Kevin has sent me this cutting from the Illustrated London News 14/09/1912.
"On the evening of the 16th of February 1912 the destroyer HMS VIXEN was heading down the Tyne to sea when she collided with the local ferry South Shields and sustained considerable damage. The photo shows her in one of the Wallsend docks. She was built by Vickers, Sons & Maxim, Barrow in 1900 and was broken up in 1921." Apparently the ferry took the blame for not having a proper look out and ignoring the VIXEN's whistle.

A magnified image of the caption.


Can you imagine, all fixed in 20 days, in the current climate. They wouldn't even have allocated a budget today, never mind looked for quotes. Anyone got plans?

At the start of the 20 days the dock master probably got a few of his foremen together and instructed them "Right lads - fix that"

Extract from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle - Thursday 27 June 1912

Extract from the Newcastle Daily Chronicle - Friday 05 July 1912

Whickham wrote:A magnified image of the caption.

Vixen-2.jpg

Can you imagine, all fixed in 20 days, in the current climate. They wouldn't even have allocated a budget today, never mind looked for quotes. Anyone got plans?

At the start of the 20 days the dock master probably got a few of his foremen together and instructed them "Right lads - fix that"

All Rivetted too along with all the hole punching in the plates, frames etc taking numerous man hours, 24hr working?

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" even the M.O.D. are getting in on the act with some bargains up for grabs through their disposal arm and if the better half is struggling to buy you something different for Christmas instead of the usual socks underpants combo 'suggest' she looks at this list,
HMS Bristol.
HMS Illoustrious.
For above two the children will need to buy you a Christmas 'Gas Axe' otherwise it's most probably a one way Journey to Turkey.
HMS Scott
HMS Bangor along with a number of other Sandown Class, not much scrap value there as they are Heavily Built GRP, could make decent floating yacht Clubs or floating Annexes for the RNR who lost the most of the afloat experience when the "Tons" went to make distressed furniture and the Uni 'Snotties' grabbed the Archers, possibly a trip up to the Baltic if you fancy doing a bit of Minehunting? (the Insurance premiums could be quite high)

Vessels from the Navy but not Navy otherwise known as the RFA,
Forts Austin and Rosalie and the Argus (spell check comes up with Argos ) Looks like the scrappy for them,

Aircraft available are,
Hercules C130J's
Boeing E3D Early Warning.

If you or your partner want to purchase any of the above or any other of the numerous items up for grabs you had better be good at paperwork as I am sure there will be reams and reams of it.
The M.O.D does like loads of paperwork it keeps the shore wallahs happy especially when the M.O.D. are cutting manning levels at the pointy end.

The above bargains are being snapped up fast, the two Forts are on their way to Egypt possibly then to Russia? like the last Logistic Support Vessels the Egyptians bought, built in France for Russia but withheld due to the Russian invasion of part of another Country then bought by the Egyptians who quickly passed them on to the Russians. The Egyptians tend not to take much notice of 'End User' Certificates