Letter of the day

I recently spoke with Mike McBride who is trying to rescue the Bronington. I was so moved to its plight that I wrote the following letter.

On the October 20, 1805, Admiral Lord Nelson sent the signal, ‘England expects every man to do his duty’. His famous ship, HMS Victory, stands in Portsmouth Harbour to honour that day.

Along with other nostalgic moments in the history of our great Royal Navy, that ruled the waves for centuries, have preserved those ships. HMS Warrior, HMS Trincomalee, HMS Caroline, HMS Belfast, and many others, including my last ship HMY Brittania.

I would like all those ‘Hearts of Oak’ that have always come to the fore, when the 'Andrew' needs their men, to help preserve another unsung hero of the Royal Navy. That being the last of the ton-class minesweeper, HMS Bronington. She lies, forgotten and forlorn in Birkenhead, having once been skippered by none other than His Royal Highness, Prince Charles. If every matelot, from old 'Jack Dusties' like me, to even the highest rank, would make a Christmas donation of only a fiver (more if you could) to a Just Giving page, I feel sure that a fund could be reached, to at least start to bail out this wonderful, last of its class, out of the clutches of the scrapyard. There

DISTRESSED today. is no other ton-class left and this little ship, that did her duty when it was needed, desperately needs your support.

If your 'Heart of Oak' has been touched, please show your support by contacting Mike McBride (mike.mcbride@ntlworld.com) who is doing his best to save this ship from the breakers.