MORE than 20 years ago, Barrow shipyard was treated to a royal visit as Diana, Princess of Wales, oversaw the commissioning of Britain's first Trident submarine.
The Princess, who was responsible for naming the sub HMS Vanguard, was the guest of honour in a ceremony held at Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering in Barrow on August 14, 1993. She toured the submarine, met crew members and she also enjoyed a special lunch to mark the occasion in a marquee next to Devonshire Dock Hall.
A small number of protesters from anti-Trident peace groups tried to disrupt proceedings but police managed to keep things under control as the sub was commissioned without a hitch.
The Vanguard-class of ballistic missile submarines entered service in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, with an intended service life of 25 years.
HMS Vanguard , which weighs 16,000 tonnes, is set to be decommissioned with Successor-class submarines set to be built as part of the UK's Trident submarine programme, which was backed by MPs last month.
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NOSTALGIA: Construction of shipyard's Devonshire Dock Hall 30 years ago
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