AUTUMN promises treats for grandparents and scary storytelling for children at Brunel’s ss Great Britain.
There is plenty to do to keep the family entertained at the multi award-winning Bristol attraction. Visitors descend under the glass 'sea', before stepping back in time in the Dockyard Museum, and experiencing what life was like for Victorian passengers and crew.
On October 4 visitors celebrate ‘Grandparent’s Day’. Grandparents on a visit to Brunel’s ss Great Britain, accompanied by their grandchildren, can take advantage of free ‘tea for two’ in the Dockyard Café Bar!
During the October half-term school holiday visitors can discover ss Great Britain’s weird and horrible past with the ‘Horrid Torrid Tales Trails’ – aimed at those aged seven and over (October 24 to November 1). Mr Brunel adds a little class during his visits to the ship throughout the holiday (except October 28).
And for the braver visitor there is the ‘Ratcatcher’s Halloween’ (October 31 and November 1). Professional storyteller Sarah Mooney boards the country’s spookiest ship (according to Living TV’s ‘Most Haunted’), as a ratcatcher to recount gruesome tales. Visitors of all ages will also receive free blood-curdling drinks.
Rats featured heavily in every-day life of the ship’s passengers and crew, with diary entries from even First Class passengers complaining about rats nibbling on their toenails [see Rat File].
Interpretation and Informal Education Officer for Brunel’s ss Great Britain, Claire Champion, commented: “This autumn is going to be great fun for visitors, from grandparents, enjoying their Grandparent’s Day treat, to families discovering the yuckier side of ship life through trails, and children celebrating Halloween with the ‘Ratcatcher’ storyteller. They will be disgusted and they will be scared… especially of the rats!”
All daytime events and audio companions (including Sinbad the Ship’s Cat for children) are included in admission. With tickets giving FREE unlimited return visits for a year, Brunel’s ss Great Britain is excellent value for money! Family tickets include two adults, and three children, and under-fives are free. New for 2009, are the ‘grandparent’ and ‘mini’ family tickets – also ideal for childminders.
• There are just a few more days to back Brunel’s ss Great Britain in the British Travel Awards 2009 before voting closes on September 30. To support Brunel’s ss Great Britain please go to the www.ssgreatbritain.org home page and click on the links!
SHIP’S RAT FILE (taken from passenger diaries):
Passenger: Allan Gilmour
Journey: Liverpool to Australia 1852 (3rd Class)
October 5, 1852: ‘We are now beginning to be annoyed by the rats, which are now pretty numerous and are to be heard during the night scurrying about the Mess Room and making a great noise.’ October 8, 1852: ‘Several of the passengers in our cabin have been annoyed by rats, which even at times have come into their beds. Tonight we were awoke by a lady screaming who being awake saw a rat walking the partition above her head.’
Passenger: Olcher Fedden
Journey: 1852 (1st class)
October 24, 1852: ‘A vile rat ran up my curtains at the head, on to my bed, down my body and into a partition of the next state room. I again woke the doctor. We were very nervous having had a visit from the gents [the rats] before and lost our socks.’
Passenger: Susan Mary Crompton
Journey: Melbourne to Liverpool 1866 (1st class)
June 24, 1866: ‘We are beginning to see the rats. One came into my cabin the other night as I was going to bed, I jumped onto the berth and waited till Joe came down, then he & one of the stewards had a grand hunt but the gentleman escaped through a hole. Mrs Fenwick was wakened by one biting her toe nails & Jane Cuming has had a new stocking eaten by another.’ July 15, 1866: ‘We have not seen any rats lately, but today they have been very troublesome, this evening I was by myself in the cabin so I began to read aloud to frighten them but one did not mind the noise, and came close to me; I can’t bear the creatures and the ship swarms with them.’ ‘
Passenger: Mother Mary Paul Mulquin
Journey: 1873(1st class)
‘The captain tells a droll story of a rat running up his beard (a bushy article indeed) while he was unmolested.’
Passenger: Anna-Maria Georgiana Bright
Journey: 1875 (1st class)
September 6, 1875: ‘..when she was in bed, in the middle of the night she heard something nibbling & put out her hand & found she had got hold of a rat!! – and finished the night walking about the saloon.’
For further information, pictures or interviews please call the ss Great Britain Trust’s Head of Marketing & Communications Dagmar Smeed on 0117 926 0680 ext 219. Journalists can receive up-to-date news alerts by registering on-line at www.ssgreatbritain.org.
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