Mike,
In about Jan 92, Mrs H and I spent a week just outside Perth. Good walking and great ski-ing. Glen Shee was fantastic. By way of a change we spent a day in Dundee and happened upon HMS Unicorn. She was built not long after Trafalgar and saw no action. She was at various times, a powder hulk, prison ship and training establishment. The Navy forgot about her and she wasn’t de-commissioned till after WW11. There was a carrier launched in the early part of the war with the same name and her mail went to this relic of Nelson’s era.
Unlike Victory, which is about five per cent of the original ship, Unicorn is ninety-five per cent genuine.
As we strolled past, a guide asked if we wanted a tour. Since he hadn’t spoken to a soul for weeks, I agreed. It was mid-January, after all. He was an ex-killick. And showed us the whole ship from the quarterdeck to the ballast. All the time we added to each other’s store of knowledge as to old Navy sayings that have passed into common usage. To let the cat out of the bag, not enough room to swing a cat, square meal, sing for your supper, balls off a brass monkey, show a leg. The process continues today. How many times have you heard some girl on the till at Tesco’s say “say again”?
Very interesting afternoon, and no mistake. The Unicorn is now owned by a charitable trust that want to restore her to “what she could have looked like” The first task was to get her some guns. A Scottish company, called Carron, supplied the guns to Nelson’s Navy, and are the oldest company, still owned by the same family, in the UK. They have kept every receipt for everything they ever bought or sold, more importantly they have kept the patterns for every gun they ever cast! So, the question wasn’t “how many have you got?” it was “how many d`ya want?” She now has some examples of “original” guns. Two, six, heave, refers two the numbers of a gun’s crew who were tasked with heaving the gun back to it’s firing position after it had been re-loaded.
It was common practice to build ships and lay them up, no masts were fitted. A shed roof was built over them to keep out the elements and the roof on Unicorn is reckoned to be about a hundred and fifty years older than the ship itself. The next task is to fit her out with some masts( made from aluminium) I’m certain they have a website, try searching for Unicorn and Trust.
Disagreed with the Killick as to the meaning of “Heads” I’m afraid. He was adamant it referred to the practice of shouting “Heads” prior to emptying a bucket of excreta over the side, in case anyone was looking out of a gun port. The boys who sailed these ships would not have had time to stand still, never mind look out the windows. My version is that the nets at the bow where used as straining ropes for big jobs and that the bow was called the Head of the ship. The only place where this practice continues today is on board landing craft, where a handy wave between the deck and the ramp, soon flushes away any solids. Unless you try the “bombing “display position and are perched half way up the ladder, of course.
If your ever up in those parts, it`d be interesting to see how she looks now. Victory`s guides seem to be on a price. Get `em on, get the money, get the next lot on and hurry up at the back, there.
Aye, Mr Horney-Bloke, tis damn handsome you look this evenin` and no mistake. Why, I`ve even found a Golden Rivet in my cabin, if you`d care to see it
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and yes I guess that she had rather large prosterior