NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2007 37
Albion invades Sunderland
Welcome
guests –
HMS ALBION was are the RN’s elite display team.
invited to Sunderland for
The two aircraft, from 702 Naval
now evil
a spectacular air show –
Air Squadron, offer a unique aerial
ballet that has thrilled crowds on
and returned the favour by
the air show circuit.
invading the city’s beach, In the arena were displays by
pests…
writes Jessica Wretlind, on
the Royal Marines Commandos,
work experience.
Royal Navy Field Gun teams, all THERE are intruders at large at
to the soundtrack of the Royal
Initially, the ship spent two
Clyde Naval Base – they stand six
Marines Band Scotland. feet tall, can regenerate at rapid
days alongside at Corporation
Cdr Clayton Fisher, the speed and destroy any local rivals.
Quay, which included a Ship Logistics Officer of HMS Albion,
The unwelcome visitors are
Open to Visitors (or SOTV), said: “It was an honour for the known pests and experts are
which saw several thousand
ship’s presence to be acknowledged
preparing to exterminate them.
members of the public explore
by the famous Red Arrows, and
Introduced for ornamental
the ship and talk to members
we added further excitement for
purposes in the 1800s, Japanese
of the ship’s company.
the thousands lining the shore by
Knotweed was used at Faslane as
The assault ship then sailed
staging the beach invasion.”
screening in the 1960s.
from the quay, anchoring offshore
But wherever it grows, it will
to form the backdrop for the
strangle natural flora and fauna.
Sunderland Air Show, the largest
The plant has a bamboo-like
free show of its type in Europe,
stalk and wide green leaves, and
● Green berets storm ashore at Sunderland (main picture) while
according to organisers.
as it can damage infrastructure, a
HMS Albion enjoys a special view of the Red Arrows (above)
From there sailors enjoyed a
base-wide initiative aims to strike at
grandstand view of the RAF’s Red
the root of the problem – literally.
Arrows’ gravity-defying aerobatics
“This plant is extremely
as thousands of spectators watched
invasive,” said John Thomson, of
from the shore.
Estates Directorate Clyde.
Royal Marines staged a mock
“We [EDC] along with Babcock
invasion of the crowded shore
Naval service’s environmental
– one of the largest city beaches
teams and the Royal Navy’s
in the UK.
Director Safety Assurance have
Also entertaining the crowds
begun tackling the problem.
were the Black Cats team with
“A fingernail’s length of root is
their Lynx helicopters.
enough to start a new plant, which
Formed in 2001, the Black Cats
can grow at four inches a day.
“Some chemical treatment has
already begun.”
Any base staff who are aware
of these rapidly-growing plants
are to report any sightings to the
estates management department.
But Japanese Knotweed is
certainly not a problem limited
to the base.
The Department for the
Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (DEFRA), lists the plant
as one of the most destructive.
Ironically, however, if coming
across knotweed, one should not
disturb or damage the plant as
this would be an offence under
the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981, which states that it is
an offence to plant or cause this
species to grow in the wild.
Digging or excavating within
seven metres of the plant could
cause vigorous re-growth.
The Environmental Protection
Act (EPA) 1990, Duty of Care
Regulations 1991, states that
cut knotweed material and soil
containing rhizomes – roots –
must be disposed of as controlled
waste.
Trafalgar
Cheers to the Mary Rose!
Day service
THE White Ensign will fl y over
A SPECIALLY-brewed beer has been launched with embellished Tudor-style glasses.
Exeter Cathedral on October 21
to help raise funds for the Mary Rose. Shep, a beer aficionado, said Raise a Glass
for the annual service to celebrate
The Oakleaf Brewery in Gosport has was “a fine beer for a fine occasion.”
Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar.
used traditional Tudor techniques to “Considering the strength of the beer [9.5
Contingents from HMS Raleigh
produce ‘Raise a Glass’, officially launched per cent] and the fact that it is hand-bottled,
and HMS Vivid will be amongst
in Portsmouth by Shep Woolley. it really is a beer fit for a king,” said Lucy
those attending the service at
The launch was one of a number of events Wright, Sales and Marketing Manager for
which the Chaplain of the Fleet
marking the 25th anniversary of the raising Oakleaf.
and Archdeacon for the Royal
of the Tudor warship from the sea bed off The Mary Rose sank in a squall while Navy, Ven John Green.
Southsea Castle, and was the brainchild sailing out to meet a French fleet off the isle Music will be provided by the
of Mary Rose shop manager Pat Arnell of Wight in 1545; hundreds drowned in the Royal Marines Band CTCRM,
and costumed interpreter and archer Chris Solent as King Henry VIII looked on from and the Royal Naval Guild of
Figgins. Southsea Castle. Bellringers will ring a Trafalgar
In addition to standard 500ml bottles, Rediscovered in the 1960s, the wreck was Day peal.● Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, in his role as Commander Allied Maritime
there is a limited edition range of 250 extensively dived until the remains of her hull Component Command, Northwood, visited NATO Maritime Group 1 during their Everybody is welcome to the
available in champagne-style bottles, and the were brought up on October 11 1982 in a historic 12,500-mile round-Africa deployment. Admiral Burnell-Nugent is pictured attend the service, which starts at
Mary Rose is raffling an additional bottle multi-million pound operation. above going on board Portuguese ship ARP Alvares Cabral in Cape Town
11.30am.
Outlook bright for Buccaneer
DESPITE the need to work acquisition of a crew ladder,
around this summer’s allowing full access to the
miserable weather cockpit.
conditions, steady progress The Buccaneer (right), listed
is being made on repainting as a “significant” airframe on
an historic Naval Buccaneer the National Aviation Heritage
at Newark Air Museum. Register, will retain the original
XN964 was on board white and grey colour scheme
HMS Victorious for what is it wore in its early Service days
believed to have been the with 801 Naval Air Squadron.
first operational deployment A large part of the de-
of the Buccaneer, to the Far corrosion phase has now been
East from 1963 to 1965. completed, while work continues
In addition to the weather on undercarriage bays.
conditions, restoration in the The team are still keen to
cockpit proved problematic establish contact with any
when the locking/release former Fleet Air Arm personnel
mechanism proved reluctant that served with the squadrons
to work. and units from which XN964
Assistance provided to operated.
the restoration team has These include AHU, 801 NAS
resolved the problem, and (HMS Victorious), 736 NAS, 803
they are now able to step NAS, RAE Bedford and RRE
up their efforts with the Pershore.
037_NNJess_OCT.indd 1 20/9/07 09:17:55
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