I used to sail past HMS Dolphin - (into Portsmouth harbour, sharp left) - and there was often a submarine charging it's batteries, the diesel engines really did make a background for Sally Free and Easy.

He was a grand chap - I spoke to him about 'rabbiting' from the dockyard - there was a similar tradition of 'ferreting' from the steel works in Sheffield.

Portsmouth and Southsea have a lot of narrow doors - the dockyard had a rule that any piece of wood under a certain length was 'gash' and so could be carried out of the gates, and it was. Doors, windows, - you name it, all were made from wood removed from the dockyard.

There was also the chap with a motor bike and side car. Often he would ride it to work with just the wooden platform on the side car, so he could move his tool box easily. Sometimes he took the whole thing off, sometimes he had just the chassis, other times it was all complete and the little car would be searched carefully at the gates, but nothing was ever found. They were sure that he was pinching something though, as he had a cheeky grin whenever he drove past.

Finally they realised what it was that he was taking out of the dockyard.


Side cars.