Originally Posted by
jlemon
I see what appears to be the HMS Wellington moored across the street in the Thames with her deck guns apparently removed. I also note that "HMS" has been replaced with "HQS". Would you care to elaborate with regard to what "HQS" stands for, good sir?!
I will be driving along that very street in about 30 minutes !
It's the old navy ship Wellington, which has been tied up there as long as I've been in London, in fact a great deal longer. HMS is a British navy ship, it's not one of those any more so it's been unofficially called HQS for HeadQuarters Ship. It belongs to one of the City of London "Livery Companies", the one for those involved in the maritime world. Livery Companies (there's about 30) are hundreds of years old, there's one for every old trade, it's an Old Boys (mostly) club for social and business get-togethers at a high level, doing good charitable work, etc. Members nowadays (very much by invitation only, and a considerable honour) of this one will be key directors of major shipping companies (still lots based in London) and such like. There's a huge membership fee. Most have grand traditional buildings, although a number of these were unfortunately lost in WW2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Wellington
If you peek through the trees and over the rear decks of the Wellington in that picture, you can just see on the opposite shore of the Thames the building (the "Oxo" building) in whose restaurant on the top floor we had our wedding reception
, so the Wellington's opposite side appears in the far background of a number of our photos from then as well !