RN warship - courtesy (?) visit to Scarborough around 1976-78

[stuartp]

Hi. I know this is a very very long shot, but I'm trying to find out which RN warship paid a visit to Scarborourgh around 1976-78 or thereabouts. It was anchored offshore and it seemed every boat on the Yorkshire coast with a passenger licence was running trips out to sail round it. I was about 10 or 11 at the time and sailing around this enormous grey thing was quite obviously the most exciting thing that had ever happened on holiday. 

 

I can't remember which one it was 43 years later of course. HMS Juno and HMS Apollo are both ringing bells but the only diagnostic feature I can remember was a chute extending over the stern. I asked the ex RN boat owner running our boat what it was, thinking it might be some sort of depth charge dispenser, and was quite disappointed to be told it was the gash chute ! I can't see any evidence of those on the Leanders I've looked at but I'm essentially a railway and aircraft modeller and don't really know where to start with ships. If it was an airshow I'd know exactly where to start with spotter lists ...

 

As I say, a very long shot, but does anyone have any suggestions please ?

[Francis Macnaughton]

Perhaps the visit made the local news - for instance if it tied in with a local event like a festival or regatta?  If so then a search of the local newspaper archives might yield a name. 

[davecov]

@stuartp It was HMS Apollo and there is a picture of her at Scarborough with her gash chute deployed in the Navy News issue October 1977, Page 3:

 

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/images/navynews/archivepdfs/1970s/1977/navy-news-october-1977-issue-280.pdf?rev=3276386ee66946a9b05c8e6f6450546f

 

Dave

[stuartp]

To say I"m astonished would be a mild understatement ! Dave has hit the nail on the head. I worked out that Apollo was affiliated to Scarborough but attempts to chase that down only led to private FB groups and lots of photos of the various HMS Scarborough. Never occurred to me that the gash chute was not a permanent fixture either !

 

Thank you very much indeed, and to Francis for the pointer to local newspaper archived, I hadn't thought of that.

 

I think this year's railway modelling budget might be going to Fleetscale ... 

Edited January 8, 2022 by stuartp

[junglierating]

Dont like Scarborough....on account of being anchored off on a Saturday night on ARK V ....and you could hear the locals having a good time 😬

[Whofan]

12 hours ago, davecov said:

@stuartp It was HMS Apollo and there is a picture of her at Scarborough with her gash chute deployed in the Navy News issue October 1977, Page 3:

 

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/images/navynews/archivepdfs/1970s/1977/navy-news-october-1977-issue-280.pdf?rev=3276386ee66946a9b05c8e6f6450546f

 

Dave

 

looking through the magazine I noticed an Airfix ad for a Britten Norman Islander reboxed as a defender in Philippines livery or Air Liberia.

 

I was mildly surprised to see the Airfix ad in Navy News, to be honest.

[TallBlondJohn]

11 hours ago, Whofan said:

 

looking through the magazine I noticed an Airfix ad for a Britten Norman Islander reboxed as a defender in Philippines livery or Air Liberia.

 

I was mildly surprised to see the Airfix ad in Navy News, to be honest.

 

...and the colossal sexism on show is to be expected I suppose, but the use of underline text - unforgivable.

[Whofan]

6 minutes ago, TallBlondJohn said:

 

...and the colossal sexism on show is to be expected I suppose, but the use of underline text - unforgivable.

To be honest I didn't think the advert was sexist, but I'll have another look at it.

[TallBlondJohn]

Just now, Whofan said:

To be honest I didn't think the advert was sexist, but I'll have another look at it.

 

Sorry I meant the rest of Navy News. Airfix have their failings but that would be a new one!

[Whofan]

29 minutes ago, TallBlondJohn said:

 

Sorry I meant the rest of Navy News. Airfix have their failings but that would be a new one!

Ah.

 

I see, but I think you have to accept that back in the mid '70's things were different. I don't excuse it, but I was in my 20's during the '70's and frankly, virtually all areas of life were sexist.

 

As an example, I can remember that when I joined Customs & Excise, women officers were expected to make drinks, look after children of detainees, and not allowed to carry out investigation work.

 

It took a very feisty and aggressive woman officer I worked with  a couple of years to get into a job involving investigation, despite the prevailing attitude of the day.

 

Of course, as you'd guess, she did very well, and eventually became my line manager - and one of the two managers I worked with that I had the utmost respect for.

 

[stuartp]

13 hours ago, Whofan said:

 

looking through the magazine I noticed an Airfix ad for a Britten Norman Islander reboxed as a defender in Philippines livery or Air Liberia.

I've got that one in the stash awaiting rebirth as an AAC one !

1 hour ago, TallBlondJohn said:

 

...and the colossal sexism on show is to be expected I suppose, but the use of underline text - unforgivable.

I noticed that the "prettiest visitor to the ship" got her own photo...