CONSIDERING it’s rather a long walk to the sea from here, Worcester has a considerable connection to things maritime. And I’m not particularly talking about the days when it was a thriving inland port with a steady flow of traffic up the river Severn from Bristol or the time a raiding party of Vikings suddenly appeared out of the mists in their oceangoing longboat, with one getting captured and having his skin nailed to the north door of the cathedral for his troubles.

No, we are referring to that excellent band of brothers and sisters, the members of the Worcester Unit of the Sea Cadet Corps, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

If you wander along the riverside at Diglis, you will no doubt be familiar with the unit’s boating station by the side of the water, which it has maintained for more than 30 years.

However, its secluded site brought problems with iffy towpath lighting and vandalism, so two years ago the main headquarters was moved to new premises in Great Western Avenue, off Midland Road, in the heart of the city, where there are excellent facilities, including a fine parade room.

With the parades, the naval activities and the uniform, anyone could be forgiven for thinking this is a recruiting arm for the Royal Navy, but that’s by no means the case and these days, only a minority of cadets go into the Services.

“We are very much aligned with other youth organisations and what the Sea Cadets do is provide self-discipline, determination, character building and teamwork,”

said petty officer Jon Hunt.

“These are useful attributes in all walks of life.”

The origins of Sea Cadets date back to the Crimean War when sailors returning home from the campaign formed Naval Lads Brigades to help those orphans, created by the conflict, who ended up on the back streets of sea ports.

The first brigade was established at Whitstable in 1854. By 1899, Sea Cadets received royal recognition when Queen Victoria presented the Windsor unit with £10 for uniforms – an event now known as the birthday of the Sea Cadets – celebrated each year on June 25.

Even today, cadets joining the Worcester unit do not have to pay for their uniforms. These are supplied, as is any other equipment they might need.

One of the most prominent supporters of the organisation was philanthropist Lord Nuffield, who was born plain William Morris in the Comer Gardens area of Worcester and went on to become one of the fathers of the British motor industry.

His donation of £50,000 enabled the Sea Cadets nationally to expand and by the outbreak of the Second World War, there were 100 units around the UK supporting 10,000 cadets with training in seafaring skills.

Among them was the newly formed Worcester unit, which started in the autumn of 1937. As the Second World War took hold, the Navy League purchased an old sailing vessel TS (Training Ship) Bounty, on which the Bounty Boys, as they became known, undertook pre-Service training with thousands going on to active service.

In recognition of the contribution these brave young people made to the war effort, officers of the Sea Cadets still wear the wavy lace insignia of the wartime Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve.

The Admiralty was so impressed it took over the training and in 1942, with King George VI as Admiral, the movement adopted Sea Cadet Corps as its name.

In the same year, the Girls Naval Training Corps was formed, but this ceased to exist as a separate body in 1980 and since then, girls have been an integral part of the Sea Cadet Corps at Worcester.

For several years after the war the home of the unit was a former motor torpedo boat, renamed Worcester, which had taken part in the D-Day Landings and was loaned to the Sea Cadets by the Admiralty in 1947.

It was moored near the Grandstand Hotel at Pitchcroft.

However, by 1958, the old girl had become infested with dry rot and was in danger of sinking because of the wash from passing river craft.

So it was decided to ask the Admiralty to dispose of her, a matter which apparently involved much red tape and led the unit’s commander, Lieut-Commander G E Langley, to observe: “If I had known how many forms I would have to fill in, I would have preferred to go down with her.”

This and many other magic memories of life with Worcester Sea Cadets over the last 75 years will be on display when the unit celebrates its anniversary with an open day and party on Saturday, October 13, at its headquarters.

Everyone is welcome to drop in, whether connected with the corps or not, and see what goes on in the Sea Cadets now.

A life on the ocean wave might be some nautical miles away, but you can bet everything will be shipshape and Bristol fashion.