Hearts swell with pride as magnificent scene unfolds
Families travel across the UK to salute loved ones during carrier’s historic arrival in home port
EMOTIONAL scenes greeted Britain's new aircraft carrier as she arrived in Portsmouth — with families travelling across the UK to salute their loved-ones serving on-board
Thousands of well-wishers lined the Hot Walls and the shoreline from Gunwharf Quays to Southsea as the aircraft carrier made her way into the harbour.
It was an emotional sight for Gareth Wood, who had set off at 12pm from Wigan in order to see the arrival of the ship, which has his 24-yearold son serving on-board as an engineer.
The 44-year-old said: ‘I got here at 5am this morning and it’s been worth every second.’
‘It’s a very, very proud moment.
‘He went in when he was 16 years old and he absolutely adores it. We’ve been very impressed with how he has been looked after — they have have really cared for him.’
Adrienne Hodgson-Hoy had driven from Hull to support her nephew Michael, who is serving as a project manager with BAE to support both HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth.
She said: ‘I came down specially to see the Queen Elizabeth earlier in the year, and it’s really exciting to see the Prince of Wales come in.
‘Michael has worked so hard and everyone in the family is so proud.’
The 24-year-old became a BAE Systems STEM ambassador in 2017, after joining as an apprentice straight from school in 2011.
Speaking to The News, two years ago, Michael said BAE had helped him to buy his first home in Portsmouth and that he was eager to encourage others to follow in his footsteps.
Adrienne said her fiance’s naval career had meant she had to think twice about taking his surname when they were married last year.
The funeral celebrant said: ‘I felt I had to take a doublebarrelled surname when I got married, otherwise I would be called A-Hoy all the time!’
Marie and Larry Riley came down all the way from Liverpool to see their granddaughter's third passing out ceremony on Friday — and wanted to see the new aircraft carrier so much they risked missing their coach ride home. Marie said: ‘It was a lovely day yesterday and we thought we had to see the carrier, but we are cutting it a bit fine.
‘We have an hour to see the carrier, get our luggage, and catch our coach.’
Their granddaughter Lauren McCarthy, 25, is set to become a PTI instructor at HMS Raleigh.
The ship’s arrival at her new home was also an exciting experience for those without a connection to those serving on-board, with sea cadets Isabelle, 14, and Catherine, 13, travelling with their parents from Oxford to show their support.
Isabelle said: ‘We were here on Thursday for a tour of HMS Smiter, but it couldn’t leave port because of the fog.
‘When we heard the aircraft carrier would be here, we got up at 8am to be here on time.’
But it was the support of loved-ones in the crowds that helped cement the feeling of the Royal Navy being ‘one big family,’ according to teacher Darren Day, who had come to support his son Seth, serving on-board as a chef.
The 54-year-old said: ‘He was born to be in the navy.
‘He wanted to see the world – and he loves cooking.’
Gareth added: ‘And my son loves eating it.’
Seth is one of 67 kitchen staff keeping more than 800 crew members and troops well fed as they serve on the ship.
HMS Prince of Wales passed Old Portsmouth at 2pm, with a fly-past from a pair of Hawk jets.
Proud dad Gareth said: ‘It’s been a very special day.’
Every Friday, in a bid to exercise my brain, I visit the Toby Carvery at Hilsea to take part in a quiz. Recently, I was startled to see a Christmas tree just inside the front door. It was October and the clocks had only just gone back... Even more recently, I was greeted with a far different, far more colourful, scene – the decorations were up, there were twinkling lights everywhere, a huge tree laden with tinsel overlooked customers wolfing down huge plates of meat, veg and Yorkshire puds, and one corner had been transformed into a type of grotto seating area. It was all very festive, and it could easily have been December 21 when, in reality, it was November 8.
At Debenhams, where my partner works, the restaurant on the top floor had by then already introduced its festive menu. In fairness, they were slow to embrace the rampant commercialisation of Santa’s busiest time of the year compared to others. In shops like The Range, aisles were full of both Christmas and Halloween goodies a month ago. Good business sense, if there are people wanting to stock up on snow globes and fake blood at the same time.
It never used to be like this, of course; back in the ‘good old days’ of the late ’70s and early ’ 80s
Now, it seems as soon as summer bids us a cheery farewell up go the billboards and posters outside pubs and restaurants advertising their crimble menus.
And yet – I’m teetering on the fence here, and I don’t know which way I’m going to fall – I might just prefer how it is now to how it used to be.
I might just prefer it that the Christmas period starts in late September – or so it seems – and continues until the dec s are put away in early January and shops start pushing St Valentine’s Day cards.
Christmas trees, tinsel and twinkling lights aren’t the devil’s spawn, are they? The Toby Carvery looks a damn sight nicer with them than without, put it that way. So what if they appear a few weeks earlier than they did in my childhood? Let’s be honest, not everything was better 30 or 40 years ago.
A stroll down memory lane shouldn’t always fill you with lament.