A video recorder, cassette tapes and tupperware from the 1980s wouldn't usually be on a birthday list.

But that's exactly what the team at The Historic Dockyard Chatham has asked for to mark the 60th anniversary of HMS Ocelot.

The submarine turns 60 on May 5 and on Saturday, May 7, there will be a special birthday party at the Dockyard.

The guests will include some of the submariners who spent extended times at sea on the Cold War vessel, as well as the men and women who built and maintained her at Chatham.

Tales of the submarine will be told on board throughout the year – and that's why the Dockyard wanted to find some specific items that will form part of the displays inside Ocelot.

They asked for things from the 1980s and very early 1990s because that's the last era Ocelot served – she was decommissioned in 1991. Dockyard visitors will see her as she was during her last commission - with the sights and sounds of the time.

With a few weeks to go until Ocelot's 60th birthday, the Dockyard posted the1980s themed birthday present list to its Facebook page.

On the wishlist was; two video cassette recorders, two cathode ray tube televisions, 20 video cassette tapes or cases, a car audio player and 1980s food containers.

James Morgan, heritage engineering and historic ships manager, said: “We were overwhelmed by the positive support and thank our supporters for their donations – we hope they enjoy seeing them on show when they view Ocelot this coming year.

"However, we are still on the look out for a car radio with cassette tape player from the 1980s.”

Meanwhile, a team of staff and volunteers has begun the task of making Ocelot look her best before her big day.

Six staff and four volunteers, armed with 320 litres of paint will spend the next three weeks giving the 73m-long vessel a make-over and painting her vast metal skin, with the help of a cherry picker.

It is estimated the team will carry out more than 400 hours of cleaning in total.

Launched in 1962, Ocelot was one of 57 submarines built at Chatham from 1908 to 1966. Construction began on November 17, 1960.

She was the last warship built at Chatham for the Royal Navy and was on duty as a spy submarine during the Cold War until she was decommissioned in 1991.

Equipped with a stealthy diesel engine and electric motors , Oberon class submarines such as Ocelot made perfect surveillance vessels and were selected to undertake often covert missions.

The Ministry of Defence has yet to release in-depth papers relating to the specific operations and campaigns that Ocelot was involved in, however the fairly routine navigational records of her logs provide an overall idea of her history during the Cold War.

After being commissioned on January 5, 1964, Ocelot joined the Third Submarine Squadron based at HMNB Clyde at Faslane.

It is known that in the first three years of commission Ocelot sailed more than 90,000 miles, engaged in exercises and trials around the Clyde and Londonderry areas as well as in the Mediterranean, and the cold waters of the Baltic in 1965.

During the 1960s Ocelot, like many of the other O-Boats, was heavily involved in trialling submarine equipment, and in particular, contributed to important work testing Mark 24 torpedoes.

Despite the secrets of her missions remaining hidden to this day, it is known that Ocelot carried out NATO exercises during this period.

The submarine was built to accommodate 69 men and life on board was crowded.

There are many stories of how the men lived and one favourite story for children who visit Ocelot is to hear about how the submariners were unable to shower, bath or do laundry since all the fresh water was needed for drinking and cooking.

The men would often just wear their pants but, as they were unable to wash them, they wore them one way for a week, then wore them back to front for the next week, the following two weeks the underwear was turned inside out.

Ocelot paid off – when a ship reaches the end of her commission – at Chatham Dockyard in August 1991 having been on active service for the Royal Navy for 27 years.

You can take a virtual tour of Ocelot here.

To mark the 60th anniversary of Ocelot, the Dockyard is offering free access to all former and currently serving Royal Navy submariners and ex-dockyard workforce, along with their families. To find out more, click here.