Dame Agnes Weston

Dame Agnes Weston , known to the ' fleet ' as Aggie , earned her place in naval history in many ways when she started her group of RSR s where many cold and hungry matelots found shelter , warmth and food . An angel of the waves Dame Agnes provided a need for Jack even when pissed where he was safe . I remember ' Aggies ' at the top of the hill in Guzz and the alarm clock by ' Garth ' clanging a hand held bell to ' call the hands ' so they could have brekky and not be ' adrift ' ( circa 1950s) . Sadly I hear ' Aggies ' is no longer with us , another naval institution gone . I just discovered this when browsing and was not aware of the closure so if it's been posted before that's the reason . There should be some form of recognition for such a dedicated woman unless there already is . Anyway , worth a mention for those who experienced her hospitality.

http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_agnus_weston.htm

 

Hobbit, its funny how we remember places isn't it? I always remember Aggies in Guz as being "down the Hill", that is on the way back to the ship to go through St. Levans gate.
Stayed there many a time during the 60's and 70's.
I could never get my head around the soup, bread and "maggy ann"(margarine). Different colour, same taste
Good thread mate.
RoofRat

 

Aggies in Albert Road in Guzz is now "executive flats". Good views from the higher floors, but on one of the main roads leading to Torpoint Ferry, the Yard and town - 24 hour road traffic.

 

Pompey early sixties:
Ashore dinner time sesh end up in the NAAFI. Head down in the tele room till about 5 down to Aggies for sausage egg chips mushrooms beans cup of tea bread and butter. Replenished, across the road to the RA and........
Off we go again!!!!
Not you JD you were to busy rogering some bird in Nuneaton!!!!

 

A sorry day for teetotalers then. I thought Aggies were still going I am in the proud possession of a book by Aggie, signed by her

 

The one in Sembawang on the hill near the main dockyard gate was good for scran after an afternoon of bombing in the pool. :thumright:

 

Not Nuneaton - Grantham, Fred - luckily, she wasn't called Thatcher !!

 

Is the book called 'My life among the blue jackets'. If so I've got one too and it is signed as well.

 

http://www.latitude52.org/page7.htm

 

I am sure that Dame Aggie would be pleased to know that some of her cabins have now been knocked together and going fopr 250,000.

ALBERT ROAD kinel. Bandit country :rambo: :rambo: :rambo: :threaten: :threaten: :threaten:

 

Used to use the Portsmouth Aggies on Sundays --the free tea and cakes!!

Used the Trafalgar Club a few doors down quite a bit ---was good for changing into civvies when it used to be uniform only worn ashore.



:nemo: :nemo:

 

Remember the Massive wall picture of Latrec's boat on the water, and the steak and kidney pie, pees chips and gravy, ahhhhhhhhhhhh! remember the Traf club well. Cabins with chiken wire at the top

 

At least Aggies has changed a bit; bound to happen really given that it is a prime bit of real estate, pity though.
The Holiday Inn up the road is still very much stuck in the 80's. It took me back a bit quite literally!

 

Didn't realise that Aggies, as an institution, had finished. They always looked after me well. Stayed in the Aggies in Albert Road many times during my time on the Salisbury and had a weeks station leave using the Aggies in Singapore Dockyard as my base. The food was usually good and the rooms clean. I suppose time marches on and there probably isn't the need for them now. Must admit though I have fond memories of them and the people that ran them.

 

Yes RR it is strange how the memory works after a longish time . My contact with Aggies in Guzz wuzz the fabulous '50s when Plymouth had not fully recovered from WW2 , in fact nutty was still rationed . Still ' up the hill ' in my memory but what goes up must come down . Yeah , the flash new NAAFI was opened by then and that got a lot of traffic , good times though . :thumright:

 

It would seem that whilst Aggies has gone away in the sense we knew, but they are reborn in a new guise for the 21st C http://www.rsr.org.uk/

 

Good one thanks Maxi_77 . There is nothing like the 'Dame' and her spirit lives on . Sadly , as you point out , not in the sense we knew . Still , great to know her work continues and not forgotten .

 

Concur folks glad to see that aggies still goes marching on!

 

When near to a certain seaside town in North Somerset, I always smile, thanks to;

a. Dame Agnes

b. Andrew humour.

 

Remember reading somewhere that when the sloop HMS WESTON-SUPER MARE was built i the 30s, Jack promptly christened her "Aggie on horseback". She was later renamed HMS WESTON. Eventually scrapped in 1947.