.comsaint

I will be driving this my old mate: Scarf will be fluttering out the window. Ford decided to make the car with very dark side & rear window/s...so no banners, balloons or pennants like Cardiff '03 alas! Setting out at 8.00am too - so may well see you somewhere along the line my fellow PO postcode inhabitant! ;¬)

As I'm in Waterlooville - I aim to go straight up the A3 - past Guildford - and join the M25 going clockwise until around Heathrow area & then down the A40 is it? Not sure what time we're setting out...probably about 8.00am. Don't expect to see too many Saints fans up the A3...but you never know!

Yes - they did: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8423827.stm

Just watched the first 2 episodes which I downloaded in no time. Very good indeed. Loved Band of Brothers - and this is a very worthy follow-up series!

+1 and what he said exactly around my gaff ffs!!!

+1 The entrance to Belsen is similar to a museum in that there are many newspaper cuttings from the day of the camp, photographs, personal belongings, etc. As you walk outside into where the camp/huts were & the long footpath through - you pass many 'mounds' which have a large stone plaque inlaid on each which reads 'Here lay the bodies of 2,000 prisoners' or 'here lay the bodies of 3,000 prisoners' (or words to that effect). At the very far end of the camp is a large wall with many inscriptions from countries/leaders of the world at the time WWII ended. There is one single marble oberlisk which stands alone - from the state of Israel with a star of David on it & many languages. In English it reads: This must never be allowed to happen again. And it is true what they say about such places. I didn't see or hear one bird fly or sing!

I spent the whole day in Belsen some years ago whilst my ship was visiting Hamburg for a few days. Absolutely fascinating day out - incredible. You really do get a strong feeling of the death & suffering that went on there. Made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up & sent shivers down my spine. Always wanted to go to Austwitz & hope to sometime next year.

Bobby Stokes. RIP little fella. Send a little 'divine intervention' down from cloud no.76 Stokesy!

lol

I notice Morgan has got 9 yellow/red cards against his name. Not sure if that's an issue or not?...

According to Pards - we have an "injury crisis" just when we don't need it - before Sunday's cup final. Gillet looks like he's playing sunday (possibly in place of Morgan???) and we already know Thomas is out - and one or two others. Add to that those that can't play due to being cup-tied...and suddenly its not quite so rosey in Southampton's garden! http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2003474,00.html

I think he's injured & possibly out of the final. Simon Gillet looks like he'll be playing Sunday at Wembley - so says the gaffer on the OS: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2003474,00.html

Of course... http://www.maritimematters.com/oriana.html

Interesting to see the RN sub HMS Artemis in those shots. She was the submarine (of course) that sank whilst refuelling alongside the dock at HMS Dolphin submarine base in Gosport way back in July 1971. At the time my dad was stationed at Dolphin (he spent 26 years on subs) and I remember the commotion it caused at the time! She was raised 5 days later & sold the following year to Pounds for scrapping.

It is a real shame. I always loved the Oriana - a real lovely looking ship - and I actually own a scarce launch brochure from the year she was originally commissioned & the year I was born - 1960 (probably why I feel an affinity with her!). Anyway - in 1995 she was sold to Chinese interests and then towed to Chinwangtao, China where she served as a Government owned accommodation center and hotel. The liner was purchased once more for $6 million in November 1998 by Qinhuangdao in North China's Hebei Province. Under tow again, ORIANA arrived in Shanghai October 1998, and was refitted in ZingHua Harbour as a floating tourist attraction funded by Hangzhou West Lake International Tourism Culture Development Co Ltd. After a US$3.5 million renovation, ORIANA opened to the public in the Pudong business district of Shanghai, February of 1999. Above and below are photos of Oriana moored at the quay on the Huang Pu River at Shanghai in 2002 before going to Dalian. She's looks pretty sad. Hangzhou West Lake International (which held a 85% stake in the ship), announced on the 15th August, 2000 that it would auction its stake in the liner. The remaining 15% was held by Hangzhou Jiebai Group Co Ltd, a major department store operator. During ORIANA's 18 months of operation and despite more than 500,000 visitors, the attraction did not procure the desired profits. The auction took place on the 28th September, 2000. Since that time she was closed and remained moored on Shanghai's water front. On the 30th June, 2002 ORIANA was seen arriving under tow at the Chinese port of Dalian. Looking freshly painted and dressed over all the event was covered on local television. She underwent a refit before opening to the public in her new static role at the resort area. Oriana at Dalian before the 2004 Cyclone hit: Unfortunately during the storm in June 2004 her hull was holed and she began taking in water: And a couple more shots of Oriana laid up at the Zhangiagang shipyard in China awaiting her fate, 2005:

Oh - and I found this for you TDD

That's old Harry Pounds' yard. He's had numerous bits & pieces of military equipment over the years - some of it very interesting indeed - including much WWII hardware. I remember several years ago driving over the M275 - looking to my left as you drove into Pompey - and there were a dozen or so Cheiftan tanks all lined up in a row! There are some interesting photos of his yard here: http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=5126

Can't see why they banned this ad??? Make sure you turn up the sound - preferably wear some headphones... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEJIKJaNFr8

Yep - travelling up from Waterlooville (2 of us). I'm not sure how I'm getting there yet - whether a train from dirty Havant...or drive up in my new motor & hope for the best as regards parking! Decisions decisions...

Indeed - it does get to you somewhat - seeing these once-great 'queens of the ocean' suffering such a cruel and very sad ending. As an antiques dealer in old maritime/shipping items however - I have had the great pleasure of many wonderful old items from numerous ocean liners passing through my hands - including the Oriana, Canberra, Union-Castle Line, all the famous Cunarders and of course the White Star Line - to name a few. I have kept the odd artifact too as I am loathe to part with it - but just owning them for the short space of a few weeks even is very special. I have many reference books & old records which I often sit down with in the evening - with a cup of tea - and view lovingly! Today's ships (to me) are very luxurious inside of course - but they are not a patch on the liners of yesterday & the golden age of the ocean travel - the 1920s through to the 50s - when the vast majority of liners just looked so much more...majestic!

On June 16, 2004, SS oriana was struck by a vicious storm in which she was badly damaged. She took on a great deal of water due to her being holed at bow that saw her lower decks flooded, and soon she listed to port. Attempts were made to right her and the owners even considered restoring her, however the cost proved to be too great: On May 13, 2005 SS Oriana departed Dalian and was towed to Wayou scrap yard in Zhangiagang China where she was broken up:

On the subject of scrapped/wrecked ships - a few images of well-known vessels: HMS Intrepid being dismantled in Liverpool last year: Her sister ship HMS Fearless (another old ship of mine) at the breakers in Belgium 2009: The once-beautiful P&O liner Oriana at Wayou scrap yard in Zhangiagang, China: The famous SS America as she was in her heyday...and how she is today - wrecked off the coast of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands when her tow-line snapped on 18 January, 1994:

Ah - the Canberra. Here she is being dismantled - like so many other lovely liners were - on the beaches of Alang, India:

Spent 3 years of my life on HMS Cardiff back in the mid-80's & have many great memories of my time in her - including two 6-month deployments on Armilla Patrol (the Royal Navy's permanent presence in the Persian Gulf) in '84 and '86 during the Iran-Iraq war. So it's sad to see a few photos of the 'old girl' herself just prior to becoming razor blades! Here's Cardiff and sister-ship the Newcastle moored awaiting disposal at Fareham Creek in 2008: Looking weathered and tatty: Here she is anchored-off the Turkish coast at Aliaga awaiting demolition: And here she is about to enter the 'chop shop' itself: So much for 'Turkish delight'...

+1.