AGM 2026 – After Action Report

This year’s AGM was yet again well attended my members and their other halves. Minutes will be circulated in due course but in brief the annual business of approving accounts, appointing trustees and so on went to plan. We heard from our President, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope and our Chairman, Rear Admiral Jon Westbrook plus reports on the Submarine Online Book of Remembrance and website. Matthew Sheldon, Chief Executive of Royal Navy Museums, spoke of the challenges the museum was facing, the future and the reasons behind the rebranding.

We were delighted that Dame Caroline Dinenage MP and Councillor Zoe Huggins BEM, Leader of Gosport Council, both spoke of their strong support for our museum and for submarine heritage more generally. David Parry read a poem from his book Deep Thoughts and encouraged people to buy it as Christmas presents. All proceeds are shared between Friends and Friends of the Holbrook Submarine Museum.

The formal business over Dr James Jinks, the co-author of The Silent Deep spoke with passion and deep insight into the current state of the submarine service and what the future looks like, he also spoke about his forthcoming books on the story behind our Bomb and on Britain’s last fighting admiral, Sandy Woodward. In your Editor’s view it was the best talk we have had in many years and he then stayed behind to chat to everyone over the customary red, white or buffet!

Next year the AGM will be on 17 September 2027.