HMS Belfast took her place on the southern bank of the River Thames in 1971 and has since established herself as a London landmark. But she is not only just a huge name in London’s long list of world leading museums. She has also played a starring role in some iconic cultural moments of the last few decades.
Only Fools and Horses (and veteran warships)
As HMS Belfast now sits on the most north point of South East London, where else can we start but Only Fools and Horses? The show might be best known for Del Boy, Rodney and Uncle Albert, but did you know that HMS Belfast makes an appearance too?
In He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Uncle, Uncle Albert runs away from Mandela House. Del Boy and Rodney form an ad hoc search party, and head to HMS Belfast as part of their mission to find their man. Albert served in the Royal Navy, famously part of the crew on seven ships that were either bombed or torpedoed (including two in peacetime). HMS Belfast famously hit a mine in 1940, putting her war efforts on hold. Could she have been one of the many ships on which Albert served?
BBC's Outnumbered
“Dad, I’m going to blow up that big building over there.”
“Well, lots of bankers work there so no one will mind. Hang on, are you allowed up there?”
“Erm, no, I don’t think I am.”
“Well, get down then, come on.”
“What does HMS Belfast have to do with World War Two?”
“Well, it’s a large fighting ship of World War Two which has been turned into a museum about World War Two.”
“So, it’s all about World War Two?”
“Well, virtually all, yeah.”
“Well, which bits aren’t?”
“Well, there’s just a tiny bit about what happened to the ship after the end of the war.”
“I don’t want to see that.”
“Okay, fine.”
“Because I want to win the prize on best projects on World War Two.”
“Well, what is the prize?”
“It’s a trip on HMS Belfast.”
“But we’re on…”
“Mum, I need a wee now.”
“Ben, come down off that mast.”
Del Boy and Rodney aren’t the only comedy legends to see HMS Belfast. In series three of Outnumbered the Brockman family head on board HMS Belfast.
In the episode The Family Outing, we see them explore the Fo’sicle and take a trip up to the Captain’s Chair, which are still unmissable parts of any tour of the ship today. Hugh Dennis proves (as his character Pete, we’re sure) that a tour round the ship is just as exciting for adults as it is for kids when re-enacting a mayday operation.
Don't Tell the Bride
“The guests are arriving but there’s no Registrar.”
“Have you got a contact for Macy, your Registrar? Only I’m aware she’s now about 15 minutes late. To work out where she is.”
“You got the number for the Registrar? I’m gonna go and phone her, she’s late. You haven’t got it have you?”
“If the Registrar doesn’t make it soon there’s not going to be a wedding. But the bride is already at Westminster Pier. Rhianna’s going to make her entrance by motor launch.”
“You’re just at London Bridge now? Okay fantastic, okay, sure.”
“Is that Tower Bridge? I don’t know, there’s too many bridges, I’m so confused.”
“The Registrar is three minutes away but so is Rhianna.”
“She’s late but she’s coming now. As long as she makes it before Rhianna does.”
[Music]
“I can’t see if that’s them or not. That’s not coming this way is it?”
“Oh no, you’re not getting married on HMS Victory. Oh no, wait, what’s the boat called?”
[Screaming]
[Music]
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. This is insane. I thought we were just gonna go to a Registry Office or something. We’re on HMS Belfast.
[Applause]
[Music]
“I wanna go and get married.”
“The Registrar has made it on time.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, can I ask you all to stand for the entrance of the bride. “
“So, how’s the unusual venue going down with the guests?”
“I must admit, it was a huge surprise. I know Rhianna’s always thought nautical but this is taking it to the full on extreme.”
“Krispy Kremes, oh my god, oh my god. That’s the most amazing wedding cake I’ve ever seen. It looks like a mound.”
[Laughter]
“Let me show you.”
“Flower decorations are amazing, they’re gorgeous. Did you do all that?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Look at all this stuff in the back, look at this.”
“I know, it actually opens, look.”
“It’s like modern but nautical. You look up and you’ve got this crazy feeling, I love it. Oh, it’s so industrial and weird, I love it. Oh it’s so cute, it’s like a little ship’s cabin.”
“Like the 1940s.”
“Yeah, it’s like The Shining.”
“Talking of horror movies, what will she make of those mannequins? Turns out she’s a fan.”
[Applause]
[Music]
However, some will be most excited to see HMS Belfast appear as a wedding location in the nail biting, teeth grinding climax of Don’t Tell the Bride. The quarterdeck was in fact the venue for a particularly stressful wait for an unpunctual registrar, who unwittingly raced a bride taking a speedboat down to the ship from Westminster pier. Although, unsurprisingly, the ‘will she hate it’ factor of Don’t Tell the Bride was lost – who doesn’t love a visit to HMS Belfast?!
HMS Belfast has also been the backdrop to some particularly memorable music videos and performances over the years.
Children of the 1980’s might have forgotten about Kelly Marie’s It Feels Like I’m in Love but once you hear the opening bars, and see the dance routine in all its majesty, there’s nothing you can do to get it out your head. The fo’sicle provides an exceptional backdrop to some particular memorable moves in the introduction - you’ll never be able to hear the bells ring on board in the same way again.
Depeche Mode
"People are people, so why should it be?
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people, so why should it be?
You and I should get along so awfully
So, we're different colors and we're different creeds
And different people have different needs
It's obvious you hate me, though, I've done nothing wrong
I've never even met you, so, what could I have done?
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
People are people, so why should it be?
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people, so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
Help me understand
(Help me understand) help me understand
And now you're punching, and you're kicking, and you're shouting at me
I'm relying on your common decency
So far, it hasn't surfaced, but I'm sure it exists
It just takes a while to travel from your head to your fist (head to your fist)
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
People are people, so why should it be?
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people, so why should it be?
You and I should get along so awfully
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man."
In the same decade, Basildon’s finest electronic superstars, Depeche Mode, used HMS Belfast as the backdrop to their anthem People are People, and eagle eyed MTV viewers will have seen Dave Gahan stroll through the engine rooms, 15ft below deck.
We’ve also welcomed musicians on board to perform live. Over the decades we have had hip hop royalty when Eminem performed Toy Soldiers as part of a Top of the Pops special, while Madness made the trip down the Northern Line from Camden to perform to a select audience from the quarterdeck.
The name's Bond...
Daniel Craig: "How did I feel when I got the part? I felt great, I felt numb really, I don't think it has really sunk in, it's going to take some time for it to sink in. I felt that I needed....what I wanted to do was get on with it and make the best film that we can."
"No I don't think it has, I really don't think it has hit yet, I mean even driving down the Thames with the Royal Marines going at 60 miles per hour was fairly unreal."
(Interviewer: "Who would be your ideal Bond girl?") Daniel Craig: "You are going to have to ask them about that, I'm not going to get in to that really. I don't want to get in to that, they will decide and they are going to choose the best Bond girl. It's a brilliant part for an actress so that's what we want".
Q: "Would it be possible to say 'I'm Bond, James Bond' to the camera? " Daniel Craig: "No, not in a million years".
But it wasn’t just the small screen that was lit up by HMS Belfast. You can see HMS Belfast in a brief-but-we-like-to-think-crucial role during Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. While the Order accompany Harry through London on his trip to Grimmauld Place, they swoop down to the Thames and pass HMS Belfast on their way.
And Hollywood has come calling more than once! In 2005, Daniel Craig was announced as Bond. What could be more authentically 007 than boarding a speedboat at HMS Belfast as he was unveiled to the world as the latest actor to play the world’s most famous secret service agent?
A Killing Eve cameo
Bond is not the only undercover agent that has had HMS Belfast in their sights. Most recently the ship made her appearance the final episode of Killing Eve’s season three. What better way to end an award winning BBC drama, than a scene on Tower Bridge overlooking the ship in all her glory?
Political envoy
interviewer: "can we get a ringing of the bell?"
Jeremy Hunt: "yes sure" [bell rings] "ooh me goodness me are you alright? There we are, had a terrible moment there. Health and safety. Are you OK? yes okay now there we are, disaster averted, thank you. You got a bit more TV there than you were expecting! Got the chime in the middle, there we are."
HMS Belfast spent her post war years as a symbol of Britain’s new soft diplomacy, serving as a political envoy as she travelled across the globe. After she berthed on the Thames, she became the venue of visits from politicians, ambassadors and dignitaries from around the work.
One of her most famous political moments of recent years was when she hosted celebrations for London’s Olympic Games in 2012, during which a bell ringing mishap from then Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt was watched thousands of times.
World of Warships
Recently, the video game World of Warships included HMS Belfast on her roster of fighters. However, it soon became apparent that she was simply too strong! Statistics showed that it was over performing in competitive on-line battle modes – in short she was too much and taken off as an option to purchase on the game.
