Portsmouth, UK

I had an interview on Monday morning with the Fleet Information Mangement Unit, Royal Navy, at Portsdown.

This is where I had the interview, a joint RN / Qinetic facility on Portsdown Hill.

The views are great!





Thought id pop in to Fort Nelson after the interview, the Royal Armouries artillery museum. There are a number of these forts on Portsdown Hill, built to protect the landward approaches to Portsmouth. I took a lot of gun pics, but ive left them out to save space.









Heres the tower- plus the yacht of a Kuwaiti Royal. A most impressive vessel, as you can see- helo on deck.




Some views of the Gunwharf Quays area,its come along nicely since i was last here a year ago. When i first saw this site in 1979 it was still "HMS Vernon", the RN torpedo school. At that time there was little public acess to the waterfront. This development has literally transformed Portsmouth.





Old Portsmouth (Spice Island)

View up to the glass floor panel. Did I stand on it?? Er...no!






From the tower- Gunwharf

Old Portsmouth

Fort Blockhouse/Dolphin/Haslar

Across to the Naval Base- sheds of VT yard can be seen,and HMS Invincible at "extended readiness" in basin no. 3

Old Portsmouth again, cathedral on left

Naval Base with HMS Warrior in foreground. The carrier seems to be having deck work done (or a big party)

Gosport and the revitalised Royal Clarence yard- a former victualling yard now apartments and marina.

The former HMS Dolphin site, once home of submariners. the rescue tank is still used (tall structure). Now used by RMAS and minor vessels.

Gosport waterfront. Those blocks appear in all the old Falklands fleet pics. They seem to have viewing areas on the roof.

Close up of unidentified Invincible class vessel.

HMNB Portsmouth, home to most of the surface fleet.

In the tower, deck 1. Note glass floor panel.

Spice Island

Solent Forts, built in Victorian times to guard seaward access.

Towards the city centre.

Southsea Common, with the funfair. Tacky but good fun. you can also get a hovercraft to the Isle of Wight.

HMS Fearless and Intrepid in Fareham Lake, the disposals area. Ships moored here are for sale or scrapping. Its a shame Fearless couldnt be saved as a Falklands museum, as was suggested. Sad to see, especially as i watched "The Spy who loved me" last night, which features the ship at the end.

Harbour entrance and IOW

Finally, HMS Victory in the Baval Base.>