HMS Cavalier Residential 2023
Phase 3 / M@L aboard HMS Cavalier
Students from Phase 3 (main site) and Milestone @ the Leigh joined forces at Chatham Historic Dockyard today, for our annual Residential. This two-day, one-night event is hosted by the Dockyard, and our students and staff are staying aboard HMS Cavalier, a World War Two destroyer which is now permanently dry-docked here.
Have a look at our photo highlights from Day 1 here!
We started our day at the Dockyard's feature exhibition, Monsters of the Deep. We learned about fictional monsters of the deep from throughout history, and we came face to face with some preserved specimens of the oceans' most interesting and rare species.
Josh poses with a sea serpent figurine.
Aiden gives us his best impression of a deep-sea ghost shark.
Finn was interested in learning about how some mythical creatures were featured on maps.
After our trip to the deep sea, it was time to learn more about the history of Chatham Historic Dockyard. We visited one of the 300 air raid shelters that were built here during World War Two. We heard from our volunteer tour guides about their own family memories of Britain during the Blitz, and found out that when people used the toilet (a bucket behind a curtain) in the shelter, they would sing so that people would know the 'toilet' was engaged.
Following our visit to the air raid shelter, we paid a quick visit to HMS Gannet and then climbed down into the Dockyard's famous submarine, HMS Ocelot.
Staff and students were interested in the sights, sound and, unfortunately, smells of an air raid shelter!
HMS Ocelot, a submarine dating from 1961, made for a fascinating visit. Here, one of our students comes up close to a decomissioned torpedo.
Oliver demonstrated how submariners would get through different compartments aboard Ocelot, grabbing onto an overhead bar and swinging through!
Before dinner, we visited our home for the night, HMS Cavalier. Cavalier was launched in 1944, and we learned that, because it was built during the war, it was mainly built by women. We had two fantastic volunteer tour guides, Tracey and Jim. Jim, a former Royal Navy Lieutenant, shared stories of his time aboard naval ships, and taught us how to salute, stand at attention, and stand at ease. Our students enjoyed asking Jim questions.
We arrived in our mess, got unpacked, and immediately got comfortable!
After dinner, we took a sunset tour of Cavalier. Our students enjoyed seeing the Bridge, and the guns on board (which we learned are still working).
Oliver surveys things from high above, aboard the Bridge.
Our evening's festivities ended with a mini-disco and games night and snacks, before getting ready for bed.