Cecil Brown

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Cecil Brown

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Name: Cecil Brown
Avatar: Commodore Phil Waterhouse
Age: 67
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Marital Status: Single

Party: Conservative
Primary Tribe: Free Enterprise Group
Secondary Tribes: Red Tories, Tory Reform Group
Brexit Position: Leave - Passionate Brexiteer
Constituency: Thurrock
Year Elected: 2017
Education: Royal Naval College
Career: Royal Navy, former Commanding Officer, HMS. Endurance, Former Naval Attaché to the Republics of Argentina and Chile, Former Deputy Commissioner for the British Antarctic Territory.
Political Career: N/A

Timeline:

1952: Born
1970: Accepted as a Cadet in the Royal Naval College
1971: Commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant, Assigned to HMS. Blake
1973: Re-Assigned to HMS. Hydra, Promoted to Lieutenant
1975: Re-Assigned to HMS. Herald
1978: Re-Assigned to HMS. Hecla
1980: Re-Assigned to HMS. Endurance, Promoted to Lieutenant Commander
1981: Assigned as Executive Officer, HMS. Endurance [White Paper recommended her decommissioning, expectation that the ship would be decommed]
1982: Falklands War
1985: Assigned as Commanding Officer, HMS. Endurance, Promoted to Commander
1989: HMS. Endurance damaged by iceberg, re-assigned as British Naval Attaché to the British Antarctic Territory
1994: Re-Assigned as Naval Attaché to the Republic of Argentina, Promoted to Captain
2000: Re-Assigned as Naval Attaché to the Republic of Chile
2004: Retires from Royal Navy at the rank of Commodore, Employed at the Ministry of Defense in a Civilian Capacity
2007: Re-Assigned to the FCO, Polar Regions Department, Deputy Head
2011: Appointed as Head of the Polar Regions Department
2011: Appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to be Deputy Commissioner for the British Antarctic Territory
2015: Retires from the FCO
2017: Stands for Parliament for Thurrock, Elected MP for Thurrock

Extended Bio:

Cecil was born to Robert and Matilda Brown. His father was an officer in the Royal Navy assigned to arctic research and exploration, continuing the family tradition for generations of being arctic explorers within the Royal Navy. His mother also had a keen interest in science, and held a degree in her own right as a Marine Biologist, sharing her husband’s keen interest for arctic exploration. While Matilda was not widely respected within her field being one of the early female Marine Biologists, Cecil’s father nevertheless supported her endeavors and gave her the respect that so many others would not.

Cecil’s parents' love for arctic exploration and marine biology was infectious, and even from an early age, Cecil dreamed of following in his family’s footsteps and continuing to explore “the final frontier” on earth. He immersed himself in any books he could find about the early arctic explorations. When he was 12, his mother and father arranged for him to visit the Halley Research Station which fueled his passion for the arctic even further. Committed to following in his family’s footsteps, he devoted the next several years towards mastering the art of sailing. Encouraged by his father, Cecil took instantly to the water, starting from operating a small skiff to the family’s sailboat, and later took to the canals and rivers of Great Britain in narrowboats.

Through the waterways, Cecil further developed a love for the landscape, nature, and breathtaking beauty of the United Kingdom. As soon as he turned 18, Cecil entered the Royal Navy College, making his father proud in fulfilling his ambitions. In the Royal Navy College, Cecil soon discovered that he did not care for women in the same way as others, and was far more inclined to men. Not wishing to place his dreams of being an arctic explorer in jeopardy, Cecil repressed his sexuality, focusing himself on his studies and furthering his sailing abilities.

Cecil quickly gained a reputation for being the “loveable eccentric” of his class, going so far as to avoid any means of transport other than boats whenever possible, even when it added significant amounts of time to his journeys. He would frequently host friends on his boats, and enjoyed going on “conservation tours” with them.

Upon his graduation and commissioning, Cecil was disappointed to know that his request for an assignment in the Falklands or the Arctic was not heeded as he found himself assigned to the Frigate HMS. Blake mostly operating in the Mediterranean Sea. After putting in his time on Blake, Cecil finally got the re-assignment he wanted to the HMS. Hydra, a deep ocean hydrographic survey vessel. Although the vessel was not assigned to the Arctic, Cecil had finally realized his goal of being on a vessel with the primary purpose of scientific discovery and exploration.

Cecil finally got his arctic assignment when he was reassigned to HMS. Hecla, primarily stationed in the Falklands, but providing support for the Royal Navy in the Antarctic Ocean, ultimately culminating in his assignment as Executive Officer of the Royal Navy’s Icebreaker HMS. Endurance. Endurance was truly the assignment he had always dreamed of, being able to not only explore the desolate areas of the Antarctic Ocean that few people had ever seen. Unfortunately, his experience of peacetime exploration would be cut short by the Falklands War, though it would ultimately have a positive effect on the remainder of his career as the Royal Navy came to learn the strategic significance of having an Icebreaker remain on station in the arctic.

During the Falklands War, the role of Endurance changed from a support ship to a more active combat role, ferrying Royal Marines around the Falklands, and even engaging in combat action against the Argentine submarine Santa Fe with their Wasp ASW helicopters. Cecil also got the unique opportunity to meet with famed wild-life film-makers Cindy Buxton and Annie Price when Endurance rescued them from South Georgia during the war. Cecil frequently remembers fondly the dinners they shared together in the Officer’s Mess.

At the end of the Falklands war, the Royal Navy recognized the importance of maintaining a naval presence in the Falklands and in the Antarctic Ocean generally, and scrapped plans to decommission Endurance. After “flying the flag” around the Falklands for several months, Endurance returned to its support role in the Antarctic Ocean.

In 1985, the famed Captain Nicholas Barker, CO of Endurance, was reassigned as Commander of the Fishery Protection Squadron, and Cecil finally achieved his dream of becoming Commanding Officer of Endurance. In his role as CO, Cecil found more and more of his day taken up with matters of diplomacy, rather than his role in maintaining ship operations which was his focus when he was Executive Officer. Despite still having duties as skipper of Endurance, Cecil quickly discovered that much of his duties were liaising between the FCO, particularly the administration of the British Antarctic Territory, the Government of the Falklands, the research stations in Antarctica, and the Governments of Argentina and Chile.

Cecil’s command of the Spanish language improved quickly through study and application, and Cecil made early inroads with the recently democratically elected Government of Argentina to restore relations between to skeptical countries through greater joint cooperation, when possible, with the Argentinian Navy in ensuring safe passage through the Antarctic Ice. He also made efforts to coordinate with the Republic of Chile. While the FCO was initially skeptical of his attempt to make inroads and seemed annoyed that the naval Commander was exceeding his authority and jurisdiction, some of the personal connections he was able to make ended up proving invaluable to the FCO and the efforts to provide greater stability to the Falklands region.

As the years went by, Endurance continued to face maintenance problems. Its operations as an icebreaker resulted in considerable stress on the ship’s hull and ship’s systems. Continued malfunctions made its crew frequently refer to it as HMS Encumbrance. While its crew and captain made their best efforts to keep the ship optimally operational, the problems came to a head when Endurance struck an iceberg, rendering the Endurance damaged beyond repair. A Board of Inquiry cleared the Captain and its crew of any negligence, faulting the technical breakdown of the ship for the accident. Endurance was struck from active service and, after a successful lobbying attempt by Cecil and his allies in the FCO/Falklands Government, a replacement icebreaker was commissioned, who would carry on the name Endurance.

Cecil’s fate would not be to return to active sea command however, as the Royal Navy and the FCO had other plans for him. Cecil was instead assigned as Naval Attaché to the British Antarctic Territory. Being able to devote significantly more time to diplomatic outreach, Cecil worked to continue diplomatic inroads and cooperation between Argentina, Chile, and the British Government, and also worked hard to ensure better cooperation and communication between the Royal Navy and the Governments of the Falklands and the BAT. Cecil also took the lessons learned from the Falklands War to take steps to ensure that the Royal Navy would be better prepared to deal with any future engagement in the Antarctic area.

Impressed by his work with the BAT, the Royal Navy, with the recommendation of the FCO, appointed Captain Cecil as the Naval Attaché to the Republic of Argentina. Despite his many inroads in Argentinian Government, Cecil found that the Government still remained very hostile towards the United Kingdom and still bore animosity over the Falklands. Realizing that this bridge could not be easily repaired, Cecil focused his efforts on strengthening and initiating joint support operations whenever possible to ensure safe shipping and civil information sharing. While he only achieved limited success, the seeds of goodwill that were planted were greatly appreciated by the Ambassador and the FCO.

In 2000, Cecil was reassigned as Naval Attaché to the Republic of Chile, where he was able to achieve far more success in multilateral cooperation with a Government less hostile towards the United Kingdom. In 2004, Cecil retired from the Royal Navy and was promoted to the rank of Commodore. Following his retirement, Cecil joined the Ministry of Defense in a civilian capacity working in the office concerned with oceanic exploration. After a few years at MoD, his friends in the FCO successfully encouraged him to join the Polar Regions Department of the FCO as Deputy Head.

In the Polar Regions Department, Cecil was able to live his dream of promoting Antarctic Conservation, Antarctic and Oceanic Research, and a greater partnership with the Royal Navy. After the retirement of his boss, Cecil was promoted as Head of the Polar Regions Department and, with this promotion, was given the customary appointment by Her Majesty the Queen as Deputy Commissioner for the British Antarctic Territory. This was a title Cecil cherished, bringing a golden capstone to his service and passion to the Antarctic Territory and his family’s legacy as Antarctic explorers.

During his tenure at the FCO, Cecil’s reputation as the “charming eccentric” continued as he frequently made the commute from his home in Tilbury to London via his various collection of watercraft, including a skiff, a sailboat, a speedboat, and his bowrider. He also frequently was known to be seen in the various narrowboat canals throughout the greater London area on his very own narrowboat, which he lived in for a time. Among his small flotilla of ships includes a small fishing trawler that he regularly leases out to a fisherman, but occasionally ventures into the English Channel to enjoy some fishing from time to time.

In 2015, Cecil retired from the FCO and used his retirement to focus more on his passion for sailing. Cecil started an informal training program for youth interested in learning how to sail, and hoped to foster his passion for sailing and conservation with tomorrow’s leaders. This endeared him to the local community, and the program received wide public support.

In 2016, Cecil campaigned strongly for the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, even going so far as to paint his narrowboat with an advertisement for leaving the EU and re-asserting British Sovereignty. Dismayed at the subsequent failure of the Government to deliver Brexit and the attempts by some to overturn the result of the 2016 referendum, Cecil felt duty bound to stand in the 2017 Parliamentary election after the retirement of Jackie Doyle-Price. Cecil’s connection to the local community, as well as his extensive service in the Royal Navy, resulted in his selection to the constituency where he won the election by a narrow majority.

In Parliament, Cecil has remained committed to conservation and oceanic/arctic exploration. In many areas, he resides comfortably within the right-wing of the party, particularly in his views on military intervention, Brexit, and fiscal responsibility. In other areas, however, he has often embraced the Cameron “move to the centre” on social issues, particularly LGTBQ+ rights. Cecil rebelled and voted against the first May deal, only to relent to ultimately vote with the Government on her later withdrawal agreement stating “This isn’t the Brexit we wanted, but it’s the only way to get Brexit done” noting his concern that if the deal wasn’t agreed to, there was an unacceptable risk that Brexit might not happen at all.

Cecil has continued to maintain his reputation of a “charming eccentric” in Parliament, frequently making the commute to Westminster by boat, and often mooring not far from Westminster on the river Thames. He is also a passionate narrowboat enthusiast, who is known to host events on his narrowboats, and has even held certain constituency surgeries in The Port of Tilbury. Cecil frequently wears ties with a “quirky Antarctic theme” in Parliament, including ties with Penguins, Icebergs, Naval Exploration Ships, and a tie bearing the seal of the British Antarctic Territory.
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Re: Cecil Brown

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Cecil's "Armada":

Cecil takes great pride in his small "fleet" of boats. He lovingly refers to them as his "Armada", although all ships are civilian in nature and have no armaments. All of the boats are also used as part of his program to train interested youth in the art of sailing, therefore, many of his craft are lent out to those taking advantage of the study program. Cecil generally wears his Royal Navy uniform while traversing the waters on one of his boats.

Freedom - Peeler Skiff

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Freedom is a small motor skiff assembled by Cecil himself. It is a 15 ft motor boat with a standard capacity of four adults.

Length: 4.6 m (15′2″)
Beam: 1.9 m (6′ 3″)

Wanderer - Sailboat

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Despite her relatively small size, Wanderer is a hardy sailboat capable of long-range ocean voyages. This boat is most frequently used by Cecil when training people interested in learning the art of sailing, and he has been known to take Wanderer out on long-range voyages from time to time.

Length: 8.56m
Beam: 2.72m

Voyager - Pebbles 3.4 Speedboat

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Cecil primarily uses Voyager to traverse the Thames between Tilbury and London, and uses it as his primary method of commuting to Parliament. Its small size makes it fast and its hull design provides needed stability for navigating the Thames. Due to its small size, however, it can only accommodate a small number of passengers and/or cargo.

Length: 11ft 2in (3.4m)
Beam: 4ft 9in (1.5m)
Max Speed: 30 Knots

Endurance - VR5 Bowrider

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A homage to his former command, Endurance is as prized and beloved as its namesake and is the "flagship" of Cecil's "flotilla". With a passenger capacity of 8, Cecil primarily uses this boat for fishing, entertaining, and for longer voyages with a range too far for his other motor boats.

Length: 20'4"
Beam: 8'0"
Max Speed: 40 Knots

Pride of Antarctica - Traditional Narrowboat

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Pride of Antarctica is Cecil's pride and joy, a traditional narrowboat generally moored in London for easier access to the UK Canal System. While the narrowboat can (and sometimes does) operate on the Thames, Cecil tends to reserve the use of the narrowboat for the canals where it is more suited to traverse. On late nights in Parliament when he does not want to traverse long distances in the dark on his speedboat, Cecil will spend the night in his narrowboat instead moored in Little Venice where he owns a slip. Little Venice is also conveniently close to Westminster, only a short walk away from the Warwick Avenue Tube Station on the Bakerloo line. Cecil often calls Pride of Antarctica his "home away from home". During the Brexit referendum, Cecil had his boat painted with leave campaign advertisements. Following some acts of vandalism while moored in London, Cecil has painted the boat back to its original paint job.

Cecil frequently hosts engagements and parties on his narrowboat, and often remarks about how much more affordable narrowboat living is in London compared to regular housing. During periods of recesses or weekends, Pride of Antarctica can often be found undocked from her slip in London and travelling throughout the UK canal system.

Photos of the interior of Pride of Antarctica:

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Re: Cecil Brown

Post by Sir Arthur S. Stanley (CON) »

Love this so much.
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Re: Cecil Brown

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Signing out. I want to be clear that it's not because of what happened today or as some sort of "protest". I just need to take a few steps back for my (remaining bits of) sanity, personal, and work life. I will hand over all the materials I've been working on to my successor and Croft so that they are able to continue/edit my work as they see fit. I'm sure I'll be back sometime in the future when I'm in a better frame of mind.
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Re: Cecil Brown

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I blame Speaker Bercow for this, but I'm going to be signing back in with this character.
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Re: Cecil Brown

Post by Sir Dylan Macmillan »

Welcome back! <3
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Re: Cecil Brown

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Signing out again, this time because I'm a drunken idiot lol
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Re: Cecil Brown

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Signing back in
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Re: Cecil Brown

Post by Andrew Lam »

Woo!
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