The crew of Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal has welcomed a group of ex-shipbuilders back onboard the vessel 25 years after they helped to build it.

While the ship was alongside in Newcastle, former employees at Tyneside's Swan Hunter yard were invited to take a tour and share stories of their time working on the Fleet flagship back when it was commissioned in 1985.

Many of those who visited had not seen the ship since she originally left the slipway and several arrived with photographs and other mementos of their time working on Ark Royal.

"It's fantastic to be back again and see so many old faces," said Lawrence Gray, a skilled carpenter who carved the ship's battle honours board.  "For the Ark to be home is just wonderful. When we were building her we worked on the understanding that this wasn't just another job. We were building something special, not only a warship but a happy home for those who serve at sea."  

Similar sentiments were echoed throughout the day with so many former Swan Hunter employees arriving to see the ship that extra tours were arranged to ensure that all could be accommodated.

The ship's visit coincides with A&P Tyne, located just across the river from Swan Hunter, cutting the first batch of steel for the HMS Queen Elizabeth, the carrier that will eventually replace ‘The Mighty Ark.'