Latest news with #RoyalNaval
Daily Mirror
15-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
UK seaside town close to shipwreck that's feared to blow up at any second
Fresh concerns the UK's 'doomsday ship' could blow up were sparked after a cargo ship was recently spotted sailing perilously close to the exclusion zone An unassuming seaside town with pastel beach huts and pebble shores is bizarrely home to its very own ticking time bomb. Situated on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, Sheerness looks like any other coastal resort at first glance. With sweeping views of the Thames Estuary, rows of flashing arcades, a slew of fish and chip shops, and a popular promenade that runs along a shingle beach - it ticks all of the quintessential seaside must-haves. Dating back to the Bronze Age, Sheerness' history is what really sets it apart from the rest. It owes much of its origins as a Royal Naval dockyard town, after Henry VIII required the River Medway as an anchorage for his army, and ordered that the mouth of the river be protected by a small fort. Samuel Pepys established the Royal Navy Dockyard in the 17th century, where warships were stocked and repaired until its closure in 1960. But, in 1944, just a year before the Second World War came to an end, a US Liberty Ship named SS Richard Montgomery, was loaded with around 7,000 tons of munitions and joined over convoys bound for the UK and then on to Cherbourg in France. After arriving in the Thames Estuary, the vessel was directed to anchor in the Great Nore just off Sheerness to wait for instructions to cross the Channel. However, on August 20, it all went wrong. "The vessel grounded amidships on the crest of the sandbank. Intensive efforts began to unload her cargo," GOV UK explains. "Unfortunately, by the next day, a crack appeared in the hull and the forward end began to flood. The salvage effort continued until September 25, by which time approximately half of the cargo had been successfully removed. The salvage effort had to be abandoned when the vessel finally flooded completely." Now, the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery remains on the sandbank, her masts clearly visible above the water. There are still approximately 1,400 tons of explosives contained within the forward holds - sparking fears it could explode at any time. The government has reassured the public that the risk of a 'major' detonation is 'believed to be remote' - but that monitoring the condition of the wreck is essential. "Surveys are carried out by the MCA on a regular basis to ensure that any changes to the wreck, or its immediate environment, are discovered quickly," the Maritime and Coastguard Agency states. "It is clear from the results of these surveys that the hull is subject to the prevailing environmental conditions and is showing evidence of gradual deterioration. However, the wreck is considered to be in a stable condition." The wreck is under 24-hour radar surveillance and is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. An exclusion zone is clearly marked around it, but recent fears emerged after a cargo ship was pictured sailing perilously close to the ticking time bomb. Eastchurch resident James Dewey, who spotted a WEC Lines container ship edging closer to the exclusion zone - marked by buoys, told reports: "It was worrying when I was sitting there looking at doomsday." Officials confirmed the ship did not breach the exclusion zone, but the event still re-sparked interest in the ship's potential to wreak havoc. As previously reported, a 1970 report from the Royal Military College of Science predicted a huge tsunami more than 3,000 metres high would be caused if its payload was to detonate. Nearby Sheerness would also be engulfed in the carnage.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Not all train drivers are blokes with big beards'
Rail company LNER wants more women to apply to drive its trains. Only 13% of its current drivers are female, according to a report published in October 2024. The company admits "attracting and retaining women train drivers is a long-standing issue for the rail industry". Driver Jess Mawhinney-Coates, who operates from Newcastle, said: "There is this perception of a train driver as a bloke with a big beard but there are loads of women coming through nowadays." Ms Mawhinney-Coates has a family background in the railway industry and said becoming a train driver "felt like a natural fit". "You have a great office, you see the sun rise, wildlife, it's just a really lovely feeling getting people to their destination." Train drivers overwhelmingly middle-aged white men She admits there are challenges, including shift work and dealing with the unexpected while driving a 430-tonne train. "I had a bird explode on my windscreen with a very loud bang, but you have to be able to deal with anything," she said. "I love the job, I couldn't imagine doing anything else." Alex Cobb, who has been with LNER for 18 months and drives between Newcastle and London, said she chose the job because she wanted a "complete career change". "I was a manager sitting behind a laptop but I was also a Royal Naval reservist so I knew I enjoyed operating weapons and driving boats, which led me to trains." She said her family were proud but she did get comments when she was out socialising. "That's when it shocks people because they don't expect a woman who dresses maybe very girlie to be a train driver," she said. "I never think about how many people I've got on board, you're just thinking about what's in front of you how am I going to get them there safely and on time." Ashleigh Carroll-Dickson, who leads driver recruitment for LNER, said it had 71 women drivers "behind the controls of our state-of-the-art Azuma fleet but we're keen to recruit more". "Even though we've seen a change in attitudes towards gender equity, there's still a perception that only men drive trains but that's absolutely not the case," she added. "We hope by showing the passion our women drivers have for their role it will encourage other women to apply." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Female train driver says some people are shocked Drive to recruit more women train drivers Rail operator sees 50% rise in female apprentices LNER
The Independent
19-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Healey warns against ‘jeopardising the peace by forgetting about the war'
Talks between the US and Russia must not distract from the war in Ukraine, which could risk 'jeopardising the peace', the Defence Secretary has said. Speaking at what he called 'Nato's front line' in Finnmark, Norway John Healey warned that the Moscow administration is a 'threat well beyond Ukraine and reminds us that Russian aggression is not confined to Ukraine'. He visited the region as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused his US counterpart Donald Trump of 'living in this disinformation space', after Mr Zelensky was left out of talks between the US and Russia. So whilst all the focus may be on talks, not even negotiations, our concern as defence ministers is that we're not jeopardising the peace by forgetting about the war Defence Secretary John Healey The US president has previously said that Ukraine 'should never have started' the war. Asked whether the UK agreed with Mr Trump's suggestion that Ukraine 'started it', Mr Healey told reporters on Wednesday: 'Three years ago, one country illegally invaded another, and since then the Ukrainians have been fighting for their freedom. 'They've been fighting for their future, and they still are. 'So whilst all the focus may be on talks, not even negotiations, our concern as defence ministers is that we're not jeopardising the peace by forgetting about the war. 'And our job as defence ministers is to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position going into any talks, and that means continuing to step up the military aid that we in Europe, alongside, we argue, to the States, needs to be maintained, because the maximum pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is going to mean the maximum chance that he will negotiate seriously.' Mr Healey visited the Russian border with Norwegian defence minister Tore Sandvik, where they toured the region on a snowmobile and visited a military border watch post near Kirkenes. The UK Defence Secretary said 70 Royal Navy ships had visited Norway during 2024 but he added the decision not to send ships into the Barents Sea, north of Norway and Russia, since 2022 was an 'operational' one, after Norwegian media asked whether this was to ease tensions between London and Moscow. Defence Secretary John Healey Mr Healey said: 'We've been working alongside the Norwegians, I've just mentioned in the last year in 2024, 70 Royal Naval vessels at different times were here working with Norway. 'These are not unconnected, we work together in this area of the high north of the North Atlantic, and we also work together to support Ukraine. 'So together our two countries lead the maritime capability coalition putting some of the maritime weaponry into the hands of the Ukrainians and building up, importantly, their strength to guarantee their own security in future.' The Defence Secretary also said he and Mr Sandvik would 'discuss the ways that we can work more closely and step up further in future', adding: 'This is my first visit to Norway. 'We could've met in Oslo, we could've met in the bilateral meeting conference rooms that governments have, but we wanted to be here in Finnmark. 'We wanted to come directly from Nato headquarters last week to be here, because this is Nato's front line, it's Norway's border with Russia. 'But what you and we have done as nations over the decades is to stand together, defending Nato's northern flank. 'And this time, when our partnership is growing closer and deeper with every day, this visit, this region, reminds us that Russia is a threat well beyond Ukraine and reminds us that Russian aggression is not confined to Ukraine.'
BBC News
28-01-2025
- General
- BBC News
Woman given 'lifelong dream' of a naval cap on her 100th birthday
A care home resident has fulfilled a "lifelong dream" after being presented with a Royal Naval cap to mark her 100th Grey revealed to staff at St Monica Trust's Charterhouse Care Home, in Keynsham, that she had always longed to follow in her father's military footsteps. He had joined the Royal Navy aged 16, and sailed the world on a number of warships before moving to Bristol and working as an electrician on HMS Flying former headmistress said had she too been offered the chance to serve in the navy, she would "never have become a teacher". Ms Grey had set her sights on joining the navy from an early age - inspired by her father's courage and dedication."The only reason I stayed in school after 16 was to get three good A-Levels, so I could go into the executive branch of the Wren's," she said, referring to the then Women's Royal Naval Service."That kept me working at my books in order to get the qualifications, because they weren't all that keen on women. It was very much a male dominated force."Ms Grey's ambitious plans ground to a halt when both her parents fell seriously ill, and she could not bring herself to leave them and sail overseas. After studying English Literature at Bristol University, Ms Grey instead began her teaching career at Colston's Girls' eventually became headmistress at Merrywood Girls School, where she stayed until her retirement in 1984."Despite not being able to become a Wren, I did eventually warm to teaching and quite enjoyed it," she said."But I'd never have become a teacher if I'd been able to go and serve overseas."I was so looking forward to earning that lovely cap with the white stripe." However, Ms Grey says finally getting her cap provides a "great deal of sentiment", and serves as a testament to how times have changed. "Women can now have a total free access to the navy, and every kind of opportunity of progressing within the force," she said. "They are now willing to listen to new ideas, and willing to change things. "We've now got women who are the captains of the ship," she added.
