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8 NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2010 Crazy A’s away days


PASSING beneath one of the landmarks on the Man- chester Ship Canal (the Irlam Viaduct for those who don’t hail from God’s own county), HMS Atherstone makes her way towards the heart of the


northern metropolis. There are still six miles, two


swing bridges and three locks to negotiate at this point before the minehunter reaches her destination at Salford Quays.


Before making for the man- made waterway, the Portsmouth- based warship anchored off Llandudno to conduct a casualty exercise with the local offshore and inshore RNLI boats;


their Not all quiet on the Heston front


THEY obviously like fi ne living aboard HMS Turbulent because the submarine’s hosted not one but two of the country’s top chefs. Admittedly the fare served to Heston Blumenthal


around.


(pictured above by LA(Phot) James Crawford in Turbulent’s control room) was not the typical sort of meal that the ‘culinary alchemist’ dines on. Normally he indulges in rather unusual dishes – snail porridge or parsnip cereal anyone? Not burgers, bangers and beans. Unless he’s attending a submariners’ barbecue. Which he was. Heston, whose restaurant is ranked in the top fi ve in


the world, was the guest of HMS Turbulent’s CO Cdr Ryan Ramsey, as the Devonport deeps staged a family BBQ to thank loved ones for their support during the many months the boat has been undergoing an overhaul. That lengthy overhaul is almost done. The T-boat


is now materially ready for sea with only fi nal preparations and checks to be completed. And that’s worth celebrating. Hence the vast quantities of fl ame-licked burgers and mustard- smothered sausages. The TV chef enjoyed his patty of ground steak nestling between two crisp oval-shaped half-rolls of bread (ie burger in a bap), chatted with ship’s company, families, and friends, and was given a tour of the boat. Meanwhile, the boat’s AB Drake formally joined the submarine fraternity as he was awarded his dolphins.


All in all it was, says Cdr Ramsey, “a great day all


“Plymouth seems to have had more than its fair share of rain so far this summer. Turbulent leapt like a spring hare at the opportunity to don shorts, open some cans of cool beer, and become pocket experts at the art of the BBQ.”


culinary master in town. Peter Gorton – a master chef of Great Britain – was invited to prepare a meal at a charity dinner hosted by the submariners for their favoured good cause. The National Aquarium in Plymouth was the


venue for the evening (fish, obviously, was on the menu) as Peter prepared and ship’s company served the dishes to guests, who then offered substantial sums at a subsequent charity auction (lots included a tour of the nuclear boat). Having dined and dipped into their pockets in the stunning surroundings of the aquarium, guests enjoyed an unrivalled view of the British Fireworks Championships, held in Plymouth that same night. The submariners had already raised more than £2,600 for CHSW – which runs two children’s hospices in the South-West and is building a third in St Austell – but that figure’s now smashed the £10K barrier courtesy of the dinner and auction. And last but not least, the Lady Mayoress of Plymouth, Kate Aspinall, was invited onboard the boat in Devonport for a guided tour from the CO; her father’s an ex-deep who served in O-boats.


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Signature(s) Barely had stomachs settled than there was another


crews traded places with the RN sailors so both could experience life in their respective craft (albeit briefl y).


by


The short visit was arranged Atherstone’s coxswain, PO


Nick ‘Jack’ Frost who hails from the Welsh resort – and used to volunteer for its lifeboats; members of his family are still heavily involved with the vital rescue service.


The next stage in the trip was to make the transit of the Mersey to the mouth of the Manchester Ship Canal. Enjoying the transit were various VIPs including


affi liates and


(deep breath) Naval Regional Commander, Cdre Dickie Baum, the Lord Mayors of Manchester, Liverpool and Chester,


Lord Lieutenants of Greater Manchester


● Irlam globetrotters... Atherstone makes her way up the Manchester Ship Canal


Picture: Chris Berry, Rossendale Aviation Society


and Merseyside, High Sheriffs of Merseyside and Greater Manchester and the Mayors of Salford, The Wirral and Sefton, plus the Mayor of the ship’s affi liated Borough of North Warwickshire, the Mayor of


and members of the Atherstone Ball Game Committee, who organise the 800-year-old Shrove Tuesday sport in the small town. (And breathe again.) “It’s not often we are able to sail up the Manchester Ship Canal and it was a pleasure to do so in the company of guests – being able to bring the ship into the heart of


It’s the way he tells ’em


IF, FROM this photograph, WO1 Nigel Jones looks like a good old sea dog, it’s because he is. Britain’s Best Sea Dog, in fact. The senior rating,


currently


Executive Warrant Officer of HMS Somerset out in the Gulf, responded to a call from Wood’s 100 Rum in our July edition to unearth the best seafaring dit. The competition produced an excellent response and saw a huge range of stories – from the incredibly sad, to the hysterically funny, to the inspirational – and they made for some great reading. “Choosing a winner turned out to be a very diffi cult task as we were taken aback by both the number of entries, and their quality,” said Sarah Pace, assistant brand manager for Wood’s 100 Rum. “We chose Nigel because his composure in what was inevitably an extremely scary situation is inspirational – he even managed to crack a joke when the drama was over!” Nigel’s served in the RN for


35 years, took part in the Cod Wars, Cold War and 1990-91 Iraq conflict, and has enjoyed five seagoing posts as a WO1, including two EWO assignments (first Albion, now Somerset). He finally leaves the RN next spring, when he plans to travel with his wife Lizzie, and further his career as a yacht skipper. Nigel’s service in the Royal


Navy, lasting 35 years, has taken him all over the world and he has also worked with NATO. He is currently serving in the Arabian Gulf and when on dry land his home is on the south Cornwall coast. His dream is for him and his wife to sail around the world one day.


His ditting earns him £500 off


the price of a battlefield tour with Leger Holidays. Runners-up – nonagenarian


Bernard Hallas, Ken Harman and Doug Lochead – receive a bottle of Wood’s 100 Old Navy rum each; you can read their tales in the Ditty Box section of the Navy News website. Now for the winning dit:


_____________________________________ Date


A0910NN


“I will always remember one incident that took place during a bitter November storm about 150 miles south-west of Ireland. I was coxswain of a seaboat that


was called away as part of a man overboard drill.


Atherstone


the city is special,” said CO Lt Cdr Gordon Ruddock.


but it’s far from an easy passage. “It still poses a signifi cant


navigational challenge with sloping banks, low-bridges, locks and the shallow tidal channel approaching the opening to the canal from the Mersey,” explains navigator S/Lt Tom Wyatt. Upon arrival in Salford the


Crazy A had a packed and varied programme,


formal reception that evening for more dignitaries and affi liates. After the VIPs came Joe Public.


beginning with a


Upwards of 1,000 people fi led up the gangway to see the minehunter during ‘ship open to visitors’, while some groups and affi liates were granted private tours. “I know many members of my


ship’s company – most of whom were involved in hosting visitors – enjoyed being able to tell visitors about the ship and our recent Gulf deployment, and chatting about the Royal Navy,” Lt Cdr Ruddock added.


“It has also been really good to get to know our affi liates again after two and a half years in the Gulf.” Hunt-class mine hunters are the largest warships which can safety transit the 34-mile canal (Manchester’s own ship, the namesake destroyer, can’t make it up the waterway thanks to her mast),


The visit to the North West is pretty much the last you’ll hear of the Crazy A for some time as she’s about to start an extended refi t – well-deserved TLC and upgrades for the warship after her two-year- plus stint in the Gulf which ended earlier this summer.


● The (sea) dog’s bollard... WO1 Nigel Jones relaxes on Somerset’s forecastle Picture: LA(Phot) Jenny Lodge


dummy we headed back through a heavy swell and by the time we returned alongside our boat was awash with water.


Having collected the weighted


On being hoisted one of the lines parted, the boat broached, and we were left being trawled along upside down. I grabbed my bowman with one


CTP for Ark 25


BRITAIN’S fl agship will be celebrating her 25th birthday year with a cocktail party for offi cers and warrant offi cers who’ve served in her since the 1980s.


arm and clung to my life line with the other arm. We were hoisted and lowered three times and eventually my friend was washed away. At this point I decided I would be safer in the water and I went after my bowman. On seeing my head surface, panicking, he pushed me under several times until I managed to grab his hands and calm him down.


Our ship HMS Lowestoft – unable to stop as it was trailing a long sonar – took over 30 minutes to return to us.


I remember the grey mast heading away each time we fl oated over the crest of a 20ft Atlantic wave, before sliding into the next deep trough. Just as we were slipping into a


state of semi-consciousness the ship came along side and a brave young diver jumped in to pull us to the ship’s side.


level my fi rst words to the ship’s Executive Offi cer, as I hung limply in a recovery strop, were ‘Where’s my tot, sir?’”


Upon being hoisted to deck


HMS Ark Royal formally joined the Royal Navy when she was commissioned on November 1 1985 (she arrived in Portsmouth several months earlier).


aboard on Thursday November 4 between 6.30 and 8.30pm will mark the occasion. Serving and retired officers/ warrant officers who have been part of the carrier’s complement are elligible to attend.


Tickets, price £10 each, are limited to six per applicant and each attendee may be accompanied by one guest. Dress is 1C (negative medals) for serving personnel and suit and tie for civilians. Numbers are limited to 600 and the deadline for applications is October 1. Cheques (no cash) should be made payable to Central Fund HMS Ark Royal and sent to Lt Pete Davis, Silver Jubilee Ball Officer, HMS Ark Royal, BFPO 212.


More details for serving personnel can be found in RNTM 154/10.


A Silver Jubilee cocktail party


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