OLD DEVONPORT . UK
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©  Brian Moseley, Plymouth
Webpage created: June 19, 2019
Webpage updated: June 22, 2019

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ROYAL NAVY IN OLD DEVONPORT

NAVY WEEK, 1930

Plymouth's third Navy Week was held on Saturday August 2nd 1930 and from Monday August 4th until Saturday August 9th 1930.  This was the first year that it was stated as being closed on the Sunday (August 3rd).  There was a lack of publicity for this year's event, with only small bills on the trams being about the only outward sign of anything happening.  As a result attendances were down on 1929 even though the event lasted for seven days instead of five.

HMS "Rodney" headed the list of vessels on view.  HMS "Renown" and HMS "Tiger" could also be visited, and it was possible to walk beneath HMS "Resolution" in the Floating Dock.  HMS "Exeter", which had been launched in July 1929, could be seen under construction, while the former HMS "Canada", now the Chilean Navy's "Almirante Latorre" could also be viewed.  Several submarines were on display and the usual mine and torpedo demonstrations were held.

It was reported that the public consumed 120 lbs of tea, 290 gallons of milk, 5 cwt of sugar, 425 lbs of slab cake, 980 loaves of bread, 786 lbs of cooked ham, 110 gallons of ice cream and 33,240 pastries (not pasties) and fancies.  As the Programme said: 'The public were clearly determined to enjoy themselves'.  However, the report stats that this was over five days while it is clear that the event actually ran for 7 days.

Attendances for the Week were: Saturday August 2nd 1930, 3,999; Monday August 4th 1930, 11,566; Tuesday August 5th 1930, 11,391; Wednesday August 6th 1930, 14,846; Thursday August 7th 1930, 19,031; Friday August 8th 1930, 9,462; and Saturday August 9th 1930, 9,898.  Forty-eight charabancs had been counted in the car park during this year's event.  This was 7,200 on last year's attendance.

Navy Week was held again in 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, and 1935, after which there was a break until 1938, the last one before the Second World War (1939-1945).  When the event recommenced in May 1948 it had been reduced to Navy Days.