Temeraire hosts Services open day

THERE’S a chance for Portsmouth folk to meet some of the city’s sailors and Royal Marines and get to grip with their kit when HMS Temeraire hosts the inaugural Armed Forces and Emergency Services Open Day.

The June 1 event at the Burnaby Road establishment has grown out of an annual open day hosted in the Solent city by local law enforcement and emergency services – not least to help break down some of the barriers between young people who might have misconceptions of what the blues and twos do.

This year, the military’s also been invited on board. They’ve gone one better than simply join in by hosting the open day at Temeraire.

All three Forces will be in attendance, as will Hampshire police, the county’s fire and rescue service, British Transport Police, the Military Preparation College, British Red Cross, cadet organisations, and the RNLI among others.

They’ll be rocking up with various kit – police cars, fire engines and the like, while the Air Ambulance helicopter will be touching down in the Temeraire grounds.

There will also be a display arena with the aim of showcasing the work of police dogs and their military counterparts who are used to find bombs in Afghanistan and elsewhere; cadets will battle it out in a field gun contest; and crowd control experts will show how to deal with an unruly mob.

Although entry to the event, from 10am-3pm, is free, visitors can make a donation to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

“It really will be a fantastic awareness day where children and adults alike can meet real people who are the job on a daily basis – and see some of the equipment that they use to do it,” said Lt Emma Garey, Temeraire’s First Lieutenant.