Tag Archives: Royal Navy

The Letters of Last Resort

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Stephen Liddell

Following on my last post on Surviving a Nuclear War, it’s important to remember that just because Russia launches a Nuclear Missile, it doesn’t necessarily mean we are all doomed. If nothing else we have seen just how inept aspects … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, News, Opinion | Tagged Daring Class Destroyers, Letters of Last Resort, Nuclear War, Putin, Royal Navy, war | 2 Comments

The Sinking of the White Ship a 12th century disaster of Titanic proportions.

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

The sinking of the White Ship shaped not just a country but in some ways the world but due to its distant setting and the repercussions it caused, it’s largely unknown amongst the general public. Surprisingly though, we know quite … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged Empress Matilda, history, King Henry I, King Stephen, Normandy, Normans, Royal Navy, White Ship | Leave a comment

The monument to Admiral Collingwood

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

Everyone knows of the famous Battle of Trafalgar and the great old HMS Victory which you can visit with Ye Olde England Tours when life gets back to normal. I think it is perhaps the best day out! Trafalgar Square is … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Northumberland and Durham | Tagged Admiral Collingwood, Battle of Trafalgar, Memorials, Nelson, Newcastle, River Tyne, Royal Navy, Tynemouth | Leave a comment

The story of how a Tyneside ship ended up as the Resolute desk of the President of the United States Part Two

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

Following on from last weeks post on HMS Resolute, we pick up the account in this second blog post. On 10 September 1855, the abandoned HMS Resolute was found adrift by the American whaler George Henry, captained by James Budington … Continue reading →

Posted in geography, history | Tagged Henry Grinnell, HMS Resolute, Northwest Passage, Prince Charles, Queen Victoria, Resolute Desk, Royal Navy, The White House, USA, Washington | 1 Comment

The story of how a Tyneside ship ended up as the Resolute desk of the President of the United States Part One

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

It’s hard to say much about the desk of the Prime Minister outside the Corona virus, it is almost unheard of him or her to address the nation or indeed The Queen outside her customary Christmas message of goodwill and … Continue reading →

Posted in geography, history | Tagged HMS Resolute, Inauguration, Newcastle, Northwest Passage, Resolute Desk, Royal Navy, Sir Edward Belcher, Sir John Franklin, WhiteHouse | 2 Comments

Original hand-drawn battle plans by Admiral Lord Nelson for the Battle of Trafalgar are discovered.

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Stephen Liddell

Incredible a hand-drawn sketch by Admiral Lord Nelson himself showing his plan for victory at Trafalgar has been discovered tucked inside the pages of a scrapbook after nearly 200 years. They were discovered by historian Martyn Downer in a scrap … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, News, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged Admiral Nelson, Battle of Trafalgar, Lord Nelson, Maps, Military, Nelson, Royal Navy | 2 Comments

HMT Bedfordshire – The Royal Navy ship sank defending the United States.

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Stephen Liddell

I’ve written several posts about American servicemen who died in Britain in WW2, most recently on the The Endcliffe Park Memorial in Sheffield & the incredible devotion of Tony Foulds. A few weeks ago I came across a fascinating sad little … Continue reading →

Posted in history, WW2 | Tagged Cemetery, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, HMT Bedfordshire, Royal Navy, WW2 | 1 Comment

Sailing away with Flags of Convenience

Posted on August 5, 2019 by Stephen Liddell

What have Liberia, Panama and the Marshall Islands have in common? This might sound like the start of a bad joke but it is a legitimate question. The answer is that these nations are the leading Flag States in the … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Flag, Flags of Convnience, Panama, Red Ensign, Royal Navy, Ships | 4 Comments

What would have happened if the Soviet Union had nuked London?

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Stephen Liddell

It is hard to imagine anything worse than a nuclear war and recently a normally well-hidden document in the National Archives in Kew (West London) has come out of hiding to be the star attraction in a new exhibition. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, London, News | Tagged Armageddon, Cold War, Kew, Margaret Thatcher, National Archives, Nuclear War, Royal Navy, The Queen | 4 Comments

Up Close and Personal with the Greenwich Painted Hall Ceiling

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

Two weeks ago you may have seen my post on the Painted Hall in Greenwich which is often referred to as the Sistine Chapel of England. The artwork is 300 years old however and due to age, wear and tear … Continue reading →