“We have sighted Lands End and shall be in by dinner time.” This would be heard on a Royal Navy ship heading to home after a long deployment at sea. Lands end refers to the farthest point west on the British Island.

The point is on the western most point on the Penwith Peninsula in Cornwall England. In reality there is a point in Scotland that is farther west, but since this point was on the way to Portsmouth, it was given the name.

Both naval and merchant shipping headed to Portsmouth from the west would spy Lands End and know they were almost home.