Old Sea Dog

Had a fantastic visit to the Mary Rose Exhibition in its wonderful new building in Portsmouth Dockyard this morning. This ship was Henry VIII's warship which sank in Portsmouth Harbour in 1545 The ship was raised from the ocean bed in 1982 (I think) and has spent many years being treated with Polyethelene Glycol to conserve the wooden timbers. We saw it about ten years ago when it was very wet and difficult to see as it was all behind polythene. Now it is being dried out gradually over the next four years and is beautifully presented behind glass in a brilliant new museum.

This is the skeleton of the ship's dog. He was found just outside the Master Carpenter's cabin. He is a male of a terrier/whippet type of between one and a half and two years old. Isn't it amazing that they know that? Considering that there was only half of the ship left preserved i the silt and mud, they have so many artefacts to display and have undertaken such precise research into the people and objects.

If you are ever in Portsmouth, do try to go to the exhibition. I had great fun trying out the "computer game type" activities. The whole experience was brilliant!