what are you doing ?

[Ray P]

A really good day out at the Hisotoric Dockyard yesterday, especially as I got there earlier than expected, bang on opening time. I was on my feet a lot and walked around 6miles during the day but managed to get around the Mary Rose, which is really fascinating, and some of the recovered artefacts are in a just amazing state of preservaton;



HMS Victory,



which is undergoing a major programme of conservation at the moment with the new support rams in place and much of the outer hull planking removed to facilitate deeper rapairs before it is replaced with new planking,



and HMS M33,



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_M33

I also spent some time in the boatyard hall were they do traditional boat building and repairs on heritage small craft. Very interesting talking to some of the volunteers who donate their skills and time and good to see women/young people there as a positive for the future.



I still have lots to see on a future visit, HMS Warrior and the submarine museum, for example.

If you're down Portsmouth way I recommend visiting, and if you're not sure about how to entertain you're better half, Gunwharf Quays shopping outet is less than 5mins walk from the Dockyard - easiest way to get there is the train to Portsmouth Harbour station, which is equidistant between the Dockyard gate and the entrance to Gunwharf.

[pre65]

Watching a railway cab view video whilst supping a bottle of Spitfire..

Jean and her mum are watching the rugby on TV.

[andrew Ivimey]

Do you know Train Somulator software Phil - drive your own train... they probably do fly your own Spitfire too!

[pre65]

Do you know Train Somulator software Phil - drive your own train... they probably do fly your own Spitfire too!

Hi Andrew, I have looked at railway simulators, but not actually tried any yet.

I have been watching cab ride videos in Europe, mainly Swiss, and the scenery is stunning.

An acquaintance of mine (my MOT tester) recently had a passenger ride in a Spitfire. They took off from North Weald and flew over his home in Tiptree. The pilot even let him have the "stick" for a little while. It cost his daughter somewhere about £3K.

[andrew Ivimey]

Train Sim is a lot more gentle. I was happy shunting 0-6-0 tank engines around a coal mine or power station.

I went up in a bastard litle aeroplane once -( not a spitfire). Once was enough.

[IslandPink]

Perhaps it was a Fokker, Andrew ?

[andrew Ivimey]

Tri-plane yeah wow, if only.... I really can't 'member what it was- just that it easy so awful.

[pre65]

Perhaps it was a Fokker, Andrew ?

Did you ever see Stan Boardman (I think) on the Des O'Connor show going on about Fokkers ?

It was very funny.

I found it on YouTube.

[simon]

Stan Boardman got in quite a bit of trouble for that I seem to recall. He reckoned that he didn't want to tell it but the show egged him on.

[andrew Ivimey]

Why is that funny? it's repetitious and boring.

[Neal]

A copy of the Sopwith Triplane

[pre65]

Why is that funny? it's repetitious and boring.

Different sense of humour ?

Stan is a professional comedian so is adept at making things funny.

[Ray P]

Different sense of humour ?

Stan is a professional comedian so is adept at making things funny.

I don't think there's any significant comedic talent involved in repeating the word 'Fokker' to titilate an audience, nor was it even new.

It's not even correct because Spitfires would have been encountering Focke-Wulf 190 (FW-190) fighters, the first part of which is pronounced 'Fock'.

Furthermore, Fokker were founded by a Dutchman, who started manufacturing in Germany before the First Workd War (and built several very good fighter aircraft used by Germany) but returned to Holland in 1919 and set up a new aircraft manufacturing business in Amsterdam so, by the Second World War, Fokker weren't even German and, in fact, Dutch Air Force Fokker fighter aircraft actually performed pretty well against the Luftwaffe.

You see, I am in a curmudgeonly mood...

[Daniel Quinn]

Stan is a professional comedian so is adept at making things funny.

If your a working man whose hayday was 1977

[andrew Ivimey]

Mmmmmmm something like.