This thread has reminded me, quite randomly, that on another thread dealing with our latest goal scoring sensation Scott Twine, the subject of Hovis Witnesses and doors in Nelson cropped up. Now I am sure local historians will correct me if I am wrong but I believe that the town of Nelson took its name from the Lord Nelson Inn which in turn was named after the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar. A few months ago I was drawn to watching an episode on the Channel 4 Series Britain’s Most Historic Towns. The episode was “Naval Portsmouth” and promised to explore the dark side of the Royal Navy in Pompey. As my old school was on the High Street in Portsmouth a short distance from the old dockyard and Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory I thought this would be an interesting watch. Of course the programme covered the role of the Royal Navy in the expansion of the British Empire and the protection of its colonies which in many cases produced great wealth reliant on the slave trade. The conclusion drawn by the programme was that Admiral Nelson should because of some personal ties and by virtue of his position in the Royal Navy should no longer be regarded as a national hero. I would beg to differ and I think the Nelson Society and many of those who have studied the life of Horatio Nelson in depth would differ. This is however not a new trend. There was a petition in Manchester a few years ago to remove statues relating to Robert Peel from public display on the grounds that his family had in the past approved of the slave trade. Shiver me timbers.