If we need a large navy (and we do), then the ships have to be parked somewhere, and there has to be facilities to repair and maintain the fleet. So the question is where should the fleet be based? Of course any suggestion will produce the NIMBYs (not in my back yard) out of the woodwork, and at the end of the day a decision has to be taken that will not please everybody.

In this day and age the environment is a popular cause and there are many groups who will fight against any development if it results in pollution of any sort. Perhaps the Navy Department would be advised to offset the inevitable pollution by doing work elsewhere to help the environment.

We recently celebrated 50 years of marriage and our children bought us a small area of woodland as one of our golden wedding anniversary gifts. Before you think I have gone off on a tangent, that area of woodland will in a small way offset some of the damage to the environment we as a couple have inadvertently done to the environment in our 50 years. If you like it our way of offsetting the damage we have caused. When I learnt of our anniversary gift I must admit to being rather surprised, but when you consider that a couple married for 50 years have probably fulfilled all their material needs, an area of trees was an inspired gift. 50 years is a golden wedding anniversary, not sure if there is a ‘wooden’ anniversary, but if there is consider woodland as a gift for someone you know.