Wednesday 31 August 2011

The SS Great Britain

If you don't visit any other attraction in Bristol, you must see this one - amazing!
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Under the water - what on earth water is that - find out soon
This iron caisson keeps the water from the harbour out of the dry dock
SS Gt Britain's hull





corrosion on the hull
In 1937 SS Gt Britain was scuttled off the Falkland Islands and for 33 years was used the islanders as a wool warehouse - it was accessed at high tide via a cut-away at deck level which eventually split the ship's hull (2" at the bottom and 18" at the top) and these plates were bolted in place to enable the ship to be raised off the sea bed and brought back to Bristol
These are the feet that I could see in the second picture - Community Payback people are cleaning the glass which covers the dry dock under the ship
a dramatic ship against a rather dramatic sky
The original mast

The Foremast Top - part of the foremast which would have been about 65' (20mtrs) above the ship's weather deck
SS Gt Britain's original rudder
View towards Cumberland Basin from the prow of SS Gt Britain
The weather deck
the dock-side
with trunks and supplies waiting to be loaded
Down into the ship - to the First Class accommodation of course
The Captain Mathews and his First Officer discuss the day's duties in the Captain's State Room
The Chief Steward's Cabin
Officers travelling on the SS Gt Britain (1855) would have been allocated First Class accommodation 
The ships surgeon
The Galley
Fish or pork chops?
and jelly or cake for dessert?
The Promenade Saloon - first class passenger cabins line the sides - each cabin has two bunks and a wash basin
and has a private area for women only
The ship's prow - I would have loved to have climbed up there to look down through those windows
There are cabins tucked into every available space - the bunks are about 20" wide
A (barber) passenger sets himself up for business in his cabin
A family room - 4 bunks
The Heads (ships toilet) and one of the few bathrooms

First Class Dining Saloon
All sorts of entertainment when on in the saloon, concerts, amateur theatrics etc
Ships stores
Mulligatawny Soup to start followed by Roasted Veal - all from a couple of tins!
In Steerage
the cheapest accommodation on board
on SS Gt Britain is located on the lower decks in the foreword end
Many a baby would have been born on these long voyages
A cat-fight
Steerage passengers had to live close to their neighbours - it would have been hot, noisy, and smelly and people would 'fall-out' regularly
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The ships engine was not working on the day I visited - the engineer standing there looks rather small in relation to the large cogs

Stoking the ships engines must have been a hard, hot task

In the Hold - the 57th Regiment of Foot 1855 kept their horses, stores and equipment
During the long voyages the hold would hold live animals (sheep, pigs, fowl etc) for food plus the food for those animals, plus everything else for passengers comfort
looking up at the prow
and along the dockside
the very elegant
and impressive stern
SS Matthew seen from the deck of Gt Britain
and Rock n Roll across the harbour
and upstream
To me this is quite wondrous - showing how everything and everyone had space in the ship
I do love this sort of picture.  The guide book on sale is well worth buying.

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