NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2008 9
extremes
Certainly HMS Nottingham’s Commanding Officer is The dogs and their handlers conduct patrols,
impressed. He’s keeping a regular internet diary or ‘blog’ as look for explosives and carry out search and
a result of all this technological wizardry. rescue missions on the islands.
“I don’t want to appear a dinosaur, but I am amazed Thanks to their speed, agility and, above
by the levels of connectivity we have on board – instant all, bite, (the dogs, not the handlers...)
email, internet and phone calls to the UK,” Cdr Andrew they can also bring criminals to a halt.
Price writes. The Falklands are not renowned for
“Not long ago, news from home was all down to the criminal activity, so step forward 11
normal mail and letter drops. News from home now comes volunteers (who just happened to be
quickly – world news from the internet and satellite TV HMS Nottingham sailors) to play the part
which is piped around the messdecks.” of ne’er-do-wells.
Satellite TV has allowed the team to keep up with the Not surprisingly, they weren’t able to
latest sporting events, such as the Six Nations, the soaps, outrun the attack dogs (whose rather
and dare we say it ‘reality’ television. sharp teeth you will be pleased to
“No longer do I need to consider closing land to ensure learn did not penetrate the thick
that we can receive a half-decent television picture protective suits the volunteers
and no longer is the deputy weapons engineering wore).
officer forced to stand out in the cold on the bridge ■ Read Cdr Price’s blog at
roof, clutching a superbly-engineered aerial array of www.blogs.mod.uk/hms_
wire coat hangers, whilst orders to go ‘up a bit, right nottingham/
a bit’ are shouted through three decks to achieve the
best picture,” Cdr Price adds in his blog.
Email, internet and satellite TV are not the only
morale boosters aboard, there’s also Nottingham’s
PTI Kev ‘The Baby Faced Assassin’ (a moniker
from his boxing days) Green to organise various
sporting events, as well as numerous contests and
competitions to maintain the 250 sailors at a peak
of fitness, body and soul.
Both body and soul were in harmony when Kev
organised a Sport Relief mile for the international
charity. Sailors raised £200 by completing seven
laps of the upper deck.
Not all runs had such a pleasant ending.
No, 11 members of the ship’s company visited
the RAF dog section at Mount Pleasant in the
Falklands – and found themselves ‘volunteered’
for demonstrations.
● Nottingham leaves the Falklands bound for South Georgia
Pictures: LA(Phot) Alex Cave, FRPU East
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