HMS Victory review - Decision announced

Tony · **Posted:** Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:37 pm

As part of the launch of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, today Baroness Taylor announced the outcome of work to examine options for the future support of HMS Victory.

Quote:

“I am happy to reassure you all that HMS Victory will remain a commissioned warship and the Flagship of the Second Sea Lord. I am pleased to announce today that it is our intention to transfer responsibility for the visitor function to the NMRN, thus reinforcing her unique position in naval heritage.”

Quote:

HMS Victory will remain as a commissioned warship and Flagship of the Second Sea Lord; and as a consequence for practical reasons, but also as a matter of principle, MOD should continue to assume full responsibility for the operation, maintenance and repair of the ship.

At the same time, the National Museum [of the Royal Navy] should assume responsibility for the delivery of heritage and visitor services onboard Victory, and market and develop the “brand” of the ship, integrated into the National Museum’s overall operation.

See here

The Victory today fired a 64 gun broadside to launch the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

tycho · **Posted:** Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:41 pm

That is excellent news, Tony. Thanks for the post.

Incidentally, Baroness Taylor and I went to the same school - though she was plain Ann Taylor in those days!

Devenish · **Posted:** Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:05 pm

Tony, Anna,

That is indeed welcome news, although I imagined there would have been some arrangement like that, with her continued existence never really in doubt – and not as some would have had us believe, that she was going to be sold for firewood!

I'm a bit intrigued by her mentioning the National Museum (Royal Navy). Presumably she means the Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth, or has it indeed changed its name!

I have witnessed the Victory electrically firing a broadside, at the Portsmouth Trafalgar Conference in 2005. It was very impressive, and also in a sense frightening, and I imagined what that must have appeared like to the French or Spanish - just before the balls smashed into their ships! I remember thinking too, just how far the presentation of the Victory has come, even since the day when I first knew her. I think a great deal of that must be down to the curator, Peter Goodwin.

I am sure we can think of a nice title for you Anna! :wink:

Tony · **Posted:** Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:10 pm

No, the National Museum of the Royal Navy is a new umbrella organisation (with National Museum status for good or ill) comprising the Royal Navy’s four service Museums and HMS Victory. See here: http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-ev ... the-royal/

Previous thread on the HMS Victory review is here: http://www.nelsonandhisworld.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=217

Robbie · **Posted:** Fri Sep 18, 2009 8:45 pm

Many thanks Tony......................I managed to go to Portsmouth last Wednesday when they were preparing for todays show and formal announcement. Unfortunately the Nelson Hall was closed that day :cry:

but I managed to tell the pyrotecnics chaps not to blow our hero's famous ship up :lol:

I am so glad the museum is taking over responsibilty for HMS Victory and I hope they can gather up the dust that seems to be settling - sometime change is for the better

Robbie

Devenish · **Posted:** Sat Sep 19, 2009 9:01 am

Tony,

Thank you for explaining and posting a link to the NMRN. Living over here in Sweden, you do tend to get a bit out of touch with changes in the UK! :roll:

Tony · **Posted:** Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:53 pm

Kester, until yesterday, that one web page was the only sign of the existence of the NMRN. I don't suppose many in the UK were aware of it, and as the individual museums will retain their own identity and the NMRN will have no physical presence of its own, I'm not sure how many people will become aware of it.

Here's what the director says:

Quote:

Dominic Tweddle, who has been appointed director of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, said the launch was more than just a re-branding exercise.

'At the moment, because we've got four separate museums, there's no overall vision for developing our heritage.

'All four have done a fantastic job, don't get me wrong, it's just better to have a clear direction and help them build on the work they've done to give our naval heritage the profile it deserves.'

Mr Tweddle said he hoped Victory and the four museums would be brought under his control by April 2010

There's more about the public launch of the NMRN, and what it's for, here: http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/news/news198.php

I'm not sure that I am very much the wiser!

tycho · **Posted:** Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:56 pm

Here's a short clip showing HMS Victory firing a broadside to mark the launch of the NMRN:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portsmout ... 433?ref=mf

Tony · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:15 am

And here is another video of the broadside:

(To include a youtube video in your post, just use the new 'youtube' BBCode button when posting.)

Tony · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:22 am

And here's a longer video which gives the game away:

post captain · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:29 pm

Just spent a very enjoyable afternoon on the Victory (yet again), never get tired of that grand old ship, and the guides do a great job.

tycho · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:43 pm

Lucky you, P-C, being so near to Victory - I see your location is Portsmouth. It's a 2+ hour drive for me. There are some occasions when you are allowed to wander freely at leisure all over the ship without having to go round with a guide (though I agree they do a great job). I like time to savour the atmosphere and daydream a bit.

Is the Trafalgar Sail still on display? I thought that was the most amazing sight, a real 'shiver and goosebumps' experience, and the background exhibition, showing how sails were made, by hand, was wonderfully informative.

post captain · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 6:06 pm

Hi Anna
I much prefer to wander around at my leisure too. Though this afternoon we actually went into the grand magazine, never been there before.
And yes the sail is still on show, an amazing artefact. I just stand there in awe, it really sends a tingle through me.

Nelson & His World

HMS Victory review - Decision announced

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