All the nice girls

So why are we going to going to Ferroll. Well, Midshipman Hornblower is the first reason. I first encountered the town when I bought a copy of Mr Midshipman Hornblower in a bargain book shop in Portsmouth when either going to or from the Isle of Wight in 1991. As midshipman and later lieutenant, Hornblower was a prisoner of war held in the town. When he observes a Spanish ship chased on to the reef by a British ship he organises a boat and rescues some of the crew. Swept out to sea they are picked up by HMS Syrtis, but as Hornblower was still under parole, he asks to be returned to Ferrol via A Coruna. The Spanish authorities, impressed by his bravery, granted his release from prison.


The second is we have in trust for our son his grandfather’s naval cloak which bears the location of its purchase, El Ferrol del Caudillo. Between September 1938 and December 1982 the town added the name of its most embarrassing son, Francisco - the ersatz Fuhrer - Franco. Can you tell I’m not a fan. We should not allow this to blight the place forever. It also saw the births of founder of the PSOE, Pablo Iglesias Posse, feminist writer Concepción Arenal and Frederick Howard Shaw. Shaw was a British subject by birth [1864] but entered Spanish politics and helped promote the creation of a social security system. He was the first General of the Ministry of Pensions.


Ferrol - the Falmouth of the South as it should be known, but isn’t. - has a population of 65,000 - however you can increase that ten fold if you include the surrounding communities. It enjoys a decently deep harbour. Protected from the Atlantic and is the start of the English Way. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Way The Phoenicians and the usual crowd were here. The town has always been a bit keen on ships. The Bourbons made it the capital of the Maritime Department of the North and Royal Dockyards were built between 1726 and 1783. This is worth noting as it is where we are heading.

We are heading for the Museo Naval de la Armada. https://armada.defensa.gob.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/ArmadaEspannola/cienciaorgano/prefLang-es/01cienciamuseo--09museosfiliales--03museoferrol--00inicio
 It appear from the wesbte that they have heard of interactive modern experiences and want no part of it. No! For them, lots of models of ships and cases of things. Fpr Fpr said a month ago ‘It's very cool and interesting but there isn't much in the store, also a little long but otherwise I like it.’ Still gave it five stars.


Should you want to go, and who in their right senses wouldn’t, it is only open from 9.30am to 1.3-pm. Weekends and holidays it is 10.30am to 1.30pm Forget Mondays. It is free and currently they have temporary exhibitions but are not prepared to share what they are. In 2022 they had photographs of ships if that helps.




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