Culdrose and Helston

[Seaking]

Sitting here at home and Helston, Cornwall came into my mind and all the fun I had there when serving
at Culdrose back in the late 60's through the 70's, I was wondering what it's like today so
did a google on Helston.

Whoa !! one hit I found !! so much for progress for this historic town, I centered my research on my
once favourite pub "The Bell" ., I was really surprised to see this description of Helston today.

http://www.chavtowns.co.uk/modules.php? ... cle&sid=97

We had so much fun in that wee town all those years ago, I guess progress has taken over. Yep I'm an old
dude, I had to look up what a "chav" was ..................how times change.........sad.

Just thought I would post my thoughts as a RN veteran. Hope it's ok to post here.

[DaveB]

Chavtowns.co .uk... the mind boggles :roll:

I was down there on holiday a few months ago, not specifically Helston but a few miles up the road in Blackwater and I don't remember it looking any different to any other town to be honest Seaking. I left the RN 18 years ago and took a trip down memory lane earlier this year by spending 2 nights in a hotel down in Southsea (the wifes idea - she was a Wren btw). I'd not been down to Pompey since handing in my ID card, kitbag and gas mask and the one thing that immediately struck me was the almost total lack of sailors :o Our hotel was directly across the road from Southsea Pier with the infamous 'Joanna's' to the right (when looking out to sea) and it looked very much like 'Joe Spanners' had been closed for years. While never a regular haunt of mine.. it was one of the few places you could go to get a beer after normal hours. All you had to remember was to hold your breath when going to the loo and not to stand still for too long as your shoes would stick to the carpet

The Ship Anson and Ship Leopard were both still there though looking very under used and unloved. HMS Vernon is now gone and a nice posh shopping mall stands in it's place.. the wording from HMS Dolphin has gone so I presume Dolphin isn't Dolphin any more.. the list goes on. Were it not for the fact that I was based there for many years, I'd have been hard pushed to tell 18 years on, it was still a 'Naval' port! That said.. it doesn't seem to have suffered from the years of RN cutbacks, apart that is from the pubs ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Seaking]

Good idea that Dave, going down memory lane, I've had a yearning to see my old haunts again for a few years now
maybe it's time I planned a trip back over the pond and do a little memory lane myself.

I would like to stand in front of HMS Ganges main gate again ( if it's still there ) just to see if it still makes my knees shake
like it did in '93 when I was last in the UK. I know most of it is gone now but a few buildings remain.

Google earth lets me see how things look today, I can still zoom right into the house we lived in when I was a lad in Merstham, Surrey. Of course I would have to go on the Victory again always did like seeing how it all was when the men were made of iron.

Yep maybe time to get on a plane and drink some English beer again.

[SkippyBing]

Joanna's closed down sometime in 2002 I think, I definitely went there when I was on course at Dryad (now given to the Police or someone) at the end of '01 start of '02. I'm not sure if Dolphin is closed or just massively downgraded since we got rid of the Diesel/Electric boats, I don't think Pompi was considered suitable for Nukes. The submariners escape trainer thing is still there, along with a museum and some other stuff I don't get involved with.

Rather disturbingly at Yeovilton we now have a gate guard of one of the Lynx I've flown, and I haven't been in that long!

[DaveB]

YIKES!!! :o

ATB

DaveB :tab: