crows nest

[JanL]

I watched the remembrance concert last night from Royal Albert Hall and I was expecting to see the youngest seaman climbing up the crows nest but it didn;t happen. My husband reckons it has never been on the remembrance concert but I thought it was so can anyone tell me when this event takes place. I remember watching it years ago and was so sure it was at this one

[SeaJayPea]

Wasn't that in the Royal Tournament?

[sddsddean]

The 'button boy' used to climb to the top of the mast at the training ship 'HMS Ganges'. Famously seen on Blue Peter when John Noakes (who else!) got the task of climbing to the top, but he couldn't do the last 6 feet to the button on top of the mast, so was shown up by a 16 year old cadet...not that I could have done it!!!

[sddsddean]

Theres a photo of the cadets manning the mast here
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http: //www.burrill12.freeserve.co.uk/shotley/shotK1 406.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.burrill12.freeser ve.co.uk/shotley/hmsganges.htm&h=300&w=400&sz= 27&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=NORalYCOZCGL3M:&t bnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhms%2Bgange s%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26cr%3Dcount ryUK%257CcountryGB%26sa%3DG%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe% 3DISO-8859-1

[shero101]

I am sure I heard on a recent repeat of John Noakes climbing the mast that it is no longer performed due to health and safety reasons.

[Octavius]

Seajay is right, the �climbing the rigging display� was always an element of the Royal Tournament which ended in 1999 after 120 years.

[sddsddean]

The one at The Royal Tournament was the window ladder display.
http://admin.royalnavy.mod.uk/server?show=ConM ediaFile.29576&outputFormat=print

[JanL]

Thanks for all your answers but I was sure it was the Rememberance service on a Saturday night. I suppose I must have got confused but I just recall that there would be a marching band and my mother used to say how smart they were - the best in the world, and then the little button boy would come in, usually dressed in a really old style navy outfit and climb up to the crows nest, and then all the poppies would fall down over the people. Very moving and I just thought all this was at the same ceremony