HMS York comes home

After 27 years patrolling the oceans of the world, the Royal Navy's Type 42 destroyer HMS York is visiting the region as it prepares to bid farewell.

Affiliated to the City of York, the 5200-tonne HMS York has come to the natural end of her working life in the navy and will decommission from service in Portsmouth later this month.

A celebration of HMS York's long and illustrious career within the Royal Navy, the visit begins when the ship sails into Hull's King George Dock this evening.

For some crew, this is also a home coming visit, with members of the ship's company from Hull and the surrounding area, as well as North Yorkshire.

A number of the crew will journey to York on Friday to make the final preparations for the Freedom parade, while invited guests and dignitaries will visit the ship for a lunch and evening reception. On Saturday the ship's company will travel to York to exercise their Freedom of Entry to the City for the final time.

The parade will form near York Minster at 11am and will be welcomed and inspected by City of York Council's Lord Mayor, Councillor Keith Hyman.

The parade concludes at 12 noon having returned to Duncombe Place when there will be a fly past made by the ship's own Lynx helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, before the crew is invited to an official civic reception at the Mansion House. Normally based in Yeovilton, when not at sea with the ship, the helicopter will make her home at Imphal Barracks for the weekend.

On Sunday 16 September the ship will open her gangway to the public, so visitors can explore the ship, discover more about her equipment and speak to the men and women who have sailed with her.