No, not a blog about reflective writing... but about the launch of a ship. On Tuesday, HMS Diamond was launched from BAE Systems over at Govan, so butcher Boy and I had agreed to go and watch it, as a way to fill a quiet damp November Tuesday.We were a bit late getting organised and walking down from the nearest train station, so we didn't make it to the optimum viewing area (as recommended by the folk over at Hidden Glasgow) down at Glasgow Harbour. Sadly we couldn't persuade the viewing agents for the flats that we really wanted to look at a Penthouse apartment with a good view of the river. So we stood at the back of the crowd on the boardwalk, next to the Policemen and Council staff, all in their hi-viz jackets (who I'm sure were there in the interest of public safety and crowd control).
There were a few fireworks, then the national anthem, before the ship started to slide her way slowly backwards down the slipway and into the river, before some more fireworks were set off.
Then the rain seemed to get heavier, so we made a beeline back to Partick to the railway station, and home. All in all, a interesting hour out from studying.
According to Mum & Dad someone took me as a small child down to Swan Hunter back home to see the launch of a naval boat - wiki suggests either 1982 0r 1992 as the years, but since I don't remember it, I think it was 1982 to see HMS York. The logic of 1992 would be that one of the launches was HMS Northumberland, so we might have gone with school?
2 comments:
Why would you want to spend time going and see a ship launching?
Fair enough if it was something like the titanic and it was the first time it'd ever been done... but it's just something that's been built and then is going off to sea. Also, people really should see ships as an 'it' and not a 'she'.
Why would one not go to watch a ship be launched, it is a truly awesome sight, as thousands of tonnes of metal is released and slides down a slipway and its the river, before becoming a chip, floating under her own control.
Also, such days a major landmarks in the economic life of the city, with this contract alone having employed 250 people and brought several million pounds into the local economy, as well as maintaining a skill base which has helped BAE win contracts to design and buid the next generation of aircraft carriers.
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