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.”