To open the final events of the Mercury Old Boys’ Association formal disbandment the Society will be hosting a talk by some former Mercury Boys of their memories of life at TS Mercury. The Old Boys’ Association has decided as each year there are fewer members, with the youngest in his 70s, it is an appropriate time to hold its last formal events at Hamble to mark the 50th anniversary of the training ship’s closure.
TS Mercury trained boys for the Royal and Merchant navies and was part of Hamble village life for 76 years. By the time it closed in 1968 it had prepared around 5,000 boys for a life at sea. The boys endured a tough regime to prepare them for a career at sea, but they also enjoyed sporting and other activities. TS Mercury boys slept on the training ship, not ashore.
Last year the Society was given a talk about the history of TS Mercury and this year it will be followed up by some of its former boys recalling their lives and experiences while at Hamble. Each Mercury Old Boy will give a short talk on his experiences from a different era of the training ship’s life. There will also be some short film clips and a static display of photographs of the training ship.
The meeting will be held at Hamble Memorial Hall on Thursday 20 September at 7.30pm. New members and visitors are always welcomed! Our meeting fee is just £2. If you would like more information please contact our secretary, Janet Flack, telephone 8045 7189.