30 members were able to enjoy a fascinating and informative tour of the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth on what was the last of this season’s KLHS organised outings. The group was led by tour guide Lt Cdr Nichola Aldridge who, shared her impressive knowledge of the workings and history of the site.
Among many highlights was the story of the standards of individual commanders – traditionally hung after the death of the individual and left undisturbed, gradually to rot away. Other nuggets of information were the naval origins of a ‘square meal’ – from the square wooden plates used by a gun crew, and ‘on the fiddle’ which referred to the edge of a plate that a sailor might have greedily over-filled.
For those that missed the trip, public tours of the College are available and can be booked here https://britanniaassociation.org.uk/britannia_guided_tours/
Kingston Local History Society 