The Times 1906

[khymerion]

Admiral Randvaror stepped in through the hatchway to the flag bridge and the captain of the ship gave him a quick salute.  He nodded to it and proceeded to the window overlooking the bow.

"I assume you read the morning dispatch..."
"Yes Admiral, almost as soon as it came in."
"And your oppinion?"
"Odd that we are still excluded from most considerations... but in light of the past, it is understandable..."
"And you are not opposed to being bottled up in the North Atlantic?"
"Asvaldr, are we really bottled up there?  We ring their petty island with ports, repair years, and fueling stations...   we can base ourselves anywhere around there and not have to worry about their channel and its taxes...  so, why are you asking me about this?"
"Just an observation really.  While we don't require their permission to move, it still would have been interesting to have been included... but, bad blood I guess exists."
"Bad blood indeed, sir."
"Now... lets put aside this idle talk and get back to running our squadron."
The captain gave the large admiral a nod and began the morning reports.

[Earl822]

May 1st
The Times

The White Star Line has announced that it has ordered 3 new Liners for the Southampton-New York run, which while they are not as fast as the Mercury of the Cunard line, will offer far greater reliability, greater safety, and a far smoother ride. The first 2 ships Olympic & Titanic will be laid down at the start of Next month in Harland & Wolf's yard in Glasgow.

May 12th
The Times

Lloyds has announced that since the Government withdrew its threat to close the Dover Straits to all shipping that refused to pay tolls, the number of merchant vessels arriving in ports in Britain has actually increased, with significant increases in exports of Coal from Cardiff & the Tyne docks and in manufactured goods from Liverpool.

[Walter]

Hmmm...
Olympic and Titanic...
... Which way will that go in Navalism?
... How evil are you? :)

[Earl822]

Evil enough ;D

[maddox]

I like the way of thinking.


Hands are already moving icebergs

[Walter]

More or less... with Evil I was thinking:

Titanic + Olympic = Large scale Conspiracy.

[khymerion]

Heck, just a chance to think of them both in all their specticle is enough to want to see them completed... and to stay afloat this time.

[Earl822]

Stay afloat, thats no fun. Now, do I have a Warship called HMS Hawke.

EDIT:

Yes I do, good ;D

[Earl822]

June 1st
The Times

The Cunard Line has organised the Early Launch of the their New Liner Lusitania at the John Brown & Clydebank Yard in Glasgow. The Company has gone on record as stating that the Ship will now be ready for trials in 12months time, and to be ready for its maiden voyage in September of 1907. The ship, being built as a follow on to the Majestic, alongside its sister ship, Mauretania, are slated as being faster than the Majestic, and its half sister Magnificent, and are promised to take the Blue Riband.

[Earl822]

June 15th
The Times

The Institute of Civil Engineers has announced that it is going to send a team of experts, who recently worked on the Manchester Ship canal, to the Grand Canal, as the first stage of a plan by the institute to encourage Norman Engineering Companies to send teams, and equiptment to work on the canal project.

July 1st

The Admiralty has ordered that the former ACM ships that sank owing to disrepair in the reserve fleet anchorage in portsmouth, to be raised in September, and to be prepared for collection by a scrap merchant, latter in the year.

July 12th

Before breaking for the Summer Recess, the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel has announced that their will be a General Election on the 1st of December 1906. He has also taken the opportunity to announce his resignation as Prime Minister, handing over to his Deputy, David Lloyd-George.

[Borys]

late Spring 1908

The "moving house" across the Atlantic to the Old Country proved more troublesoe than expected. Thus the Powers That Be of the (United) Normans have decided to focus on internal matters and grafting the Nation Together once again. There are rumours that the HM Gov't would not be above selling off some of the more outlying and exotic possessions as to focus on the "core" of the Empire. Specifially to the Staunch Aly, France. Other, equally well informed sources rubbished such news as "got air" and "idle speculation". Particulary in light of France istself having had shed various exotic holdings.

[Borys]

late spring 1908
It seems that our Staunch Ally, the French, have shown disenteresement in the Bahamas. However, the CSA Ambassador has been seen coming and going from the Foreign Ministry with a frequency never seen before.

[Borys]

So - Sir Geofrey de Basquerville turned to the translatlantic Norman, Johnny-Lee Sackville - you were saying that  ...

[Borys]

July 1908 - Portsmouth

Watching a boat race, the Habsburg Naval Attache Joseph "Giuseppe" Mandini is making small talk with Normann Navy officers.
- The papers are saying something about a reorganisation of your army. Of course, I know nothing of such things. But I do know that that the Heer, the army as it is called in my country, reorganised itself a couple of years ago. The dust eaters brought down peacetime strenght, apparently. Maybe your guys contact could contact our guys for some tips?