SDSR:- A Naval 'Victory'.
 

HMS Victory has been awarded a £20 million grant from the MoD for restoration work over the next decade. 400 Jobs are secured.

Notwithstanding the heritage involved which should be preserved, you have to question the argument of MoD money versus a Trust or indeed National Lottery or English Heritage grant. The 400 jobs will all be civilian jobs associated with a 'tourist attraction' that could have benefited from Management in the civil sector or corporate sponsorship. ....and no I am not suggesting Victory adorned with a Red Bull livery!

The RAF Museums(s) and the FAA Museum, & Museum of Army Flying are all ran as profiterable companies, why not the historic ships?

HMS Victory
 

It's the MoD ensuring we have a new flag ship to lead the next task force now Ark Royal's gone!

If you chop the masts down it would make a great 'aircraftless carrier' :O

With whats gone on recently i am at a loss as to why these things get money thrown at them, I include the reds in this waste of money as well. Loss of jobs and hardware in the military to keep tourists happy beggars belief. If I was still in the UK I would be looking on how to get out that is for sure.

It's green, built from sustainable resources, has a Low IR Signature and stealthy wood design, it is the way Fwd, wonder why we don't build the new carriers out of the stuff..........


I wonder if they will hide this behind screens from the publics gaze AKA Nimrod...

Well deserved I'd say.

All this nonsense about funding for the RAF Museum etc is completely ignoring the fact that the BBMF is fully funded through the Defence budget. If the Government can pay for a living memorial for the only significant RAF contribution to the defence of this country, then surely it can fund such a magnificent and historic memorial such as the wonderful HMS Victory!

The National Museum of the Royal Air Force is funded from MoD. Their last year accounts show £7,367,000 of public money. Similar arrangement exist for the National Army Museum [£5,514,371] and the National Museum of the Royal Navy [£3m approx on last figs avail on web]. It looks like the public purse pays approx 70% of the running of these museums, in any case.

I have the depressing feeling that if the news was that the MOD was cutting £20m funding, then the board would be full of people condemming the MODS disgraceful attitude to our national heritage... :E

The day this nation ceases to fund the upkeep of HMS Victory will no doubt be the same day that an Islamic flag flies over Buck House.

I had heard that they were proposing a transfer of the civilian staff to a trust from April 2011; has this been dropped?

Sailor Beware......
 

........... In 1985, during a bit of refurbishment, the headquarters at Brampton burnt down. The Cutty Sark was gutted by a fire a few years ago and the supply squadron at Lossiemouth was also damaged by fire. The hangar at Finningley went up in smoke (together with several Varsitys).

I think I'd be very careful about having major works done on Victory without a few more fire extinguishers.

O-D