Di (daughter-in-law of Taid) wants to visit Flanders. I have promised her that this weekend will be a tester and if it all goes well then perhaps the wider Matthews Clan can organise a similar gathering next year?