"A spectacular day": Amazing pictures from fun-filled families day at Gosport Royal Navy base HMS Sultan

Children of all ages had an action-packed afternoon at the Military Road Royal Navy base in Gosport. Birds of prey, a petting zoo, “Soak-a-sailor”, adult and child friendly inflatables, steam waggon rides and the spectacular Tigers Motorcycle Display Team were just some of the activities on offer.

HMS Sultan’s Commanding Officer, Captain Mark Hamilton, said: “Today’s Families Day perfectly captures what makes HMS Sultan so special - our people and the incredible support of their families. This year has seen our personnel achieve remarkable things, from delivering world-class engineering training to making significant contributions to our local community through various outreach programmes.

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“Events like this remind us that behind every skilled engineer and technician we train here is a family who supports their journey. Their sacrifice and understanding enables our personnel to focus on becoming the innovative, professional engineers our Royal Navy needs. I’m immensely grateful for their continued support and delighted we can celebrate together today. I’m also hugely grateful for the support from our sponsors and charities that have made this year’s event such a success.”

This year’s HMS Sultan families day is an annual event which brings together personnel from across the establishment and their invited guests. Thanks to the support of charities and sponsors, the day also offers personnel and their families an opportunity to learn about the support available to them from service charities and organisations.

Event organiser LPT Harrison Utton-Smith said: “It’s been fantastic to see so many families come together for what has truly been a spectacular day. The variety of activities and entertainment on offer meant there was something for everyone to enjoy, from the youngest children to the adults. Seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter across the sports field has made all the planning and preparation worthwhile”