Annual Reunion, 24th November 2024: HMS Dunedin 1 Storm Bert 0
Despite the best efforts of Storm Bert to disrupt our Remembrance Service, Dunedin Society members came together for a service of two halves to beat the weather and pay tribute to the men of HMS Dunedin. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this possible.
At a windswept (but mercifully dry) Royal Naval Memorial on Southsea Common a group of members gathered to observe a short wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial wall.
We then joined other members in the Nelson Lounge of the Royal Maritime Hotel in Portsmouth for the rest of the service.
This was the first time we had conducted any part of the service indoors, but it has proved to be a good blueprint if we are again confronted with threatening weather.
I think we can safely say that the Dunedin Society members were the winners.
Stuart Gill
With thanks to Michael Gill for the photos
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Urgent message for members attending Sunday’s Remembrance Service
In view of the likely impact of Storm Bert on Southsea on Sunday and in the interest of safety, we have decided to make changes to how we conduct the service.
The service will start at the Naval Memorial at noon on Southsea Common as planned, but only very briefly, to allow us to lay a wreath at the Remembrance wall. A small group of us from the committee will be there to pay our respects on behalf of all members, but given the likely rain and strong winds we shall be quick and very mindful of our safety.
The rest of the service will take place in the Nelson Lounge of the Royal Maritime Hotel (details below), starting at 1245.
Please do not feel obliged to attend the wreath-laying but if you wish to brave the weather, you would of course be very welcome. Otherwise, we shall see you in the Nelson Lounge.
The Order of Service (attached, but printed copies will be available on Sunday) remains as laid out apart from the venue and the wreath-laying.
The Royal Maritime Hotel address is:
75-80 Queen Street
Portsmouth
PO1 3HS
Car parking is patchily available in the surrounding streets, but the (pay) car park on the other side of the road would be the most reliable option.
It is a pity that we have had to do this, but safety is at the front of our minds. You may decide not to come, which would be entirely understandable in the circumstances, but we will undoubtedly see you at future events. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you on Sunday. If everyone comes, there will be about forty of us.
Once we are finished, we shall take the short walk across the hall to the Victory Bar, where we can order drinks and lunch.
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Urgent update for members attending Sunday’s Remembrance Service: Storm Bert has forced us to change how we conduct the service. Please click here for details of the new arrangements
Arrangements for this year’s Reunion and Remembrance Service, Sunday 24th November 2024
This year’s Reunion and Remembrance Service will take place on Sunday 24th November at the Royal Naval Memorial, Southsea, starting at 12.00 noon (please note this is one hour earlier than usual) and continuing with an informal gathering at the Royal Maritime Hotel, Portsmouth. The usual arrangements will apply, but please be aware that significant coastal defence works are now being carried out on the road adjacent to the Memorial, which will restrict our access. Please click here for more details AND AN UPDATE ON WHERE TO PARK and how to get to the memorial on the day.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible to pay tribute to the men of HMS Dunedin.
PARKING UPDATE:
Rory McKenna has very helpfully made a recce of the coastal defence works in Southsea to see how they affect access to the memorial. In short, he recommends using the Esplanade car park (PO5 3AP) and walking to the memorial along the new tarmac path. The alternative car park at the D-Day museum is a little further away and the walk from there has kerbs and roads to navigate.
Looking forward to seeing you – and hoping for kind weather!
Dear friends and members of the HMS Dunedin Society
Next month, on Sunday 24 November, members of the HMS Dunedin Society will gather at the Royal Naval Memorial, Southsea, to mark the 83rd anniversary of the sinking of HMS Dunedin.
Existing and new members are all welcome to join us – we are hoping to have several crew members represented this year. Please note that this year our short service of remembrance will begin at midday/1200 at the Memorial, not 1300 as in previous years. This will be followed by an informal get-together in the Victory Bar of the Royal Maritime Hotel (RMH) in Queen Street, Portsmouth. Lunch can be ordered at the RMH, and there is public car park right opposite.
As always, if you intend to come it is helpful for us to know which member of the ship’s company you are representing, and how many of you will attend. There is no need to respond if you cannot attend.
Important: access issues this year
Unfortunately, would-be attendees face an unusual access challenge this year (and in 2025). Specifically, the road adjacent to Southsea Naval Memorial (Clarence Esplanade) has just closed for two years to allow for significant coastal defence works to take place. This means that the only way to access the memorial on 24 November will be to walk some distance on foot. We are in touch with the Portsmouth authorities to see whether they have any plans to allow vehicular access to the Memorial – not just for us, but for Remembrance Day and other remembrance occasions. We will let you know what we find out.
In the meantime, these are the key points (see also map below):
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Clarence Esplanade, the road adjacent to the Memorial and hence the one used to access it by vehicle, will be closed to both motorized and pedestrian traffic between the Hovertravel terminal and Blue Reef Aquarium.
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A new temporary tarmac footpath will be created across the seafront common from the Seafront Esplanade Car Park (as per map below). This path will pass right by the Memorial and allow access to it. However, this will mean a walk of around 650 yards (a third of a mile).
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It would theoretically be possible to shorten the walk to around 450 yards (a quarter of a mile) or so by approaching from the west, i.e. from the Blue Reef Aquarium. This would provide access from the other end of the temporary tarmac footpath that passes the Memorial, but the amount of parking that would be free near the Aquarium on a Sunday is not at all clear.
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Note that while the quickest route would be to access the Memorial from Southsea Common Car Park on the north side of Southsea common, parking may be limited here, and there is no direct footpath, so you would have to walk directly across the grassy common. Depending on the weather in the run-up to the event and on the day itself, this could be an arduous and muddy undertaking.
We fully appreciate that these coastal defence works could make it impossible for some members to attend, particularly those who are less mobile. Other members will understandably have to make a decision on the day, depending on the weather. One option to assist with mobility is to hire a wheelchair and have it delivered to the Royal Maritime Hotel. Please see the link to the Shopmobility registration form below and get in touch with that service directly if this is an option you would like to pursue.
We nonetheless look forward to seeing those of you who can attend despite this challenging access situation!
Please do come appropriately attired for whatever the weather may throw at us – this is all the more important given the access challenges we face this year (and alas in 2025), with the greater exposure to the elements that the necessary walk might involve.