I was stationed there as ships company sad to see it like it is now

1972, 39 recruitment 38 mess Hawke division.

stand still lol

Go on jase

Was there in 63- Keppel 2 mess- happy days

My brother trained there in 1967 and i saw him climb the mast. That place used to be spotless so it's so sad to see it falling apart like this.

When my ship (MV St Edmunds) pulled out of Parkstone quay in the 1970's I would like across and see the great mast of HMS Ganges. This video is a great representation of what England is like today, rundown,sad and unhappy

My Brother Gerald Evison went to HMS Ganges in 1963. Went on to serve aboard HMS Grafton, HMS Ganges, HMS Diamond, HMS Forth.

Glad you nozzers respect it, entered the annexe gates 12th October 1948, then over to Blake, Matapan 8 Mess. Like everyone, set me up for a real life

Another new Kindle book is out regards Ganges, well, the first part is dedicated to Ganges, judging from the cover

GRR Joined 9/6/1954 85th recruitment, First stop the Annexe Tyhritt 1, 4weeks later the main establishment,97 class Rodney 11, halfway down the covered way, 8weeks later upgraded to 122 class Collingwood 42, beside the parade ground and Hawke division (tin shacks). I can honestly say that i spent a lot of happy moments and times, met some great mates, two of whom i still meet up with at GANGES,

One more left, John Whitehead, I was D 13 mess class 17, 58-59 start of 34 years in the mob, now surviving in France, all remembered with fondness, still inspired by 15 year olds climbing the mast without any safety !

Was at Ganges in 1975 one of the last intakes to go through the place, remember that the inspecting officer on final parade was Lord Mountbatten, fond memories Leander class.

Ten years on and the site still remains undeveloped, although things do appear to be moving forward now: www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/plan-for-former-hms-ganges-site-at-shotley-gate-moves-forward-1-5478724

Was at Ganges 1958-59.CPO Nick Carter was instructor for Duncan 13 mess,19 class.Saw the old place in 2016..Shame to see it like it is.It turned boys into men.I hope there are some of my messmates alive and kicking

Was there in 67 Blake division, I went back to have look a few years ago to have a look at the ruins .Nelson hall was still standing and the mast .The Training at Ganges was tough but that's why we ruled the Seas and won Wars

041class 1976, Leander div, loved it, hated it! Remember our passing out parade an elephant took the salute. There were some Iranian navy personel there at the time just didn't get the joke. Seem to remember two midget submarines in the drill shed. Do hope the mast is restored.

is film compulsory

Blake 7 Mess - joined Sept 5th 1955. Aged just 15 years. Our instructors were CPO Brotherton (known behind his back as Pusser) who was a superb instructor that I admired immensely. and P.O. Parham. So sad to see the old place in such a state, It was the best school I ever went to, although I admit that I didn't recognize it as such at the time. They meant it didn't they when they said... "We'll take you as boys and send you to the fleet as men"."

I was at Ganges 34 recruitment in 1972,what a shame to see the place in such a mess. I played the last post and sunset under that mast as a bugle boy.

was that an empty film canister that you were taping it to?

So pleased I happened upon this post and as a result have just purchased the eBook mentioned by chaplinbooks.

it may seem like a dumb question but 1 turn is a full clockwise turn starting at 12 and ending at 12 (as if it were a clock obviously and the key was the hand) and we 5 of those turns right?

hey, i am about to make one of these little things, so would you recommend tape over the shutter for a better image quality rather than the up and down card shutter then?? your response would be great help.

Cheers Al!

If you were a Ganges boy, you might like to know that there's a new ebook out about what it was like to endure 386 days at the place! It's called HMS Ganges Days and it's a memoir by Peter Broadbent who was there in 1959/60. (he went to visit the site after it was closed down, too - and took a little souvenir!)

My father was a LSBA Chief in 72-3 My mum worked in the NAAFI. I swam in that pool and will remember the Navy fondly. All my life. It makes me cry to see it like this.

i took a photo but when i see the film under the light it's empty any idea how can this happen??

@WELLBRAN As much as I hate to admit our country is in such a disgusting state, it is mostly so. Every thing is about profit profit profit and no consideration given to the common man. I would rather sacrifice a new government building or give bonuses and give the money to a decent tax paying person who has delivered unto the system their whole life. I am trying to break into politics now and hopefully one day I will be in a position when I can stand for the common man. I will never forget this.

@IRememberTheOldDays no mate none of the political parties give a toss about anything like that, they despise all the services, they hate the all of us and they love themselves, and they take all of our money and have all the perks for themselves and fleece us all the time...i am not proud to be british anymore. we have been led a lie for so many years, moslty in my lifetime. god bless you and all decent people still left.

@WELLBRAN It is absolutely absurd. I though that with this new Conservative led government we'd have a bit more money rolling into the traditions and values which we should hold dear to in this country, after all we have an illustrious history to say the least. But no, Cameron is just a penny pinching basket.

@krisfirth my dad taught me how to clean and polish my shoes a la ganges style..i still do it...i am 56! also alot of other life lessons which i TRY to adhere to...ganges dads must be all the same.... someone to look up to, dad always sorted out the school bullies...which also included the teachers!...( just joking) but RN Ganges trained men were scared of no one!...i really mean NOTHING AND NOBODY in life

@IRememberTheOldDays My dad went to ganges and i learnt alot about life through him and his wisdom he was a button boy in 1939/40 and to see this icon here is just disgusting, even as an old mast it should be preserved and yet the marie rose, a hunk of wood was saved and thousands spent on it.....the pride of the RN climbed all over this mast...but no one cares about that anymore..you are right...fucking miserable.

Great video, shame its going to be replaced by Waitrose, I read that work starts early 2012, I have been around here twice, hope to get back once more before its all gone!

@CHILLO1231 fucking miserable isnt it :(

@blagger56 all three women at once!? Christ!

@Llamehtdos2 I remember having to run up and down Faith, Hope and Charity...that was bloody murder.

how can you see the picture.

Oh what a state this place is very sad I started in the Annexe as a nozzer in Oct 67 then transferred to Granville division mess 25 It was hard graft but I look back on it very fondly it surely shaped my life I still use some of the same values to this day. Also joined the Bugle Band Sgt Rickard from the Royal Marines was the musical dorector he was a great guy and like anything else you did if you put the effort in the PO's CPO's noticed and would help you out CPO Ritchie was our Leader

@thechurchofdave This video was originally uploaded cos someone asked me for a better explanation of how to use it than I'd provided at the matchboxpinhole. com website. If you want to see matchbox pinhole photos, just go to flickr and search... there are currently over 6000 in the matchbox pinhole group, plenty to choose from! :-)

@Weh0girls i dont do the sad smash up shit "urbex" as it aint exploring i aint gonna dig under the fence thats stupid

fire?

" Walk around the outside"???????? the cameraman is walking along the hallowed Quarter-deck, where I was fell in as part of the guard to welcome the new CO, Captain Geoffrey Place VC in 1964. The building on the left was officers admin. The long covered way was to the right. Shame to see it in such a state now...........Jim Peggie

Wish I could have joined you. Severalls Water Tower is certainly impressive. What do the entrance doors into the tower look like?

16 September 1975.......Lovely.

When i did this I needed a dark room while charging photosensitive paper, then go outside, lift the cover with 5 - 10 sec of exposition, depending intensity of light, then go back to dark room and reveal, then pass to positive, you light 10 secs or 8 and off the light. then reveal that. we had a series of red opaque lights, black walls and almost can't see a thing to walk in

No, only the small ammount of film pulled through is exposed to the daylight, just like when you load film into any other 35mm camera

do you need to be in a darkroom while doing this?

although its short great video

This brought back so many memories. I joined Ganges in November '71, 30 Recruitment, Blake 10 Mess. The Lomg Covered way is long gone in the vid but I can still remember it like it was yesterday.