AFTER almost six months patrolling the not-especially-warm waters around the Falklands, the men and women of HMS Edinburgh finally had the chance to let their hair down in the ultimate party city.

The destroyer spent five days in Rio de Janeiro to give her ship’s company some rest and relaxation, and re-fuel and re-stock Edinburgh before she began the long journey home to Portsmouth.

Edinburgh is crewed by the ship’s company of HMS Exeter – and Exeter, back on patrol in the UK, conversely is crewed by Edinburgh’s ship’s company in a ‘sea swap’ initiative intended to keep ships in operational theatres longer.

Exeter’s sailors took charge of their slightly unusual surroundings (Edinburgh is longer, wider and more modern than Exeter) early this year and have been at the heart of Falklands 25 commemorations in the South Atlantic islands.

Those islands are now far behind Edinburgh (her duties have been assumed by sister HMS Southampton).

And after almost constant activity around the Falklands, it was only fair the sailors were given the chance to unwind.

Rio is on the shopping list of pretty much every sailor deployed to the South Atlantic, while trips to the sands of Copacabana, or the top of Sugar Loaf and Corcovado mountains are a must.

But so too is a visit to Casa Jimmy orphanage, a port of call for every RN/RFA vessel stopping off in Rio.

The home for street kids founded by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has benefitted from sailors’ handiwork for a decade.

And so it was that a party from Edinburgh arrived at the orphanage for two days of DIY tasks (although work was delayed by a lack of tools initially...).

The sailors erected a 30ft barbed wire fence on top of the existing wall to keep drug dealers at bay and installed electrical sockets and telephone connection points inside the orphanage.

Less well known is Casa Roger Turner, a relatively new addition to the numerous shelters and orphanages in Rio.

It takes its name from the former naval attaché in Brazil who was instrumental in encouraging British sailors to help the underprivileged youngsters of Rio.

Casa Roger Turner aims to keep Rio’s older teenagers off the streets and out of harm’s way. It now boasts a revamped stairwell, upstairs loos which are no longer blocked and improved electrical fittings thanks to Jack’s efforts.

Throughout Edinburgh’s deployment, the ship’s company raised money to buy stationery, clothes, electrical goods and other presents to give to the children of both institutions.

Alas, Rio could not last for ever and it was back to business as the ship departed, staging night and daytime exercises with the Brazilian Navy (Rio is the fleet’s principal base), including cross-decking – landing foreign helicopters on each other’s flight decks – and a search and rescue exercise, with ‘volunteers’ offering to leap into the South Atlantic to be picked up by Edinburgh’s Lynx.

There was no shortage of volunteers fancying a dip as the destroyer headed north and the waters grew warmer, prompting CO Paul Brown to authorise a hands to bathe – assisted by his marine engineering department who knocked up a plank as a launch platform for the swimmers.

Edinburgh is now on her way home to Portsmouth where, following some much-deserved leave, the sailors of Exeter and Edinburgh will again trade places, returning to their rightful ships.