HMS Bristol has returned to Portsmouth following a major overhaul by A&P Tyne. The Tyneside-built warship underwent a £4 million makeover to bring her up to the latest safety standards that will keep her in service for another ten years.
The project, which involved some of those who helped build her in the 1960s, included creating a lecture theatre with tiered seating for 63 people inside the former Sea Dart missile magazine and also an office for the commanding officer inside the funnel. Additional accommodation for some of the 17,000 sea cadets that visit each year was also added, along with CCTV and fire detection systems and extra air-conditioning and heating.
One item removed was her mainmast, which is not required, as she is no longer a sea-going vessel. Otherwise she still preserves the feel of being on a warship that saw action in the Falklands War. She resumed her training role on 9 May.
