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Hang 'Em From The Yardarm
HMS Victory is one of Britain's greatest treasures. Built between 1759 and 1765, she is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar. She currently sits in dry dock in Portsmouth, where she works as a museum ship - though, as she is still in commission, she could in theory be used by the Royal Navy again.
Few who have visited her forget the experience. From the cramped officers' quarters to the perilously low ceilings in the gun decks, from the beautifully maintained rigging to the plaque on the deck where England's great hero Nelson fell, the vessel is as much of a symbol of all that was great about Britain as it is a shrine to our glorious naval history.
How shocked we were, then, to hear that the Ministry of Defence feels that it is no longer capable of paying for Victory's £1.5 million upkeep. Reports last weekend said that it is considering handing Victory to another government department or public body, or putting it in the control of a charitable trust. There are fears that she could become "Disneyfied" if left in the hands of new owners.
£1.5 million is nothing to Britain, not least when one considers the expenditure planned for the London Olympics (which are unlikely to attract as many visitors as HMS Victory). However, a Defence Minister has made it known that the ship needs extensive - and expensive - restoration as she passes her 250th birthday.
The MoD stresses that keeping Victory in her current status under Navy control remained an option, but, like everything else in Britain today, was "under review." In any case, they argue that she will remain a commissioned Royal Navy vessel, whatever else her future holds. Retired Navy veterans will continue to show visitors around the ship, they add.
We read that between 400,000 and 500,000 tourists visit Victory every year. That's not much, considering its potential. A 2002 report showed that the London Eye pulls in 3.85 million paying visitors every year; Millions visit the Tower of London, the Eden Project and even Legoland in Windsor.
Of course, Victory is in Portsmouth, rather off the beaten track for many tourists. Yet (excuse the age of these figures) millions make it to Edinburgh Castle, the Blackpool Tower, Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventure every year.
Perhaps it is the case that Victory's fragile state means she would be unable to cope with millions of visitors every year. EURSOC admits it is most agreeable to spend an afternoon on her decks without suffering the elbows and flashbulbs of fellow tourists. But surely it is not beyond the bounds of ambition to double the current number?
And if we don't want to swamp our greatest naval treasure under the feet of hordes of tourists, is there not an argument to be made that every schoolboy in the country should be allowed to visit HMS Victory at least once in their school career? Educators and commentators who bemoan the fascination for the study of World War Two at the expense of every other era are missing a trick here: Victory's period is equally thrilling (though perhaps there is some sensitivity on behalf of the Ministry of Education, concerned that Victory symbolises our defeat over the French and the Spanish, now EU Allies).
If Victory was a slave ship, symbolising Britain's colonial shame rather than its military glory, EURSOC expects that a visit would be a compulsory element of the curriculum, and that there would be no question of the government having trouble finding funds to maintain her.
We say, ensure schools from every corner of Britain visit HMS Victory. Historical glory aside, she is one of the most fascinating sites in Britain, and a tour of her decks will instill a lifelong fascination for life in her period, not to mention an admiration for all those who fought, and fight for their country. And if there are concerns about giving hundreds of ASBO hoodies the run of Victory's decks, let us not forget that former Royal Navy men still patrol this vessel - and a swift dose of Navy discipline might just be the shock these boys need!
