A councillor is campaiging to give the ship's bell of the HMS Ark Royal a permanent home in Leeds.
The bid follows the recent announcement that the ship, which shares a prestigious history with Leeds, will be decommissioned in a bid to cut costs as part of the government's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
The connection between the ship and Leeds goes back almost 70 years to 1941 when the city 'adopted' the third Ark Royal - a common occurrence during the war - just one week before it was torpedoed by a German submarine and sunk off Gibraltar with the remarkable tally of just one fatality.
Leeds residents then raised £9m for Ark Royal IV, the current Ark Royal's predecessor.
The fourth Ark Royal was granted the Freedom of Entry into the City in 1973 in a ceremony attended by The Queen. The ship's company have exercised their right to march through the streets of Leeds every two years since.
Conservative leads calls
Now a Conservative councillor is leading the calls for the ship's bell to have its final resting place in Leeds - a model of the Ark Royal already stands at the top of the main staircase in Leeds Civic Hall and a painted wooden panel in the banqueting suite displays its battle honours.
Roundhay councillor Valerie Kendall said:
"This close association, over many years, has meant a lot to both the citizens of Leeds and to the many members of the ship's company. It occurs to me that there would be no better or more honoured resting place for the Ship's Bell of the fifth Ark Royal, an important symbol of the life and times of a vessel, than here in Leeds.
"I will be asking Andrew Carter, leader of the council's Conservative group, to write to council leader Keith Wakefield, to see if we can explore the possibility of providing a permanent home for such an enduring symbol of the sacrifices made by our armed forces to protect our freedom.
"Should we be fortunate enough to secure the bell, I think the most fitting way to celebrate it would be to invite the ship's company to parade through the streets of Leeds one last time before they are dispersed when the ship is finally decommissioned."
What do you think? Would this be a fitting way for Leeds to mark its close association with the Ark? Have your say in the comments section below.
