|
Continuing a great tradition
with Nonesuch News
|
|
April
2006 THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF ISAMBARD
KINGDOM BRUNEL the visionary and brilliant engineer
who conceived the idea of the Steamship Great Britain and
much more.
As a contribution to the celebration of the life of Brunel
Nonesuchinfo is launching three Features about the
Steamship Great Britain, designed by Brunel, and launched
in Bristol, England in 1843. It is with thanks to the foresight
of marine engineering consultant Dr. Ewan Corlett and an extraordinary
salvage operation in 1970 that the Steamship Great Britain
was saved . It is now one of the most fascinating museums
in the United Kingdom
|
 |
| ISAMBARD
KINGDOM BRUNEL AND THE STEAMSHIP GREAT BRITAIN |
| THE
TEAM WHO SAVED THE SS GREAT BRITAIN SOON |
| THE
SALVAGE OF THE SS GREAT BRITAIN SOON |
|
| August
2005 CHAMPION OF THE VICTORIAN STEAMSHIP GREAT BRITAIN |
| EWAN
CORLETT AND THE SS GREAT BRITAIN |
|
|
|
It
is with immense sadness that Nonesuch News learnt of the death of
Ewan Corlett on Monday August 8th 2005. The Reverend Dr. Ewan Corlett
as he became known in his retirement was responsible for the first
steps towards saving the Victorian Steamship Great Britain. |
| Montevideo
, Uruguay , May 1970.
Ewan Corlett was at the dockside to inspect the hulk on its way from
the Falkland Islands/ Islas Malvinas to Bristol [England]. |
| July
2005 RE-LAUNCH OF THE SS GREAT BRITAIN |
| Isambard
Kingdom Brunel, the Steamship Great Britain and the City of Bristol
in England are names that will be linked forever. On July 19th 2005
the SS Great Britain was formally 're-launched' after major restoration
lasting over thirty years. The 'Britain' as the ship is known affectionately
was built in this dock in Bristol and launched from it on July 19th
1843. After an eventful life as an active vessel, the 'Britain' arrived
in the Falkland Islands / Islas Malvinas in 1886 disabled by a storm
and shifting cargo .After being declared a wreck the 'Britain' remained
in the Islands until a salvage operation was mounted in 1970. The
ship was towed on a pontoon to Avonmouth the port for Bristol early
in 1970 and returned to the original dock also on July 19th of the
same year . More of this story will be told in a Nonesuchinfo feature.
|
 |
 |
WITH
GREAT CARE
The restoration has been made with great care for detail that gives
some idea of the grand design created by Brunel in the early years
of Victorian enterprise.
Here
the restored stern with gallery windows is under the gilded Coat
of Arms [armas / escudo] of the City of Bristol. The emblem
dating from the 16th century links a flourishing maritime tradition
with the strength of the city. The central image is flanked by two
unicorns and depicts a sailing ship leaving the safety of Bristol
castle.
Unicorns
are legendary beasts with the body of a horse bearing a single,
long, straight horn. They were reputed to have medicinal purposes.
|
|
The
SS Great Britain is open to to the Public and a dockside museum
tells the story of the ship
|
|
June
2005
A BRISTOL ROAD IN INDIA
Pusegaon,
Maharashtra State, INDIA A
new road in the small town of Pusegaon has been named "THE
BRISTOL ROAD" to commemorate the historic reunion in late 2000
of three members of the team of six graduates from the Bristol University
Trans-Continental Expedition [1960-1961] England
and friends they made in Pusegaon in 1960. Back in Bristol the University
Vice Chancellor was Chairman of the Finance Committee and The Rt.
Hon The Lord Mayor of Bristol was the expedition Patron so support
from the City was exceptional. Apart from studies in India and later
in Bolivia the team had a mission to carriy the Bristol name to
many countries around the world . The recently named Bristol Road
in Puseagon is close to the traditional 'Government Bungalow' where
the team lived for two months late in 1960. As Balasahib Jadhav
a member of the Reunion 2000 Steering Committee in India said when
he sent the picture ' you wouldn't recognise the old road today'.
|
| '
you wouldn't recognise the old road today' |
|
 |
OCTOBER
1960 Here some of the team are in the garden of
the Government Bungalow with three students from the
High School. The students were fascinated by one of the two Expedition
vehicles, an Austin Gipsy provided by an agent in Bristol. Malcolm
McKernan is typing notes [seated left], Peter Krinks is explaining
the route from Bristol to India and Mark Howell [right] is
recording the conversation for a TV film backed by TWW [Television
Wales and West] the regional Independent Televison producer at the
time. The Puseagon Archive on Nonesuchinfo has the
story of the Reunion 2000 and copies of the feature reports Malcolm
McKernansent to the Western Daily Press in Bristol [England]
The
team left Pusegaon late in December 1960 and drove south before
crossing to Sri Lanka [then Ceylon] and continuing by sea to Singapore
|
| Footnote
Mark
Howell was one of the two founder members of the Trans Continental
Expedition and the only Bristolian on the epic journey. Later he was
one of the two founders of Nonesuch Expeditions [see ABOUT NONESUCH]. Mark
was unable to join the reunion trip through ill-health and he
died in December 2002. Apart from extensive travels in South America
with Nonesuch Expeditions during the 1960's Mark had lived all his
life in Bristol. A short account of his event-filled career will be
published by Nonesuchinfo |
|
If
any reader would like to add information or suggest corrections,
please send an e-mail to the editor
|
|
editor@nonesuchinfo.info
|
|
All
the material in Nonesuchinfo News may be downloaded
free of charge for personal education and research purposes.
A credit must be given to Nonesuchinfo or individual
authors. For all other uses including those by charities or
not-for-profit organisations please apply to
|
|
info@nonesuchinfo.info
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
