OT Recovering the "Great Britain"

[harry]

video.

[Chris Hogg]

Thank you for that, Harry. Marvellous bit of historical documentary. I was impressed by the amount of kit the salvage company had taken with them. Chains, hawsers, ropes, heavy timbers, welding kit, pumps, compressors, fuel, even plywood sheets and concrete. They had to be prepared for every eventuality, I suppose, and no doubt it was all based on experience.

The firm I use to work for had some old and semi-derelict buildings that they were going to dismantle and level. The buildings contained some massive pitch-pine* beams, don't know the size but 12" square section? maybe 15", don't know, but massive. They were salvaged and AIUI were used in the reconstruction once the SS Great Britain got back to Bristol.

• Pinus rigida, named pitch-pine because of its high resin content, not as I assumed, because it had been impregnated with pitch. The high resin content acted as a preservative to inhibit rot.

[whisky-dave]

Not forgeting Farage of course who's family were huguenots.

Bloody french bringing their bagettes over here !

[harry]

You ignorant f****r. The Great Britain is a steam ship.

[T i m]

And quite a shock that he should post something of real interest for a change! ;-)

It is.

Our family holidays were (haven't been on one for at least 10 years), for a phase, motorcycle camping round the country and we would try to explore any places of interest as we did so.

For a change, for a couple of years we took the folding caravan and awning (not folding camper or pop-up caravan) and daughter brought one of her friends.

We went to Cheddar Gorge and of course explored the caves and took a walk around the area ... and on another day, went into Bristol and went on / under the Great Britain (and up the docks on the passenger boat). ;-)

Our daughter really enjoyed exploring the ship, reading all the info points and discussing the things with us but her friend, not generally exposed to anything historic / cultural, was just running about looking for the rides and ice cream. ;-(

We (privately) felt sorry for her, that she didn't seem to have the opportunity to 'enjoy' all these sorts of things and I wonder if she has ever since remembered ... looked back on that trip and that experience?

It was a similar thing with our daughters first boyfriend. We took him with us doing what we considered pretty normal family stuff, like cycling (actually cycling somewhere, not just round the block), flying power kites or a trip round the estuary in an inflatable dinghy (a real one, not a beach toy) from Mums static holiday van and he was freaked out as we gently outboarded amongst all the boats out on their moorings (because he had never done anything like that before). ;-(

Even if I didn't *enjoy* [1] being taken to stuff as a kid by my parents (museums etc) I did at least appreciate the opportunity I was being given, tried to make the best of it and thanked them for doing so.

Cheers, T i m

[1] Particularly if said family trip took me away from whatever I was building / restoring / repairing at the time. ;-)

[harry]

You should also go and see Mary Rose, Victory, Warrior and Endeavour replica.

[T i m]

<snip>

Sounds like a nice day out in Portsmouth.

I wonder if that was in Chatham when we went there last to play on the subs and ships?

Bovingdon TM was also a good day out, as was the Muckleburgh Collection or even Duxford for that matter (depending on your interest).

It was funny when daughter was about 10 and standing with us on top of the Monument, looking over the Thames. An American couple sorta asked anyone who was listening if they knew the name of the Naval ship, moored in the Thames below. 'It's HMS Belfast' this little voice piped up 'and my Grandma and Grandad have stayed on her.' ;-)

Have you been to the Secret Nuclear Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch?

Cheers, T i m

[harry]

No, not been there. Tank Museum was good. I remember thinking how similar the King Tiger was to the Chieftain. Only fifty years sooner.

Science Museum is also excellent. Also Railway Museum in York.

[Bob Eager]

Did anyone mention Muckleburgh in Norfolk? We went there about 20 years ago, and must go again (it has a lot more stuff now, I hear).