Crew share memories of the Royal Yacht Britannia

The eleventh of December 1997 is a day that everyone who has ever served on the Royal Yacht Britannia remembers.

It was the day Britannia was decommissioned at an emotional ceremony attended by Her Majesty The Queen and most of the other members of the Royal family.

For the crew it meant the end of a unique way of life. Richard Jones has the last of our special reports from their annual reunion.

The other two parts of our special series about the Royal Yacht Britannia:

Part 1: Back to work for former crew of Royal Yacht Britannia

Part 2: Life below decks on the Royal Yacht Britannia

The second in a series about the annual return of former crew members of the Royal Yacht Britannia who go back to work on board her for a week each year.

The former crew members follow the routines they once had - eating the food they used to, and returning to the messes where they once socialised with their crewmates.

The yacht served the royal family for more than forty years and travelled more than a million miles around the globe. Her maiden voyage was from Portsmouth to Malta. Many of her crew over the years have come from Hampshire. They organise an annual gathering in Portsmouth.

Britannia is now moored in Edinburgh. Here is Richard Jones with part two of his special series of reports.

How many of us would go back to the place we once worked to work again - and this time pay for the privilege?

That's what former crew members from the Royal Yacht Britannia do for a week once a year. It's a sign of just how special it was to be a sailor aboard a ship which served the nation for more than 40 years.

Richard Jones joined them - exclusively on board - and this is the first of three special reports this week.