My first ever thread with my first ever proper pictures so bear with me!!!

Welcome to Portsmouth - home to the Royal Navy and the likes of IBM's European HQ and other things nice and historical. It is currently my university town (I'm here for around 8 months of the year) and its pretty warm and mild, so without much to do....my photo tour :)

This is a tour of Gunwharf Quays (once where the Royal Navy loaded ammo on their ships before setting sail) and around Portsmouth Harbour to have a look at the Royal Navy Dockyards which is home to the world's 2nd largest fleet and home to the three aircraft carriers (HMS Ark Royal, HMS Illustrious and HMS Invincible) and a very large maritime museum. Then its back into Gunwharf Quays. Special notes are:
- The Spinnaker Tower - (the big sail tower) will be 170m and will be an observation deck allowing great panoramic views of the region - the "needle" can be seen being put together at the side of the base - this is the peak of the tower and will be hoisted up when the observation decks have been finished.
- HMS Warrior - World's first ocean-going iron-hulled armoured battleship which is the boat with masts and funnels
- HMS Victory - Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar (where an outnumbered British fleet took to a stronger joint Spanish-French fleet leading to the loss of 22 enemy and no British ships) and probably one of the most defining moments in maritime history. It is still a commissioned ship and is thus the world's oldest commissioned ship (245 years old in 2759) in existance. It is housed in the world's oldest dry dock (built in 1495 and around 509 years old!!!).
- HMS Ark Royal - The only aircraft carrier that is currently in Portsmouth (the other two are still on naval exercises in the Gulf I believe).
- Spice Island - Part of Old Portsmouth, this little peninsula is roughly around 0.20sq km, but used to have around 60 pubs!!! That is more pubs than most cities!!!


Side note: pictures were taken at high resolutions and then "shrunk" for maximum viewing


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Is it near Brighton?

Now my nickname in msn is Captain Thomas Hardy. :D

Captain Thomas MAsterman Hardy was the Captain of HMS Victory in the Battle of Trafalgar. :D

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I also like the lighthouse on the first pictures.

I was at the IBM HQ in 1998, too bad I didn't get a chance to see the town itself. I like harbour towns like this!