HMS Mercury 2010

Mrs S wanted to go garden goofing at East Meon. Included were two gardens at Leydene House so that added interest as that was where I had spent my last day in the Navy trying to return my AGR (why was that so desperately important I wonder) with Mercury, my 'base ship', in leave period (OOD eventually took pity on me as he had nothing else to do).

However today there are a number of very smart 1997 houses around the main house, some with large south-facing sloping gardens from one of which one can allegedly see the IoW. The main house has been divided up into four 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom apartments after the developers were told the staircase had to be preserved along with the entrance hall, which scuppered a plan for twelve flats. I gather that above the road there are still some MoD buildings as there was RN use of some bits up to 2005 and the market had now stuck and so also redevelopment.

Just a short sitrep and many of you know all this anyway, but I thought there might be some interest. Not a silk handkerchief in sight.

 

No phots?

 

Great sitrep, Seaweed!

The staircase is quite distinctive:



I was down there a couple of years ago and this is what the bit above the road looked like then:

 

That staircase in the wardroom was fantastic and was the only 'self supporting' one of its kind in the world.

 

Someone got in recently......

28 Days Later - HMS Mercury

 

First joined Mercury in Aug 78 and had some good and bad times there, and was invloved with the final move out and into Collingwood in 93. The north side of the road is looking in a sorry state these days after the last unit moved out several years ago.

 

My main memory of Mercury is of my Subs' Course there in January 1959 - living in Whaley and being bussed over but only to Clanfield as the road up from there was a sheet of ice, to be walked up by rather cold people.

 

Hate to be the pedant, but just about all the pics on that 28dl link are actually of the old SCU Leydene :wink: :wink:

 

I joined Mercury in Late 1978. I was also the last CYQC to fgo through Mercury before the move to Collingwood.

(Mainly) Happy memories

Yours Aye

SM

 

It really is sad seeing those pics, I was there '71 to '72. The Automat had the Moon Landing on a whole wall. Happy days.

 

I went there for my brother's passing out parade in 1990. I was a weeeee youngster then

 

Spent the worst 10 months of my Naval Career at that Crap hole!Luckily i got s swap draft back to Haslar!

 

Yeah I'm afraid I dont' think I was even an itch in my dad's nut sack as he was only 10 in '56 :lol:

 

Is the 'Pinky' still there ?............many happy scrumpy runs in the 60's !

 

No idea what you are talking about, sorry. :roll:

 

It was a 'scrumpy pub' near Clanfield I think.... hazy memories of driving down murder mile.... past the cabbage patch... pre - breathalizer days... like I say 'hazy' memories.

 

There's a Mercury Group on Facebook I think.

 

Stopped off on the way back from our annual visit to the IOW. I couldn't stay long as CinCNagHome was already telling me she was cold. She also couldn't understand why I wanted to stop off at some derelict site in the middle of nowhere. So, I was already on my way to a hard stare, before I had even started.

Travellers have set up residence in North Camp, at least 20 caravans. I didn't hang around there or take a photo, as it was just me and the missus. We were just a tad out-numbered.

The fencing around the back of camp has more holes than a sieve. All the buildings on the Cresent Road & old ships company blocks have been vandalised, and scrap metal has been (or is in the process of) being thieved. In the heads, the hand basins have all been smashed.
Cable runs have been "unearthed" and most of the copper cables have gone. Doors to buildings have all been forced open. There is no evidence to think this has anything to do with those nice honest Gypsy folk 100 yards away.

In some parts, mother nature is reclaiming the land. Most of the buildings are naturally just falling apart. The whole place reminds me of HMS Royal Arthur (vandalised to hell and back). Only in Mercs case, the place is just a bit to far out for oiks to get to, if they don't have access to any transport. I never touched anything, just took a phot "in situ".

That is my last visit, to be honest, I just wish the MoD would demolish the place, and for the HMS Mercury I knew to finally rest in peace.

Slideshow lasts for 13 minutes, and are presented in the order I took them. I hope they bring back happier memories for some.

Link: (Click) HERE

 

Dit Dar Dit, many thanks for that, outstanding work. I too did my Sparkers course and later my CT course at Mercs, very sad to see it in that state. I guess it'll remain that way for a long time to come. BZ