The ‘Cockers P’ parties have been hosted on board Navy ships since the time of Admiral Nelson. Officers entertain guests with the customary drink of a horse’s neck – a mix of brandy, ginger ale and Angostura bitters, garnished with the curl of lemon peel from which it gets its name. Prince's commando training Commanders insist the parties have an important role to play in unofficial foreign policy. They say foreign VIPs, which can include ministers, officials and councillors, are impressed by British ships and talk more freely than they might in more formal settings. There is also a morale-boosting...