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All aboard for Navy Days
EVERYTHING was first-rate and shipshape in Portsmouth as Navy Days 2010 set anchor in the dockyard.
The sun shone on the start of the three-day event on Friday as people waited for their chance to see the ships and service personnel of the Royal Navy.
At 10am, a large queue of people snaked around from the entrance to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard right back to Gosport Ferry.
It's thought a crowd of between 6,000 to 8,000 passed through Victory Gate on Friday, with 30,000 visitors predicted over the three days.
It was a welcome sight for the men and women of the Senior Service as the flagship event returned to Portsmouth two years after Meet Your Navy in 2008.
The Deputy Naval Base Commander, Captain Paul Lemkes, said: 'I'm absolutely delighted. It's been months in the gestation. Nerves were a bit fraught this morning.
'But we've done very well with advanced ticket sales and the crowds flocking in now are demonstrating we're set fair for a successful and fantastic weekend for Portsmouth.'
As well as spectacular aerial and harbour displays, several ships were on show including the large hospital ship RFA Argus, two Type 23 frigates and the two new Type 45 destroyers, HMS Daring and HMS Dauntless.
Dauntless in particular proved popular with queues of people still hoping to climb onboard late into the afternoon.
Her commanding officer, Captain Richard Powell, said: 'It's a real privilege to be able to bring HMS Dauntless to Navy Days to show the public the true capability of this ship.'
One of the most enthusiastic fans of the event was scout Callum Cross, from Marsh Gibbon, Oxfordshire.
The nine-year-old said: 'It's really good. I like it. They should have it twice a year because it's so good.'
Angela Turford, 32, of Fort Cumberland Road, Eastney, enjoyed the day with her family including Alfie, five, Ollie, four, and George, 18-months.
She said: 'We came two years ago and it was really good so we've come back today. The boys like going on all the boats and my brother is a commando and they're normally doing displays here.'
There was also a big family outing for Richard Hiles, 42, wife Kate, 40, and sons Morgan, seven, Ethan, five, from Poole and Mr Hiles's sister Jane Howells, 40, and her sons Robert, 10, and Matthew, nine, from the Isle of Wight.
Mr Hiles said: 'The boys are interested in warships. We thought it would be a fantastic opportunity for them to get really close to them and see what it's really like. We thought it would be a good day out for them and for us adults as well.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -4 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
