Portsmouth Historic Dockyard became the star of the small screen once again on Friday, featuring on both BBC ONE and BBC TWO!
Firstly, comedian and presenter Arthur Smith discovered what it was like to spend the night aboard HMS Victory as he followed in the footsteps of Admiral Lord Nelson for BBC One’s The One Show.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qlj7n/
The_One_Show_05_02_2010/ (15.10 into clip)
Whilst onboard Nelson’s famous flagship HMS Victory, Arthur visited Horatio Nelson’s Great Cabin and chatted to current Commanding Officer ‘Oscar’ Whild, he learnt about the everyday lives of the men on board and he quickly discovered how difficult it is to sleep in a hammock, before eventually settling down to sleep in his Naval sleeping bag and camp bed!
Commenting on his unique visit, Arthur Smith said “it was a thrilling experience to walk around Victory - to imagine the sailors climbing the rigging, slurping grog, tending the guns, and the spot where nelson fell is rather chilling.”
The feature was also illustrated by fantastic images of Nelson, courtesy of the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
Then following on at 9pm on BBC TWO was the final episode of Empire of the Seas featuring HMS Warrior 1860.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qlmcq
This stunning documentary series fronted by historian and avid sailor Dan Snow saw him visit the various attractions at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and around the coast, to go beyond the battle tactics and reveal a surprising history.
Travelling across the oceans and with unique access to the modern fleet, Dan examined the impact of the Royal Navy on society, from its role in the foundation of the Bank of England to the creation of a model for the civil service.
The series unearthed rarely seen manuscripts and records, and revealed the hidden human stories behind the famous battles.
The series not only showed the modern Navy within Portsmouth Naval Base but also HMS Warrior 1860 and HMS Victory. Dan Snow explored how Warrior was taken on a tour of the country so that the public could explore the latest innovations in shipbuilding. Filmed during the Royal Navy Past and Present weekend, it was the perfect way to illustrate the historical tour and reflect the enduring relationship between the British public and the Royal Navy.
Dan Snow commented that “I have never been to a better museum than Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. There, the past is tangible and alive."
The images supplied with this story are courtesy of the BBC (Arthur Smith) and © John Lee/Anova Books 2009 (Dan Snow)
