Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth

[marcus]

Sometime between 1964 and 1968 an aunt and uncle took my older brother and I there and we explored HMS Victory and one of the store rooms which was then open. I always wanted to go back but never yet had time, and now they have the new mary Rose exhibition, 1915 Coastal Bombardment Ship M33, and HMS Warrior, the world's first iron hulled warship.

Last week I had to look after my dad for a few days and this proved a great chance, at long last to go to "Portsgob" again.

Blooming marvellous! very impressed by how big the Mary Rose was, Victory is fantastic, under re-fit at present but most of it accessible. HMS Warrior, from 1860, is absolutely stunning. Built in 1860,  just 95 years after HMS Victory but almost more like a modern ship and remarkably spacious and beautiful for a warship.

At 88 years my Dad only  just survived the deadliest strain of malaria, which led to a series of strokes and damage to his memory, so he can no longer go out for walks or jogs alone, but he did fine, even going up and down all the nearly vertical stair/ladders in Victory and thoroughly enjoying it all.

Highly recommended!

[richard]

we went there in september on the way to the st.malo ferry . it's a great complex we had prebooked to see the Mary Rose and it was fascinating . we were dreadfully disapointed in Victory . we could only view from the outside but being refitted as you say and only the bottom portion of the masts were fitted . we will return and do it justice sometime soon i hope .

[marcus]

Victory is coming along well, all decks but the top deck are accessible, and most areas of them. I saw Victory from the water 2-3 months ago and there has been real progress. Built in 1765 and an old ship by Trafalgar, so only fair she gets a bit of TLC.

when I was on Victory I could not help thinking that it is SO cramped, so living on it must have been hell, fighting a battle in it a zillion times worse! Jagged oak splinters as big as your arm flying at you in all directions at nearly supersonic speed? Er, no thanks! The change when you go on Warrior, made just 95 years later is astonshing, so much roomier and more modern.

Dad was getting flustered by the dark and all the people in the new Mary Rose building so we did not stay that long, but yup, really fascinating. I like the way the wreck is on one side and the other is a mock of the other side so you get a great idea of how huge she was for a ship of that age, very impressive.

In one of the antique shops in one of the large store buildings I saw a red Triang crane, just like the one which was the best toy in the world when I was 6! Very simple pressed steel and loosely based on the famous Vera Lynn era Coles cranes, I fell in love all over again!

[richard]

i had the sameTriang crane - did everyone 

[marcus]

It were grand...simple things made us happy back then!

Sometime I want to got to the Submarine Museum at Gosport, on the other side of Portsgob harbour. I had been planning to go with my Dad and my godfather (Dad's oldest friend); he was a retired submarine commander and his old charge, HMS Alliance is the prize exhibit there and is just nearing the end of a major restoration as it is the only WW2 British sub. Sadly he died last year before we got a chance to meet up, and I think my Dad is now probably unlikely to enjoy it, too dark and cramped. They also have an early Holland sub there as well.