Captain Grant’s first duty, after proposing a toast the guests, was to install  Admiral The Rt.Hon. The Lord West of Spithead as a Stowaway Member of the Club.

Admiral Lord West responded with a very well received speech in which he rued the “Sea Blindness” that would seem to be afflicting this country at present.

The evening ended in the traditional manner with rousing sea shanties and “Land of Hope & Glory”.

Other Stowaways present were Dame Mary Fagan, DCVO, Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, with her husband Captain Christopher Fagan, and Captain Sir Malcolm Edge, KCVO.

Captains and Stowaways, new Captain Peter Grant on the right.

Distinguished Guests included Mr Nigel McNair Scott, High Sheriff of Hampshire, Councillor Mr Terry Matthews, Mayor of Southampton and Admiral of the Port, Councillor Mrs Anna McNair Scott, Chairman of Hampshire County Council, Vice Admiral Sir Alan Massey, KCB, CBE, Chief Exec. Off. of the MCA, Commodore Tony Radakin RN, Commander of Portsmouth Naval Base, Captain Terry Jewell, FEI, MNI, Master of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, Captain James Robinson FNI, President of the Nautical Institute, Mr Doug Morrison, Port Director of ABP Southampton and Mr John Hughes, Chairman of Southampton Seafarers’ Centre.

http://news.qps.nl.s3.amazonaws.com/Grounding+Costa+Concordia.wmv

The site is much enlarged and the main change is that we now have a members only section which we call the “Cachalots’ Deck”.

Our quarterly newsletter, The Cachalot, is now contained there, along with the previous editions, but the more interesting (we hope) bits are being extracted to be posted in this “public” part, under “Club Journal”.