INTERVIEW
BRITANNIA came next in 1975.”I didn’t meet the Queen straight away – our first trip was with the Queen Mother to the Channel Islands and this was tremendous fun. On the last evening bad weather stopped a group of vIPs coming out by boat to a reception on board. The Queen Mother declared “Well, I still need entertaining.” So she led a sing-song of sea shanties in the round with her leading one group and the Admiral the other.” It was from this night that one of the most contentious parts of Nicko’s career stems. Naval folklore says that he, after a few drinks, fell
asleep with his head on the Queen Mother’s shoulder. Nicko denies this completely – but
it would be wonderful if it were true, I say. He smiles, says “malicious gossip by my friends” and that’s the end of the matter. In 1976 HmY BRITANNIA crossed the Atlantic to attend the American Bicentennial celebrations in Philadelphia and then the 1976 olympics. The next year was the Queen’s Silver Jubilee tour of the South Pacific taking in Samoa, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia where Nicko left and flew home from Perth.
VINO’S PIZZERIA &
MEDITERRANEAN GRILL
Open 3pm - 11pm daily THE OLD BAKERS BAR
37 VICTORIA ROAD, DARTMOUTH,
01803 834545
He told me the Queen adored her time on board. “The Queen particularly loved
BRITANNIA. Once we were away from harbour she could completely relax. I enjoyed my time on board and was privileged to have dinner with her on one occasion which was marvellous.” Three years as First Lieutenant of the aircraft carrier HMS HERMES followed and then a NATO appointment in Naples where he was awarded an Italian medal for assisting in the relief effort after a major earthquake. After this, he ran Southampton university Royal Navy Unit. “I was taking undergraduates to sea in HMS WOODLARK, an old conver ted inshore minesweeper – it was great fun – a little like the Navy Lark!” His last ‘foreign accompanied’ job was acting as Assistant Queen’s Harbourmaster in Gibralta and the final appointment in the Navy was to HmS ILLuSTRIouS (his fourth aircraft carrier) as Executive officer for her refit and then as First Lieutenant when she went back to sea in 1993. “I came out of the Navy in 1995 at the age of 54. I had plenty of good years left and was very lucky – I became the project manager for a charity that ran a 72ft yacht taking underprivileged young people to sea for sail training and this was hugely rewarding.” He did this for 7 years and then became a part- time yachting instructor, working freelance for different sailing schools before finally completely retiring last summer. “ We came back to Devon
during this time and I’m very content. Our lives and lifestyle over the years have been brilliant and I’ve hugely enjoyed everything I’ve done!”•
All previously published interviews in this magazine can be found on By The Dart’s website
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 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132