The Heritage Buddy

 6th June 2024 - 80th Anniversary of D-Day Did you know that HMS Belfast was involved with the D-Day landings off the Normandy Coast? The Town-class light cruiser was one of the first ships to open fire as early as 05:27am on 6th June 1944.  It had been quite a long time since I supported some conservation-based family activities on board the Belfast and met up with the volunteer leader to learn about the visitor experience side of volunteering 2 weeks prior. 2024 was a big year for  Queen B  (as I affectionately call her -  not  to be confused with Beyonce), because it marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. I was kindly invited to the gun salute to commemorate the historic event and the ship's involvement.  As a 'homecoming' volunteer, I fantasised me and Frankenstein (the ship’s cat) being 'piped aboard' (where the boatswain or an officer will blow 'pipes' on a call when a VIP visits a ship - a call is like a whistle or flute used to give ...

Happy Volunteers Week 2025! It is volunteers week this week and can only mean one thing... a huge celebration of volunteering in lots of different sectors and celebrating the work of volunteers themselves. It is not just charities, children's services, care homes and animal rescue centres where people volunteer, it also includes museums, arts and culture. I first started volunteering as a poppy collector with the Royal British Legion which was a heartwarming experience and considering going back when the time comes as I have done some individual fundraising for them since. I am proud to share I have been involved with museums for 8 years which has been such an incredible journey. I'll start by sharing where it all began: my autism group set up a work experience project with the Museum of London in their archives and collections. The title itself is self explanatory; the Museum of London explores the history of London from the Roman settlements in Britain (whereby London was kno...

Today marks 85 years since the start of the Dunkirk evacuation! A group of restored ‘little ships’ escorted by the Royal Navy from Ramsgate have been reenacting the historic event by making the exact same journey. As well as having the Royal Navy involved with this rescue mission from the German advancement into France known as Operation Dynamo, ‘Little Ships’ were civilian vessels ranging from fishing trawlers to lifeboats to leisure yachts. Speaking of ‘little ships’, let me introduce you to a special someone: Meet Tamzine! She’s a little fishing boat built in Margate in 1937 and worked off the coast of Birchington that was involved in the Dunkirk evacuations. She was known as a local hero after being towed back from Dunkirk by a Belgian fishing boat and having a recognisable Viking-like stem, local boatmen took her back to her owner covered in blood, but luckily undamaged. Unfortunately for some ‘Little Ships’, some suffered shrapnel damage or were pierced by bullets. When I first s...