"Furniture out of old warships,
It is really wonderful the variety of useful and artistic articles of furniture that can be made from the oak, teakwood, copper and lead taken from old war vessels after they have passed into the hands of the breakers.
I have just been perusing the new catalogue of Messrs. Hughes, Bolckow, of Blyth who, as is well known, specialise in this kind of work. The firm is now breaking up the old 'Britannia'. the eighth ship of that name in the British Navy, and one of the largest and among the last of the three-deckers. Her birth coincided with the transition perios - sail to steam - and this it came about that while she was on the stocks as a sailing ship it was decided to put engines and boilers into her, and she was lengthened for that purpose. When the vessel was launched at Portsmouth in 1860 she was christened 'Prince of Wales, but nine years later her engines were removed and she was converted into a training ship for naval cadets, taking the name of the ship she replaced, and it is noteworthy that the later Duke of Clarence and his brother George, now our gracious King, served in this ship as naval cadets. Some mementoes made from this interesting old vessel are beautifuuly illustrated in this catalogue, which also gives a three-colour view of the ship as she lay at Dartmouth, and also a picture of her leaving there on her voyage to Blyth. Messrs. G.F. Laybourne and Company, Collingwood Yard, Newcastle, have produced the catalogue, and it is certainly a fine example of the printer's art."

Several war memorials were created from timer from the Britannia, two examples of which are at Blyth B42.02 and at Neasham N56.02