City loses out to Belfast over Titanic centenary (From Daily Echo)

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Southampton loses out to Belfast over Titanic centenary

11:40am Wednesday 2nd November 2011 in Titanic News Photograph of the Author By Keith Hamilton, Shipping & Heritage Reporter

Belfast's Titanic Museum

Southampton has lost out to rival city Belfast in marking the centenary of the sinking of Titanic next year.

Both cities, each with a long maritime history and close connections with the ill-fated liner, are aiming to attract international attention when the 100th anniversary of the ship’s sinking is commemorated in April 2012.

Now it seems Belfast has clinched the prized top position with not only the construction of a major £97m visitor attraction dedicated to the White Star ship, but also by the announcement of a unique partnership between the Ulster city and the American deep-sea explorer who found the liner’s wreck in 1985.

Dr Robert Ballard, who, since his discovery, has become synonymous with the story of Titanic, has agreed to provide previously unseen material for an “ocean exploration and immersive theatre’’, which will form a major part of the attraction being built to overlook the slipway where Titanic was constructed in Belfast.

Among other things, Dr Ballard has offered unrivalled footage of Titanic’s wreck to be incorporated into a hi-tech interactive floor which will give visitors a unique “flyover’’ of the ship’s final resting place, as well as live links to future expeditions to unexplored areas of the seabed.

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More than 1,500 passengers and crew died after the ship hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic during its maiden voyage; 549 were from Southampton.

Announcing his partnership during a visit to Belfast, Dr Ballard said: “Titanic belongs to Belfast. I’m very pleased that the city which gave Titanic to the world will now be able to welcome the world to ‘Titanic Belfast’.

“Titanic’s story is infused with romance, pathos and glory, and there’s no better place to tell it than Belfast.’’ Meanwhile, Southampton City Council is pressing ahead with its £15m Sea City Museum which, it says, will focus on the hidden history of Titanic’s crew, and explore life in the Merchant Navy in the early part of the last century.

It is hoped that phase one of the museum, being developed in part of the Civic Centre, will be open for the centenary next year.

The Belfast attraction is a six-floor building which will house the world’s biggest Titanic exhibition, featuring nine interpretive and interactive galleries exploring the sights, sounds, smells and stories of the ship, as well as the city and people which made the liner.

The building will also house temporary exhibits, a 1,000-seat banqueting suite, education and community facilities, catering and retail space and a basement car park.

In addition to providing thousands of images, Dr Ballard is also providing “Titanic Belfast’’ with live links to his ongoing explorations. He also confirmed that he will be speaking at Titanic Belfast to mark the centenary of the ship’s loss next April.

“It’s a real thrill to be back in Belfast – Titanic Town – standing in the very spot where she was designed, built and fitted out,’’ said Dr Ballard. It’s also a great thrill to see the amazing new Titanic Belfast visitor attraction.”

Find out more about Titanic

You can find out more about Titanic and the disaster's impact on Southampton with the Daily Echo.

Throughout the coming months ahead of the centenary in April, we will be showcasing unique content in our Titanic mini-site.

In the meantime, you can discover key sites across the city relating to the tragedy, the latest news relating to the ship or even find out some of the key facts behind the vessel, her demise and the people who perished and survived, including a list of all the crew members and the locations of their homes in Southampton.

Comments(18)

Huffter says...
12:06pm Wed 2 Nov 11

Belfast deserves to have the right to celebrate building a ship that sank!