Last updated at 10:28, Monday, 26 May 2008

KNOTTY PROBLEM: How to attract HMS Invincible back to Barrow

I WOULD like to reply to your letter (Evening Mail, May 20) regarding HMS Invincible becoming a so-called shopping mall.

If HMS Invincible was to come back to Barrow, she would be kept as a warship and stand as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the Falklands War, and to honour those who built and served her.

This ship will not be used as a shopping mall – we have Portland Walk for that.

Perhaps the council should have built a roof over Portland Walk so that our shopping mall would be under cover.

This would be more useful than suggesting that our very own Barrow-built Invincible should be used as a mini Trafford Centre.

We are proud of our shipbuilding, and if we could get HMS Invincible back home she would be used for tours, for people to give talks on the history of the ship and to encourage people to join the Royal Navy.

HMS Invincible would be a very popular tourist attraction and we take the website very seriously, which is very kindly sponsored by Furness Internet.

We have received lots of emails from ex-crew members showing their support. We have plans on how we can preserve the ship.

We are a naval town, but over the years things have deteriorated with the lack of requirement for surface vessels – until now with the impending new carriers.

With the prospect of more work in the town we wish BAE Systems the best of luck for continual work in the shipbuilding industry.

MISS LORRAINE ROBINSON

Devon Street

Barrow

First published at 11:56, Saturday, 24 May 2008
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk