Vernon returns to make Southampton his port of call after 20 years  

A Lymington care home resident has been reunited with former colleagues at the Port of Southampton after a gap of nearly 20 years.
Robert Nock, known as Vernon, was a manager in the vessel traffic services (VTS) team at port operator Associated British Ports from 1981 until his retirement in 2005.

When he moved to Court Lodge earlier this year, carers asked him if there was a special wish they could make happen for him.

He told them he would love to go back and visit VTS again, so they liaised with current managers to arrange a trip to the present-day operating room.

Vernon was one of the first managers to be employed by VTS in the 1980s and had responsibilities for ensuring the safe and efficient 24/7 management of vessels and dock traffic throughout Southampton Water and much of the central and eastern Solent.

It was a busy role as the Port of Southampton continued to develop as the UK’s number one vehicle handling port, the country’s premier hub for deep sea trade and Europe’s leading turnaround cruise port.

On his return visit, Vernon saw first-hand some of the changes that have taken place at VTS since his retirement, including its £4 million operating room opened in 2016 and equipped with radar, an automatic vessel identification system, CCTV cameras and fibre-optic cables.

Vernon was welcomed by Russ Lynch, one of four watchers on duty on the day, who talked him through essential aspects of the new equipment and shared updates on people they both knew.

Russ said he remembered Vernon well and recalled how he had started with VTS just as Vernon was retiring.

As a surprise, VTS arranged for another of Vernon’s former colleagues to be on duty too.

Alf Hunnybun, a VTSO (vessel traffic service operator), who has worked at VTS for more than 44 years, enjoyed a long-overdue catch up with Vernon, with the pair sharing many memories of their working life together.

Alf said: “It was lovely to see Vernon again after so many years.”

Vernon said afterwards: “I had a wonderful time. It was fantastic to be back there even though a lot has changed. The job essentially remains the same. Seeing Alf was great, I remember working with him so well and we had such a nice catch up.”

Companionship Team Leader Julia Puia, who accompanied Vernon on the visit, said: “A big thank you to Russ and Alf for their time and their welcome. Vernon was absolutely delighted to see them both again.”

Sailing fan Richard, 100, charts course to former yacht club

A 100-year-old former sailor has been reunited with the historic yacht club he was a member of for 40 years.
Richard Robinson said he had a ‘wonderful time’ after the team at Court Lodge arranged for him to enjoy a coffee morning and lunch at the nearby Royal Lymington Yacht Club.

Richard, who turned 100 in autumn 2023, joined the club in 1981, using it for much of the next four decades as a base for sailing his 26-foot Griffon boat Celtic.

He told carers and companions at Court Lodge of his wish to revisit the club and rekindle some long-standing contacts.

Staff at the home contacted club officials and arranged for Richard to spend half a day on a trip hosted by historian Graham Clarke.

The pair, joined by several other members, spent hours talking about their shared love of fun on the water and Richard’s memories of club life including the Royal Lymington Cup and the town’s regatta.
One anecdote Richard shared involved a personal encounter with royalty. After explaining that his sailing years around the world were far more about pleasure than competition, he said: “I used to sail Danish boats and one day I got a phone call. It was Prince Philip! And so I ended up teaching him how to sail.”
Richard also prompted much interest when he said his grandfather used to run a Dinky Toy factory in France, where he was born, and he was one of the first children to receive the scale model vehicle toys to play with.

Later in life, Richard went on to work for the factory making a range of Dinky Toy products including cars, trains and railway trackside accessories. As well as speaking French and English, he also learned Danish and Arabic.

Historian Graham said: “What a pleasure it was to see Richard back at the ‘Royal’, where members were fascinated to hear his anecdotes, not just of his time as a member but also from his century of memories.

“We pride ourselves on welcoming visitors, and never more so than when they have such interesting history of their own.”

Court Lodge Companionship Team Leader Julia Puia said: “Richard took a very active part in the morning gathering. The members found him very interesting to talk to and they had lots of history and reflections on sailing in common.

“Although he was born in France, Richard has loved living in Lymington over the years and the visit brought back many happy memories for him.”

Expressing his gratitude for the trip, Richard said: “I really do appreciate the time involved to organise this and take me there. I had a wonderful time.”

Renowned as a base for yachting, dinghy sailing and motor boating, the club was officially founded in 1922, the year before Richard was born.

It traces its origins back to being the Lymington River Sailing Club, which was established in 1914 but suspended during the First World War.

Richard’s visit ended with a follow-up invitation for him to visit the club once again in September.