Location: HMS Belfast
March 17, 2018 - March 18, 2018
Head to HMS Belfast and help celebrate her 80th birthday on the weekend of 17 – 18 March.
Now a London landmark on the River Thames, on March 17 1938 she was launched by Mrs Neville Chamberlain to the cheers of hundreds of spectators. Since then she has served in the Arctic Convoys, fought in the Korean War, travelled the world and, famously, played a key role at the D-Day landings.
On 17 March, you can meet veterans from across HMS Belfast’s 80 year history and learn about what it was like to live and work at sea. A number of free events on board include the return of Signals at Sea, where families can learn how lights, radios, codes and flags were used to pass messages from ship to ship. You can also learn how to send your own name in Morse Code, as well as a new signal created specifically for the occasion.
Enjoy a slice of birthday cake created by Sophie Faldo, the 2017 winner of The Great British Bake Off, grab a souvenir photo in our Birthday Photobooth and try out some temporary tattoos to complete your Naval look. For visitors over 18, you can also enjoy a complimentary rum punch, inspired by the ‘tots, sippers and gulpers’ that were part of life in the Royal Navy all those years ago.
Alongside all these activities, don’t miss your chance to explore all nine decks of the most significant surviving Second World War Royal Navy warship, still moored today on the River Thames.
