Trafalgar Day

A service was held at Nelson Monument along Portsdown Hill to commemorate Trafalgar Day.

Transcript

00:00 My name is Jane Smith and I'm a member of the Nelson Society.

00:04 Jane, tell me where we are and what we're doing here this morning.

00:07 We're at the Nelson Monument which is on Portsdown Hill

00:10 and this monument is essentially a sea mark

00:14 but also a commemorative monument to Lord Nelson

00:17 and his death at the Battle of Trafalgar

00:20 and also the death of all the men who died at the same time.

00:23 And tell me about the Boson's Call.

00:28 Yes, during the service one of the ratings will sound the Boson's Call

00:35 and play the 'Be Still' which is an old order for people to stand to attention

00:43 and then afterwards he sounds the 'Get Going' really

00:49 to say they can return to duty

00:51 and this is very appropriate for this particular service.

00:55 It's authentic to the period.

00:59 Sometimes they've had a bugler playing last post.

01:01 Well, the last post wasn't written in 1805

01:05 so that's always an anachronism.

01:07 So the Nelson Society particularly are very keen to hear the Boson's Call

01:12 and to think that we're sort of going back to the 18th century as we should do.