FISHERY protection ship HMS Severn broke off from her usual duties to spend five days in her affiliated city.

The ship is bonded with the Welsh port of Newport and despite her relatively short career, events involving cityfolk and the ship’s company are already annual affairs.

And that includes the opener of this visit... the junior rates’ social – a party “very well received”, so we’re told, by locals.

The down side of said social was the impact it had on the ship’s football team, who trotted out for their annual fixture against the civic council team somewhat the worse for wear – and promptly lost 11-1.

Several sailors plus CO Lt Cdr Graham Lovatt headed to TS Resolute, the city’s Sea Cadet unit, to watch a first-class display of drill and PT – particularly impressive as the unit has suffered a spate of burglaries and attacks by vandals (as reported in these pages) in recent months.

To help the cadets get back on their feet, Lt Cdr Lovatt handed over £560, raised by sponsoring the ship’s deputy marine engineer officer WO Dave Mantel for completing the London Marathon.

Severn arrived in Newport on the eve of the city’s civic weekend festivities, and helped open the event by hosting a reception aboard.

That was followed by the first chance for the ship’s company to exercise their freedom of the city awarded last year, marching through the heart of Newport to St Woolos Cathedral.

The visit also allowed the ship to adopt the mayor’s charity for its next 12 months of fundraising: Just One Child, which helps abandoned children in South Africa suffering from HIV and AIDS.