HMS Belfast lies proudly at her pier in the middle of the Thames, the only surviving British World War II warship. She was still in active service until 1965, and you can climb all over her nine decks, bridge and engine room for a taste of the sheer claustrophobia that is shipboard life. More than 950 men served on HMS Belfast; it must have been a very tight squeeze, and sheer murder for anyone over six feet tall. HMS Belfast is a cruiser, built on the eve of war in 1938, and it took part in the Normandy Landings. She was saved from the scrap heap in 1971 and turned into a floating museum in 1978, the first ship to be saved for the nation since Nelson’s HMS Victory. The onboard exhibitions are innovative, and they even have a “Kip on a Ship” program that’s enabled more than 5,500 children to spend a night on the vessel. The interiors are surprisingly well-furnished, more to do with the ship’s availability for private hire than the original décor, but it’s great fun to stroll the decks and imagine the waves crashing around you. Whatever the weather, take an extra layer. The wind whips up the Thames here, and the jetty to get to HMS Belfast is a long one.