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Latest news
from the Museum
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Students Quiz Submarine
Crew
24th April 2008
Students from the University of Portsmouth are helping
staff at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum research the history
of one of their submarines. The students filmed interviews
of four former crew members of HMS Alliance on Wednesday
16th April. The men, Admiral Frank Grenier, Lieutenant
Mike Draper, Warrant Officer Andy Norris and Chief Stoker
Jim
Onions all served on the boat at different times of their
careers.
The museum is hoping to collect
not only objects and photographs but also memories of her
former crews.
They will form part of a new exhibition based around HMS
Alliance.
The exhibition will open at the museum later in the year.
The students, Luke Maguire,
Lucy McLeod and Andy Bird are all studying filmmaking. They
will be quizzing the submariners
on their times on Alliance. Their film will form the
centrepiece
of the exhibition.
If anyone has any interesting
objects relating to the submarine, the museum would love
to
hear from them.


HMS ALLIANCE EXHIBITION
20th
March 2008
The
Royal Navy Submarine Museum is about to undertake an exhibition
on HMS Alliance to open in summer 2008. We are keen to hear
from anyone who served on Alliance, particularly if they have
any objects from their time onboard. If anyone can help by donating
items, please contact the Keeper of Artefacts, Alexandra Geary,
on 02392 510354 ext 227, or email artefacts@rnsubmus.co.uk
.
Thank
you in advance for your help.
Alexandra
Geary,
Keeper
of Artefacts
PIGEONS
3rd
March 2008
The Museum is
currently renewing netting and meshing on board HMS Alliance
in order to provide a permanent means of stopping pigeons
roosting inside the free flood areas of the vessel. However,
certains points of access are being left open while the
most difficult parts of the vessel are being netted.
In due course
the birds remaining inside the vessel will be trapped and
removed and the remaining points of access sealed up.
NEW
DIRECTOR APPOINTED FOR ROYAL NAVY SUBMARINE MUSEUM
6th
February 2008
The
Trustees of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum are pleased to announce
that Mrs Marion Budgett AMA will take over as Director of the
Museum on the retirement of the present Director, Commander
Jeff Tall OBE Royal Navy on 1st April 2008.
Marion
Budgett, until recently Director of the National Motor Museum
at Beaulieu, is extremely well qualified for this position and
is currently Curator (Operations and Corporate Development)
of the West Berkshire Museum and has extensive previous Museum
and Heritage experience with South Somerset District Council
and as Deputy Keeper of the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon.
Chairman
of Trustees Rear Admiral Roger Lane-Nott explained that “the
Trustees had an open mind when they started to search for a
successor to Jeff Tall and we wanted an experienced and innovative
manager who could take the Submarine Museum forward and build
on what Jeff Tall had achieved. We consider that Marion meets
all our criteria and welcome her into the submarine family.”
Marion
Budgett said “ I am delighted to have been selected as the new
Director of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum and really look
forward to the challenge ahead. I may not have served in submarines
myself but understand the unique place they and those who served
in them over the last 106 years have in the history of the Royal
Navy and the country. Museums have never been more vibrant than
they are at present but there are always issues that need to
be addressed. “
Jolly
Roger Cafe wins award
1st
October 2007
The Submarine
Museum's cafe, The Jolly Roger, was awarded a silver medal for
the second year running at an award ceremony for Gosport In
Bloom last week, hosted by the TV personality Fred Dinenage
at the Explosion! Museum in Gosport.
Pigeon
control on HMS Alliance
17th
September 2007
The
Museum is currently working with licensed pest control specialists
in order to reduce the number of pigeons currently roosting
in HMS Alliance. The birds will be trapped and killed
in accordance with strict guidelines set out by the RSPB.
The
Museum is concerned that the level of contamination caused by
the droppings is a potential health and safety hazard for both
visitors and staff. This is the first time that the Museum has
culled pigeons. It is not a long term strategy and hopefully
will not need to be repeated, since other measures are planned
in the future to deter birds from getting inside the boat.
Access
all areas at the Submarine Museum
September
2007
On
September 8th and 9th, visitors to the Submarine Museum had
the rare opportunity to climb inside the wartime midget submarine,
HMS X-24 which
is normally closed to the public.
It
was all part of Heritage Open Days, a weekend event that celebrates
England's fantastic architecture and culture by offering free
access to properties that are usually closed to the public or
normally charge for admission.
The
submarine was manned by Curator Bob Mealings, and Keeper of
Artefacts Alexandra Geary, who were on hand to explain how the
submarine worked.
Alexandra
Geary commented, “We have had a very positive response this
weekend. The visitors all found that climbing inside the midget
submarine was a really exciting opportunity. Because of its
success we intend to do an event every year for Heritage Open
Days”.

Sea
cadets Megan and Alex Hayes learn how X24 works
Fantastic
Voyages
July
2007
The
Royal Navy Submarine Museum is opening a new exhibition about
the world of imaginary submarines and underwater adventure from
the 14th July.
Featuring
20,000 Leagues under the Sea and The Beatles Yellow
Submarine this an exhibition for all the family. There are
toys and games from the 1960s and 70s that will make the grown
ups smile and a real yellow submarine for children to explore.
For
more information contact Andrew Poole on 02392 510 354 extension
230, or email corporateservices@rnsubmus.co.uk

Local
History created at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum
1st July 2007
By
Andrew Poole
Saturday
30th June may have been a miserable, rainy day for some but not
at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum where smiles and happiness
were in abundance! Local business man, Dave Pickersgill, managing
director of The Oakleaf Brewery was proud to see his youngest
daughter, Helen, marry Mr. Dean Sanderson, from Heywood, Lancashire.
The reason history was made? The wedding ceremony took place in
the John Fieldhouse Building at the museum, the first wedding
to be held in such unique surroundings.
Mr.
Andrew Poole, corporate manager, was extremely pleased and proud
at how well the proceedings went. “It's been a really happy
day, the whole event was a success and the guests even enjoyed
browsing around the museum and touring HMS Alliance.”
The
ceremony was followed by a reception for 70 guests, glasses raised
with champagne and Nuptu'ale, one of the many award-winning beers
brewed at the local brewery.
It
was obvious to all who were there that Helen and Dean were completely
happy, as were all those who not only enjoyed a very special day,
but who had also witnessed this little bit of history being made.

February
2007
Midget
Submarine medals on display
By Alexandra
Geary
The
Museum has recently acquired two very important sets of medals
for its collection: the medals awarded to Lieutenant Frank Ogden
and the miniature medals awarded to Vice Admiral Sir Ian McIntosh.
Both sets of medals are on display next the midget submarine,
HMS X-24 .
Lieutenant
Frank Ogden was part of the four-man crew of HMS X-24
when she carried out her first Bergen raid in 1944, which resulted
in the sinking of a German battleship. He was awarded the Mention
in Despatches for his part in the operation. Later, in the Far
East, Ogden was appointed as a MBE for his service as a member
of the passage crew for the midget submarine attack on the Japanese
heavy cruiser Takao, when both Lieutenant Ian Fraser
and Leading Seaman James Magennis won the VC.
Lieutenant
(later Vice Admiral) Ian McIntosh was in command of HMS Sceptre
when she towed X-24 to the entrance of Bergen
Harbour, to carry out her raid. Sceptre earned the title
of "Bring them back alive" as she was the only towing
submarine which lost none of the X-craft in her care.
Alexandra
Geary, the Keeper of Artefacts commented: “It is fantastic that
these medals can now been seen in the context of how they were
won. Midget submarines took part in some of the most hazardous
operations of the war, which these medals recognise.”
August
2006
ACCREDITATION
By Alexandra
Geary
The
Royal Navy Submarine Museum has just been officially awarded ‘Accredited'
by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).
The
Museum, which holds an outstanding collection relating to the
Submarine Service from 1901 to the present day, is one of the
first in the area to be awarded the status.
The
Museum Accreditation Scheme sets nationally agreed standards for
all museums in the UK. The Submarine Museum's award proves it
measures up, meeting the guidelines on how it is run, how it looks
after its collections and the services it provides its visitors.
Alexandra
Geary, the Keeper of Artefacts commented: “This means a great
deal to the museum and I would like to thank all the staff for
taking part. Our new status makes us eligible for external funding,
which is absolutely essential if we are to press forward with
the conservation of HMS Alliance”.
Mark
Wood, Chair of MLA, said: “Being awarded Accreditation is an impressive
achievement. It recognises the high standard and service that
the Submarine Museum provides and acknowledges the hard work of
the staff. Many congratulations!”
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