Westbury and District U3A held their first general meeting of 2016 on Tuesday 12th January.
The hall was packed as Ian Caskie from SS Great Britain gave a talk about the ship’s history entitled ‘From Launch to Relaunch’. The audience were treated to a history of the ship from inception to launch, the many ‘lives’ the ship had whilst sailing the seas, use as a floating warehouse, scuttling at the Falkland Islands and eventual rescue and restoration and relaunch as a museum at Bristol Docks.
Designed and built in Bristol by Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company, SS Great Britain was launched in 1843 by Prince Albert, only to spend the next year trapped in the harbour, leaving after the alterations to enlarge the entrance were completed.
When launched the ship was the first to have an iron hull, the largest and fastest ship in the world besides being the first to have a propeller rather than paddles.
Sailing from Liverpool the ship served the transatlantic route to New York until in 1846 the ship was run aground in Dundrum Bay, Northern Ireland and was not retrieved for nearly a year. Sold in 1850 to Gibbs Bright and Co the SS Great Britain was adapted, and transported immigrants to Australia. Other passengers included the first English cricket team to travel to Australia, and the ship took soldiers to the Crimean War in 1856.
The final voyage to Melbourne was in 1875 after which the ship was sold again and after being fully converted to sail transported coal to San Francisco.
The ship’s working life ended in 1933 after which SS Great Britain became a floating warehouse, and in 1937 was eventually scuttled in Sparrow Cove, Falkland Islands.
Rescued in 1969 and towed home to Bristol from the Falkland Islands on a pontoon, the ship arrived back in Bristol in 1970 and is said to have groaned with relief at finally arriving home. Since then restoration has been a continual process. Not only have the decks been fully restored to show aspects of the accommodation available during various stages of the ship’s working life, but a great deal of work has been undertaken to halt any further damage by salts to the hull.
Today, fundraising continues, and the ship has many thousands of visitors each year, including possibly, later this year, a group of Westbury and District U3A members.
In the meantime do join us for our next meeting on Tuesday 9th February in the United Reformed Church Hall, please arrive in plenty of time to settle before our start at 2.00pm.
