Kids in Museum volunteer Rose Silvester has a foodie visit to the ss Great Britain in Bristol…
I visited the ss Great Britain recently to see their ‘Let’s dine!’ theme in action. My first reaction was that the admission charge was a bit expensive. But all events, trails and audio tours are included, plus unlimited return visits for one year, under-fives are free and the options are flexible and very family friendly. The staff are helpful and there’s loads here to keep all generations happy for hours. This is excellent value in my book, even if you only make one visit.
Back to the food theme… This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of the famous ‘Beeton’s Book of Household Management’. Mrs Beeton was the Victorian domestic goddess, only in her 20s when she wrote that book. So the ship’s galley kitchen has been revamped with a shouting cook, hissing cat and squeaking rats, piles of dirty dishes and Victorian delicacies. The family trails are beautifully designed and illustrated. There’s ‘The Captain’s Table Trail’, for under-sevens, and ‘The Floating Cook’s Trail’ for seven to 11-year olds. With stickers, scratch and sniff panel, and lots of jokes these are worth keeping after a visit. Exploring the ship below decks really brings home the challenge of feeding 600 passengers and crew on a long voyage.
Many of the special events link to ‘Let’s dine!’ too – ‘Gruesome Greens’ storytelling, ‘Crimean Troop Tucker’ re-enactors, visits by ‘Mrs Beeton’, trying foods from across the world or Victorian cuisine. Besides all that the ship is fabulous. You can see how it’s being conserved by going below a glass ‘sea’ and discover it’s incredible history in the dockyard museum. I really like how the volunteers and staff communicate their enthusiasm and pride. This ship is well loved and I loved it too.
