The Second HMS Manchester Association

With the morale of the nation greatly enhanced by D95, the ship arrives in Liverpool, and it is soon time for the Official Reception, complete with Royal Marine Band and all the trimmings. Among the Big Wigs who receive an invite are our own locally based members, Terry Beddoes, and Steve Taggart. It was also the event that we decided to play our jokers, in the form of Bungy Mark Williams and Whisky Haigh! A report subsequently received at 2MA HQ suggests that the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Whatshisname, was fortunate enough to receive a full eye witness account of the entire….Global 86!

On to more serious and formal events, and Saturday 5th February marked the Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance in Manchester Cathedral, followed by the Ships company marching through the streets of the City prior to the return of the Freedom Scroll back to the Lord Mayor - in typical Manchester weather too - it hissed it down! In a very thoughtful gesture, and on completion of the Thanksgiving Service, a memorial tree in the cathedral grounds to the late MEM 'Mac' McCarthy who died whilst the ship was deployed to the Caribbean in 2004 was rededicated. 2MA was again well represented with Terry Beddoes, Ginge Crook, John Dixon, Stuart Gerrard, Whisky Haigh, Dan Maskill, Steve Taggart, Sam Wellens and Bungy Williams who were among others who turned out, with the more wily of our number blagging their way into the official reception in the Town Hall on completion! There is no substitute for experience!

By 17th February the ship was back in Pompey, and preparations were well in hand for the De commissioning on the 24th, and by now 2MA had managed to scrounge, beg, bum, borrow a whole host of additional invites which ensured everyone who wanted to go had a ticket. The only downside was that tickets for the event were £15 a head, and having collected all the dosh in, a certain Sir Donald Gosling of NCP fame, and regular benefactor of Pusser UK Ltd, found a whole shed full of shekels on is estate and offered to foot the entire bill, "Good man"! We all said, as we reached for our cheque book to issue the refunds!

Prior to the decommissioning, there was just one final Families Day at sea, and among the representatives of the world's press who were invited along to record the event - (ok, so it was only BBC South Today, The Pompey Evening News, the Dockyard Dandy and our own raving reporter!) In glorious weather for the time of year, D95 made her final departure from Pompey under the White Ensign, and proceeded to the exercise areas off the Isle of Wight for a spot of final speed and manoeuvrability demonstrations, a flying display by a "just happened to be passing" Lynx, and an excellent spit roast lunch on the flight deck by the Manchester Mafia, time for a final pipe "The bedding store is now open", and all too soon, sadly, it was time to return to Pompey. With Paying Off pennant rigged, and escorted by tugs pumping water to the heavens, the ship passed a packed Round Tower and foreshore and proceeded up harbour. Doss Living closed up by the Gosport Ferry to take a few phots not knowing for one moment that his efforts were to become the official phots - on account that the RN Phot team missed the event completely! (Being a Thursday, they'd all gone weekend!!) HMS York manned the side…and dare I say it, hardly a dry eye was to be found on the upper scupper…well, it was very windy y'know!

…and so to Thursday 24th February - Decommissioning Day, which took place on South Railway Jetty. To say 2MA was well represented was an understatement, and among the vast throng of the great and the good were - Pete Berrow, Roger Caldwell, Ginge Crook, Connie Francis, Clan Guntrip, Don & Ann Hazeldon, Bob Hubble, John Mullen, Bill Paterson, Tom Petty, Percy & Louise Purcell, Mike Smith, Sharky Ward, Sam Wellens, Keith Woolven and Skid Wroe, together with Stevie and Alyson. Also sighted were Rick Cosby, Pincher Martin, Matty Barnes and Buzz Bee, who were joined by others of our Association who work in the Dockyard who "slipped away from work for a wee while" to pay their final respects!

Luckily, the weather was good - which saved the last Ship's company from another drenching in their Number Ones, and after the official ceremony and lowering of the White Ensign etc, it was all hands in to the beer tent!...(Oops, sorry, Guests retired to the Refreshment Marquee!), where a cake was cut, and speeches and presentations made, and in another thoughtful gesture, one to 2MA - which was gratefully accepted by Stevie and Alyson on behalf of the association.