Memories have come flooding back in recent months for former sailors who served in HMS Diamond.

They have been watching with interest the progress of the new class of Type 45 destroyers, which bear some of the names of the eight Daring-class sisters, which were Daring, Dainty, Duchess, Decoy, Defender, Delight, Diana and Diamond.

A group from HMS Diamond also met up to recall the challenge of the Beira Bucket, a sporting trophy for ships on Beira patrol which they could hang from the yard-arm.

The Beira patrol prevented oil from getting to what was then Rhodesia, on the East coast of Africa.

To carry on the tradition of the Beira Bucket, a smaller version was created which is presented each year to a different member of the HMS Diamond Association in memory of their time on the destroyer, and to keep the memory alive of former colleagues who have died.

Members of the Association are looking forward to welcoming new members from the latest HMS Diamond - and remind those sailors who talk of ships needing 'hard' names that there is nothing harder in nature than a diamond.