Royal Navy ditches toast:

[Admin]

.

Navy ditches toast to 'wives and sweethearts' for the first time in 200 years because there are now so many women at sea.

The Saturday night tradition has been scrapped by the Ministry of Defence
Traditionalists blast decision, calling the change 'unnecessary'

LINK 1: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346330/Navy-ditches-toast-wives-sweethearts-time-200-years-women-sea.html

LINK 2: www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/defence/article3797833.ece

[Admin]

The Toasts of the Royal Navy were a set of traditional drinking toasts:

Sunday "Absent Friends"

Monday "Our Ships at Sea"

Tuesday "Our Sailors"

Wednesday "Ourselves" (As no-one else is likely to concern themselves with our welfare!)

Thursday "A Bloody War or a Sickly Season"

Friday "A Willing Foe and Sea-Room"

Saturday "Our Families"

The words in brackets were understood but unspoken, though often those not toasting would have said them in response. By tradition, these toasts were proposed immediately after the loyal toast, on the relevant day of the week.

While most of these toasts are self-explanatory, "a bloody war or a sickly season" refers to the desire and likelihood of being promoted when many people die: during war or sickness. The Navy traditionally makes the loyal toast seated, due to the evident danger of low deck heads on wooden sailing ships.