16 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2009
Terry and dunes
NEWSPAPER and television reports tell us what’s happening in
Afghanistan, but they focus (as is the nature of news) on events –
National
casualties, fi re-fi ghts and insurgencies.
The Royal Marines Museum’s latest exhibition, Return to
Helmand: The Royal Marines in Afghanistan, aims to give visitors
a fl avour of day-to-day life for a Royal Marine deployed on
Operation Herrick.
What’s life in camp like? How do they relax? What do they eat?
What happens when the mail arrives? How do they cope when
one of their mates get blown up by an improvised device? And,
importantly for their families, how do they cope when they get
back home?
treasure
Given the nature of the operation, a mixture of extreme danger
and tedium, is the famous Royal sense of humour alive and
kicking? (As they apparently refer to the enemy as ‘Terry Taleban’,
the evidence looks promising.)
THE history of the Royal Navy is the
museum post was fi lled by academics,” he said.
The exhibition uses photography, video footage and memorable history of the United Kingdom, but up
“It’s a myth that academics can’t handle change –
quotes from the men on the ground to build up a picture of life in
to now there has never been a National
they can change. They can acquire other skills – as I
Afghanistan, told from the viewpoint of the individuals. There is
did.”
also a series of paintings by the war artist Gordon Rushmer and a
Navy Museum to tell its story. His aim is to put naval history fi rmly back where it
range of kit and other exhibits brought back from the fi eld.
The Army and the RAF have national museums, belongs – in the forefront of education.
“It is a risky decision for a museum to open an exhibition on an
but the Navy has four separate ones for its branches, “The history of the Royal
ongoing operation,” said Maj Gen Garry Robison, Commandant
each one popular and successful, but none Navy is the history of the
General Royal Marines, who opened the exhibition.
which gives an overall picture of the Navy’s United Kingdom, but I
“But what we are looking at will form part of the Corps’ history
role in shaping the nation. think the Navy story has
in years to come, and it is important that it is recorded.”
It’s a gap which the Navy Board wanted gone walkabout. It’s just not
The Helmand exhibition is in a new, purpose-built exhibitions
to fi ll when they decided in 2006 to create a there in schools anymore,”
gallery, the latest in a series of exciting new developments for
National Museum of the Royal Navy, writes he explained.
the museum, which recently won a prestigious award, the 2008
Sarah Fletcher. “It’s missing from the
Tourism ExSEllence award for Small Visitor Attraction of the Year.
Keeping naval heritage alive and well is an expensive curriculum, because it’s not fashionable, or it’s seen
In the last 18 months the museum has refurbished its Minstrels’
business. The Navy has to fund HMS Victory (still a as imperialistic – but it is part of this country’s past.
Gallery and its famous Medal Room, redeveloped its foyer and
commissioned warship and going to remain so) and And if we can’t be truthful about the past, what can
gift shop and introduced a new audio-visual presentation.
the four naval museums out of an already we be truthful about?”
Return to Helmand runs until August 31.
stretched budget. He added:He “We need a more visible sense of the
The Navy Board believlieveed a d a NNaavvy’y s history and importance. We’ve got to attach
national museum wwould ould oursselve es much more strongly to the present and the
● Sangin in the dry... Men of Whiskey Company, 45 Commando, have much more clout and and
ffuture.utu
on patrol at dusk near Forward Operating Base Jackson infl uence in a competitivee
“The great advantage of our four naval museums
Picture: LA(Phot) Nick Tryon, 45 Cdo market place, as well as
is that in each one of them you can see the Navy
making the grant-in-aid doing its everyday work.
funding more effi cient. “In Portsmouth Naval Base and across the
“Museums and water at the submarine museum, you can look
libraries are easy places at the history, and then see, say, HMS Daring,
to make a cut,” confi rmed d aand than t gives you a sense of continuity.
Dr Dominic Tweddle, the new h “It’s the same at Yeovilton where the Fleet Air Arm
Director General of the National Museum. Museum is on a working air station. This relationship
He explained: “To secure the future of our four between the past and the present is what makes it so
naval museums, we’ve got to be much more focused, interesting.”
get more people through the door, and one way or He believes there is a huge public appetite for
another generate a lot more income.” history – if it is presented in the right way.
“That doesn’t mean having them on one site “Museum statistics show visitor numbers going
– although it does beg the question why they are up and up year on year. If you go back 25 years
so heavily concentrated in the left-hand corner of museums were perceived as boring, but it’s not the
England, when the Navy has a nationwide presence? case anymore.”
“What it does mean is better combining their The Jorvik Viking Centre, which opened in 1984,
skills and resources. I’m currently working with the was a step change in visitor attractions – it recreated
four directors of the separate naval museums to a Viking village on the site of an archaeologg g ical
produce a combined strategy.” dig, with sights, sounds
He continued: “It’s too early yet to and smells.
announce any plans, but I have many ideas. Dr Tweddle believes it
We need to look at our marketing, exhibition had a huge infl uence in
spaces, events, catering – there is a lot of increasing public interest
potential there.” in archaeology.
“Portsmouth Naval Base is particularly “When the Jorvik
interesting because it is a complex site, with Viking Centre opened
Warrior and Mary Rose, which are not part there was very little
of the navy-funded museums but have a huge public interest in
historical importance.” archaeology,” he said.
Dr Tweddle, who took up the post of Director “But it quickly became associated with success, and
General in January, is an archaeologist with a special every minister wanted to visit it.”
interest in mediaeval and Viking ships. “It even infl uenced legislation about archaeology,
After a degree and doctorate in archaeology at because the government started to make developers
Southampton University he took a second degree pay for studies on the sites they were developing.
at Cambridge, then studied at University College, “That brought a massive growth in archaeology,
London, and worked for a year at the British with more opportunities for archaeologists, and an
Museum. increase in the public appetite.
But as well as his academic credentials he has huge “I’m not saying we brought about that change.
experience in running commercially What I am saying is that we were
successful visitor attractions. part of a movement that fuelled a
He was one of the founders of the public interest in archaeology.”
world-famous Jorvik Viking Centre Now he hopes a national Navy
in York, and was Chief Executive museum will have the same effect.
of Continuum, the UK’s leading He said: “I think providing
tourism and visitor attraction we’ve got galleries that tell the
consortium, responsible among other things for the stories, that constant drip-feed of information is
Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. incredibly important.
Now his task is to bring commercial success to “There isn’t anyone else doing it – at least in
the Navy’s national museum. But the educational historical terms.
and research element is equally important. As every “The Navy has its own public relations, but it has
curator knows, balancing commercial success with more complex things it’s got to deliver from day to
academic integrity is quite a challenge. day. It’s still doing incredibly important things and its
HMS DARING TYPE 45
“I think we’re much more open to expertise in people are still dying for their country.
other areas than we were 25 years ago, when every “But we can tell its history every day.”
ANTI AIR WARFARE DESTROYER
Replica model, hand cast in white metal, painted and mounted on a wooden
plinth with brass nameplate. Model measures approx. 8 3/4” long.
A summer of fl ight
AS BEFITS the 100th anniversary of naval – Spain’s ‘Red Arrows’) and the Red
fl ight, the Fleet Air Arm’s hogging the Arrows (Britain’s, er, Red Arrows).
£85.00
limelight at three of the UK’s biggest air The Royal Jordanian Falcons will
displays this summer. be performing at both Culdrose and
+ £8.00 p&p
Culdrose and Yeovilton air days are a Yeovilton, as will an RAF Typhoon and the
given – they’re home turf – but those nice glitterati of naval aviation – a Swordfish,
UK only Gingers and Algies in the RAF are giving Sea Hawk and Sea Fury from the Royal
centre stage (well, for some of the time) to Navy Historic Flight.
a naval flypast at their annual showpiece, Here comes the info bit...
the Royal International Air Tattoo (billed Yeovilton Air Day takes place on
as the world’s biggest military air show). Saturday July 11. Discounted tickets –
All three public shows will witness a adults £17, OAPs £14 and children £5
‘Balbo’ – a phalanx of various aircraft – are available on 08445 781 781 or www.
grouped together in the sky, made famous ticketzone.co.uk.
by the Italian aviation pioneer Italo Balbo. RIAT runs at RAF Fairford in
To order your model send your name, address and daytime telephone number
Around 40 fixed wing aircraft and Gloucestershire on July 18 and 19.
along with your cheque or credit card details to:
helicopters from front-line and training Tickets are only available in advance,
squadrons – about one sixth of the strength of the priced £34.95, from airtattoo.com or 0800 107
Skytrex Ltd, Unit 1 Charnwood Business Park, North Road,
Fleet Air Arm – will mass for the three flypasts. 1940. Under 16s go free.
Apart from the Balbos, Yeovilton will stage its ever- Culdrose Air Day is staged on Wednesday July
Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 1LE Tel: 01509 213789 popular commando helicopter assault (hopefully in 29. Discounted tickets – adults £12, children £4
Email:sales@skytrex.com www.skytrex.com
better weather than last year’s event). and families £30 – are available in advance at
Other aerial displays lined up for the Somerset www.ticketzone.co.uk, selected tourist information
PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 28 DAYS FOR DELIVERY
show include the Frecce Tricolori (Tricolour Arrows centres in Devon and Cornwall, or by calling 08705
– Italy’s ‘Red Arrows’), Patrulla Águila (Eagle Patrol 321 321.
016_NN_May.indd 1 20/4/09 19:24:16
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48