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[Bryan Young]

My local "newspaper" has just reported the arrival of HMS Bristol in the Tyne for an extended refit. I went up the river this morning to see if she was still lying in the river....but she is already docked down. So no photos. I only wish that this arrival had been better advertised. Questions:- I presume she came up here from Portsmouth under her own power? When did she leave Whale Island?
Anyone got any photos of either her departure or arrival? BY.

[DavieTait]

^ photo (c) Jonah Bell , linked from Trawlerphotos

Didn't she have her engineroom stripped out a few years back when they decided to make her a permanently docked training / accommodation ship ??

[Colin Bishop]

Byan, she was towed, she is just a training and accommodation ship these days and hasn't been to sea for many years. Externally much of her original equipment has been removed. I see her quite frequently as she is berthed opposite the Continental Ferryport.

Colin

[Bryan Young]

But no photos of her being towed? I would have thought that just moving her out of her "berth" would have got the cameras clicking. But still, how long did it take to tow her from Portsmouth to the Tyne?
I'm really at a loss trying to work out the justification for this. From what you (Colin) said, she is basically just a hulk. So why tow her all the 400 odd miles to the Tyne? Doesn't Portsmouth or Devonport have empty dry docks?
Against all probabilities...is there a "cunning plan" to resurrect her as part of the "fleet". We should be told.  BY.

[snowwolflair]

From Wikipedia

HMS Bristol is being refitted at A&P Tyne, Hebburn. "The refit at the yard will extend the service life of HMS Bristol for 10 years... The contract will involve upgrading facilities on HMS Bristol in line with health and safety standards. Workers will repair and replace decking, carry out steelwork structural repairs, install fire-fighting detection systems and emergency escape routes, remove rudders and carry out underwater area repairs. A&P Tyne will also provide corrosion protection coatings."[4] She departed from Portsmouth on 20 October 2010,[5] and arrived at Hebburn under tow on the morning of 3 November 2010.[6]

[Colin Bishop]

Yes Bryan, it does seem odd, scrap Ark Royal and spend probably millions on refurbishing a hulk. She may indeed be a useful training facility but it does seem on the face of it to be a peverse decision. But then the recent defence review was full of those....

Colin

[AJPaxton]

Portsmouth









Leaving














Tyne

[Bryan Young]

Thank you AJ. A very nice set of interesting photos. BY.

[AJPaxton]

No problem Brian, I know you were asking. So I asked my club members to see that they had and a few that I had.

[ben hall]

i have been Lucky enough to be on board HMS bristol at the portsmoth cadet base and know it has working engines infact everything works except the weapons and weapon systems as cadets go out on month long trips on her so they can helm engineer work on a proper Navy ship

[DavieTait]

She's been permanently moored alongside for a long time now Ben , she didn't have any prop's on her shafts when she arrived at the dry dock last week and was towed all the way North

[Bryan Young]

On re-reading this thread I was struck by something I thought a bit "odd". How come it took 14 days to tow the hulk from Portsmouth to the Tyne? The only thing I can imagine ...well, one or two things actually.
1. Did the tugs stop off for refreshments ashore every few hours?
2. Did they run her aground a couple of times?
3. Did she break loose in the middle of a dark and stormy night without it being noticed (possibly combined with no.1)?
4. Or did they do the usual nonsensical RN thing and drag her up the Irish Sea, through the Minches, trogged through the Pentland Firth and then down the scenic route to the Tyne Piers.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was no.4. Sort of goes along with not using a more local yard (ie, next door).
    As far as Bens comments go.....well, in my little flights of fantasy, knowing the convoluted mindset of those pedants who refuse to call scuttles "portholes" like the rest of the sane world, perhaps, just perhaps, they only pretended to be at sea. Doing a "voyage" while still in port has long been a bit of a favourite "cop out" with the RN. Just a thought! Bryan Y.

[triumphjon]

looking at our shipping lists she was due to sail for weeks before she actually went , apparently had somthing to do with the weather ? ?  i cant work any logic of towing her hundreds of miles for repair when there are facilities on our doorstep perfectly capable of carrying out the work ? after all this government keep telling us the country has no money and WE all have to cut budgets etc !

[Colin Bishop]

According to a report in the latest Ships Monthly the dalays were due to lack of suitable weather conditions for towing. Apparently the refit is to take 6 months and cost £4m....

Colin

[Bryan Young]

According to a report in the latest Ships Monthly the dalays were due to lack of suitable weather conditions for towing. Apparently the refit is to take 6 months and cost £4m....

Colin

Colin, from what you said earlier I wouldn't have thought that the jobs to be done will entail an extended stay in dry-dock....other "stuff" probably being done afloat in the river. My point being that there would have been no need for her to tie up a dock in Portsmouth. Nice as it is for some cash inflow to the North East, I still can't fathom out the logic of her being here. Bryan.

[Colin Bishop]

I still can't fathom out the logic of her being here

Bryan, whatever makes you think logic has anything to do with it?  Your recent very entertaining saga suggests quite the opposite!

Colin

[DavieTait]

contract would have been signed by the last Labour government so the reason she's where she is is probably nothing more than a misuse of public funds in an attempt to shore up the labour vote in the NE. Call me a cynic but thats the only reason i can see for this

[DieselDo]

David Tait
Cynic
But it doesn't matter now as you have your far better option, carriers without aircraft and a navy that would struggle to defend Campbeltown.
You should be oh so happy at the effective savings and good use of public funds.

Bob

[triumphjon]

have we all forgotten that we are also going to be run by the FRENCH MOD ? i hear we are going to share their vessels !

[ben hall]

She's been permanently moored alongside for a long time now Ben , she didn't have any prop's on her shafts when she arrived at the dry dock last week and was towed all the way North

looking at the pic that's the wrong HMS Bristol the one I meant is the one that's pretty much moored all the time at the cadet station on whale island what type is it  maby not im not sure all i know is its last trip was one month long and left 2 months ago

[Colin Bishop]

Ben,

That is the ship that was moored at Whale Island. I was in the ferryport opposite her berth yesterday and I can assure you she is not there now!

She hasn't been to sea under her own power for 19 years.

There is only one HMS Bristol and she was the only ship of her class.

Colin

[ben hall]

oops I stand corrected I haven't been to whale island for a while they say you learn something everyday well that's my learning done for the day!

[triumphjon]

shes deffo not there now as shes gone north for the winter ! apparently they are dredging her moorings as since she has been at her moorings there has been 2 meters of silt built up under her . she is due back sometime in march 2011 ? 

[stuartm]

I have stayed on Bristol a number of times as a PO with the Sea Cadet Corps. I've done various training courses and stopped the odd one or two beers going off in the Senior Rates Mess.
 She was welded to the end of the jetty on Whale Island. She just went up and down with the tide. She was still a commissioned RN ship and had a Skeleton Navy crew to look after the the ship.
Cadets used all her accommodation throughout the summers. Cadet staff did their training on whale Island and slept aboard Bristol.
The story was that she was to be replaced by an RFA ship that was better suited. However apparently the Admirals in Fleet house preferred to look out of the glass palace on to a Destroyer. So her future was uncertain.
If she has gone for a refit then great.
Don't underestimate what she means to the Cadets many of which I've known and many of which have gone to the Navy and the other services. My son and Daughter both stayed on Bristol, My son went on into the Navy and is shortly due back from the gulf. His mates have been spread across the Navy and as ex Cadets all keep in touch. The RN get a lot of sound recruits from the SCC most of which stick the course.
As for the expense of a limited refit it will probably be cheaper than building Cadet accommodation on Whale Island even assuming they could find the space. And lets be honest here, as a Cadet where would you rather be, for me on a real Warship with all its History and atmosphere.
LONG MAY SHE FLOAT.

[daddylonglegs]

When I was down on board last year the rumour was that the ferry companies where paying for the refit as they wanted the area around her dredging and for her to be repositioned so that her bow is in-line with the RNSC slipway to allow the next generation of ferries to turn prior to docking at the ferry terminal. research on line shows reports with her new mooring position.