Another one gone with the departure of the Helicopter Support Ship HMS Illustrious, from her home port of Portsmouth on her final journey to end at a Turkish scrapyard, it's the changing face of the Royal Navy. She was decommissioned in 2014 and sold to Leyal Ship Recycling for £2.1 million.
Illustrious was built at the Swan-Hunter yard, on the Tyne, as part of the Invincible Class, of Helicopter Support ships, alongside her sister ships Ark Royal and Invincible.
At a length of 690 feet, with a crew of 685 personnel and a top speed of 30 knots (35 mph). She, along with the others, later had deck adjustments, so that they were able to carry the Harrier Verticle Take-Off Jets. Only being removed in 2010, when the Harriers became obsolete and the ships reverted to their role as Helicopter Carriers.
The ships have seen service in various theatres including The Falklands, Afganistan, Bosnia and Sierra Leone.
Aka Kirk Douglas, I'm named after him and although I may not have the dimple upon my chin, I'm proud to share his assumed christian name.
You might say I was brought up on films like; "The Vikings, Spartacus and Lust for Life." My Mother, a big fan, did tell me about his life in New York's "Hell's Kitchen" but it's only recently I discovered he has Belarusian ancestry,
Don't be fooled into thinking this is a leftover mothballed battleship from the World War ll era, this is in fact the pride of the Russian Navy, the Kirov-Class Nuclear Powered Guided Missile Battle Cruiser, the largest and heaviest warship in the world, (second only to an aircraft carrier).
By no means a new ship, there are four Kirov Class ships, the original order being for five, though being cut back to four. With only one ship currently in action and another soon expected to re-enter service, the Nuclear Reactors aboard the other two are said to be in such poor condition, they are unlikely to see operational service again.
The current ship is thought to be the only vessel in the Russian Navy, capable of offering ballistic missile defence and is armed with an on-board deadly array of various missiles, rockets, torpedoes and guns.
The Rolls Royce Maritime Business continues to struggle through difficult trading times, with the loss of 800 skilled jobs, in a bid to save fifty million pounds. With up to 400 jobs set to disappear in the UK with the rest at various sites abroad. The company has already made cuts of a thousand jobs from it's marine outlet, which is a manufacturer and maintenance contractor for Naval and Commercial shipping, drilling platforms and associated shipping. All relating to the recent and turbulent fall in oil prices, which has hurt the industry in general.
The axe has fallen chiefly in Bristol and Dunfermline, but there are also sites in Derby, Portsmouth and Solihull and it is thought further cuts may well be necessary. Also with a number of positions disappearing in Senior Management.
The majority of the companies marine workers are based in Norway, whilst Rolls has also been moving work to Asia, Croatia and Poland, where manpower is much cheaper.
At present the oil industry is thought to have about thirty per cent of offshore vessels out of service and this is unlikely to improve in the near future.
The Uk's oldest manufacturing company, The Whitechapel Bell Foundry will cease trading in May 2017 due to a serious downturn in orders. The family owned firm, which has existed since the reign of Elizabeth l Was founded in 1570, moved to it's present location in 1738 and has since become famous throughout the world for the bells which are produced there.
Notably in 1747 a set of bells were produced and exported to St Petersburg in Russia and in 1752 a 907kg bell was cast and sent to Philadelphia in the USA Later the bell was rung to call the city's residents to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, the bell later became known as the Liberty Bell.
Also the bell for Big Ben, weighing in at thirteen and a half tons, the largest bell cast by the company. In 1971 The foundry cast ten bells for Westminster Abbey, also a Memorial Bell in 2012 to be rung in repatriation ceremonies, for soldiers killed in foreign lands.
The company is seeking a buyer who will keep the firm name and traditions in production, although the present site will be sold.
Lady Margaret Rhodes, (Elphinstone) cousin and long-time close friend of Queen Elizabeth ll has died, aged 91 years, born 9 June 1925 - 25 November 2016. From 1991 to 2002, she served as Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Born Margaret Elphinstone, in Westminster London, she was the youngest daughter of the 16th Lord Elphinstone and his wife Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon, a sister of the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. From the age of five onwards, she was to spend most of her summers with her cousins, Elizabeth and Margaret.
In 1941 aged 16 Margaret attended a finishing school in Oxford and afterwards completing a secretarial course in Surrey. Afterwards her home became Windsor Castle, where she would at least find some safety from the London Blitz. It was during the war years she became a secretary working at the headquarters of the British Secret Service, MI6, reporting each day to an office disguised as "Passport Control" near St Jame's Park, underground.
In 1947 she was a bridesmaid at the marriage of her cousin Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip and found herself upon the balcony at Buckingham Palace, with the rest of the family. Three years later, she married Denys Rhodes, (the couple had four children) with the King and Queen in attendance. In later years when her husband became ill, the Queen granted her a grace-and-favour house, in Windsor Park. It was after her husband's death she became Woman of the Bedchamber, to her aunt. It was to this house which her cousin made many and frequent visits to see her long and most cherished of friends.
In the details of her Will, she leaves the bulk of her cash estate to her four children.
