TRINCOMALEE

HMS Trincomalee is a Royal Navy frigate: one of the two survivors of her era and now a museum ship permanently docked at the Maritime Historic Quay. As part of the National Historic Fleet, the Trincomalee is the oldest British warship still afloat and is emblematic of the thriving 19th century shipbuilding industry in Hartlepool. This ship has always been a recognisable part of Hartlepool’s history for me, as belonging to the National Museum of the Royal Navy and a portal into this town’s Napoleonic past. I have been on countless visits to this museum over the years and the ship remains as impressive and exciting as when I first stepped on board.

The ship has historic displays of eerie human mannequins wearing chipped painted eyes and ill-fitting wigs, re-enacting scenes of canon-loading and swashbuckling, with the vague diegetic of captain’s orders and explosions in the background. In between this transportation back to 1817, sits a modern café below deck. It was here I have particular memories of a time when I was 14.

I remember, to my elation, receiving an invite to sing for HRH Duke of Kent as part of my school’s choir. He had made the visit with his two trusted noblemen and we were seemingly the lunchtime entertainment over our regions most loved delicacies- such as fruitcake and wensleydale cheese- a combo we northerners enjoy every tea break apparently. Looking back, I find the whole experience odd that a choir of no more than twelve were standing in the corner of a café on an old warship singing to a duke while he was pre-engaged with the task of eating cake and cheese in the same bite. However, I won’t forget how special I felt that day. I still remember the buzz in the air of that claustrophobic room. Our pristine black uniforms and emerald ties. The gleaming faces we all maintained throughout our performance. Miss Davidson, our choir teacher, over-miming the words to old navy songs. That was perhaps the closest I have come to Royalty and I was overjoyed, even if we were just background music to an afternoon tea.