BNI West One | Monthly Social Event

Every month, BNI West One engage in a social activity. The purpose is to foster deeper connection and relatedness within our group.

Our social events are always fun, last Friday’s Day out was exceptional.

We went out of London for the day and headed to Bristol for a guided tour of the famous Trans-Atlantic Ship The SS Great Britain.

The event was organised by Patrick with full logistics put together by Andrew. They both created a great intinerary.

First things first:

We all arrived at Paddington Station for 08:30 am for a 09:00am departure.

The journey lasted 90 minutes to Bristol Temple Meades. From there, we walked about 30 minutes to the Docks where the SS Great Britain is moored.

We were greeted by our Tour Guide Francis. I was very impressed with his knowledge and historical facts about this famous Ship.

Here are a few things I learnt.

The SS Great Britain enjoyed great trade from 1845 to 1854. She was the first ship of her kind, made of Iron, to cross the Atlantic in 14 days.

The Ship was designed by Isambard Brunel.

The Great Western Steamship Company operated the Trans Atlantic route between Bristol and New York. This ship operated on steam. I was keen to see the Engine Room and the massive Boilers that The Coal Gang would feed to keep a steady knots on the Atlantic Ocean crossing.

This Ship is quiet marvellous when you consider The Titanic was also driven by steam and attempted to cross the Atlantic in record time. We all know what happened.

The SS Great Britain puts into context how powerful The Industrial Revolution had progressed during The Victorian Era.

The ship featured accommodation for 360 passengers and 130 crew. (wiki facts).

I was very impressed with how well preserved Ship was. The Decking looked ready to welcome 21st Century Passengers. The Dinning Room looked magnificent.

The Cabin accommodations all looked impeccable.

The rooms where quite small with Bunk Beds and Private Bathrooms. I could imagine what the experience must have felt like. Marvellous on the one hand but I also felt conflicted by what happened to The RMS Titanic. Life on an Ocean Liner has its moments.

The Kitchen area was astonishing. It felt very specious and left me with the feeling of great activity while at sea. There is no doubt that the crew worked hard to service the needs of the passengers.

The last part of our Tour took us below the water line to see the Keel of the Ship and The Propellers.

This part of the Ship is considered Dry Dock. All of the water in this section would be pumped out before any structural work would be done on the Ship; like fitting The Propellers.

Our group photo below gives a real sense of scale.

This was the first part of our day.

We then headed off for our Lunch.

An epic Lunch it was.

End of Part 1

To be continued….