“YORKIE” Stout retires
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- Published on Friday, 24 February 2012 11:36
- Written by Super User
One of the Royal Navy’s finest, Petty Officer Tim “Yorkie” Stout retires this weekend after 30 years in the service – and he’s decided to walk home. All the way to Yorkshire.
This morning (Friday, February 23) Commodore Mike Wareham, the Naval Base Commander at HM Naval Base Clyde, presented Yorkie with his Valedictory Certificate from the Second Sea Lord and then the 47-year-old Marine Engineer started walking.
Also there to see him off from the Naval Base’s South Gate was Yorkie’s wife, Heather (49) and close family friends.
It is all in a good cause – Yorkie hopes to raise £100 for every year he’s been in the Royal Navy so that could be £3,000 for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
Friends and comrades from the different ships he has served on will be joining him at various sections of his walk and Heather will never be that far away in the family caravan.
Yorkie has spent a large part of his career in Scotland, at Faslane in the West and Rosyth in the East.
His ships include HMS Antrim, HMS Glasgow, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Dumbarton Castle, HMS Anglesey, HMS Shoreham, HMS Bangor and HMS Echo. He also spent a short time in Northern Ireland.
He says that although he hasn’t circumnavigated the world in a single go he has been “just about everywhere”.
His home in Queensbury near Halifax is in the heart of rugby league country but Yorkie states that since he made up his mind very early in life to join the Royal Navy he dedicated his sporting ambitions to rugby union and he has enjoyed a distinguished playing career.
When he’s walked the 252 miles, which he reckons will take him about two weeks, he’ll launch himself into his servicing and engineering caravan business.
He said: “I have had a great life in the Royal Navy and one that’s been full of surprises – I always liked Rosyth so I asked for a berth on one of the mine hunters over there. They put me on Ark Royal and I was off round the world.”
Commodore Wareham commented: “Dedicated career sailors like Yorkie have formed the backbone of the Royal Navy for countless years.
“I hope that he and Heather will enjoy a happy and successful life outside the service and I am sure that everyone still in uniform wishes them both all the very best. And I hope he doesn’t get too cold and wet walking all the way to Yorkshire.”
