Page 3 of 5
Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 03 Sep 2010, 20:45
by John
DaveB wrote:Ahh.. Faslane. I spent a year based up there and pretty much
hated every minute of it
ATB
DaveB

Ah the place where rain is horizontal! Give me Pompey any day!
HMS Astute sure is different to boats like HMS Torbay! As different as a Type 45 is to a Type 23.
Kind reagrds
John
Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 03 Sep 2010, 21:36
by DaveB
After years in Catterick, basic, trade training, driver training..then more training, I filled out the form.
We were bullied into filling them in whether we wanted to or not

I didn't do too badly out of it though I suppose. The Minehunter refitting in Rosyth did eventually return to Portsmouth (based at HMS Vernon.. now a shopping mall!) and Blake, Norfolk and Andromeda were Pompey based so one can't complain.. well, you can but it aint worth it

A 21month (extended to 23 to marry the first Mrs B) jolly to Portugal was a surprise (I probably asked for Fort Southwick up on the hill!) as were 2 tours at Whitehall/Northwood attached to a place that doesn't exist and for my final draft before leaving, I asked for Fort Southwick (again) as I lived in Pompey but got Whitehall.. where the second and still extant Mrs B was based. That caused a stir towit my good self and the RN didn't leave the best of friends. I don't think the MoD had encountered a married couple based at the same location and one of em (me) leaving before and it may not have happened since due to the ruck I caused
Ah well.. all is forgiven now
I remember the horizontal rain John. Over the 13months I was there, I don't think I did more than a handful of trips back to Pompey completely in the dry. One particular trip took me 13hrs to get from Pompey to Glasgow on the old (then new) Suzuki GSX1100

I'd gone through Newbury sniggering at the Peace Campaigners getting snowed on but.. the snow got worse and by the time I'd got to the M6, it was down to 1 and a bit lanes

One of the worst trips of my life

Served me right I guess
ATB
DaveB

Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 03 Sep 2010, 22:52
by airboatr
jonesey2k wrote:Off topic:
My mate with a ZZR600 just had a new set of rubber fitted. Decided to give the old ones a send off with a massive burnout. Neighbours were not impressed!

... I thought I smelT rubber when the page was loading.
.......
Mr Booker
Get much sleep on the Wakeful?

Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 04 Sep 2010, 00:31
by DaveB
No.. the ships moto translated from Latin is (was) always vigilant
ATB
DaveB

Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 04 Sep 2010, 22:15
by gordon-in-aberdeen
There was a cracking documentary on her leaving Barrow on the box about a month ago and looking at how they made her, BBC2 I think it was, anyone else catch it?
It harked back to the old "british leading the world in the technology" lark again like the good old days...

Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 04 Sep 2010, 22:47
by DaveB
Hi Gordon
Yep.. I think a lot of us caught it, one in a series of 'How To' documentaries. I think that one was How to build a nuclear sub.. there's a thread on it here somewhere
ATB
DaveB

Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 04 Sep 2010, 22:55
by Garry Russell
I saw a bit of that programme.there certainly was a thread on it somewhere........probably in one of the sub forums

Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 05 Sep 2010, 00:30
by DaveB
Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 05 Sep 2010, 01:46
by airboatr
very astute of you Dave.
btw
my dads sister was a vigilant person. When ever I would stay over a weekend at my cousins , we would try and sneek out late at night,
but she would always catch us. I called her vigil Auntie
......
no thats not true I just made it up.

Re: HMS Astute
Posted: 05 Sep 2010, 07:12
by Tarasdad
But...why name a sub after the sound of breaking wind...
