Welcome to the website of the British Titanic Society.

The British Titanic Society was formed in 1987, and membership provides an opportunity for those interested in the history of the Titanic, the White Star Line and other ships of the classic era to further their knowledge and enjoyment of this fascinating subject.

The society is run by volunteers who are keen to encourage research and active participation, we are also completely independent of any commercial interests, and we have attracted substantial membership worldwide.

On this website you will find what the British Titanic Society does, and how to join.

This website has regular posts from Officers about Titanic and society news.

Please use the comment button below each post to leave us your views.

Scroll down to read the latest posts and news from the society.

We would like to wish all our members the very best for the coming year!

We would also congratulate Una Reilly, Chairman of the Belfast Titanic Society on her MBE for services to the Maritime and Industrial Heritage in Northern Ireland.  Una attended our Convention in Southampton in 2011 and we are delighted that she has been awarded this well deserved honour in the 2012 New Year’s Honours List.

This year marks the centenary of the loss of Titanic and our Convention in April will be themed on “A Time To Remember”.  Bookings for this event are very busy and we would advise all members to book now, to make sure they have their place at this once in a lifetime event.

The December 2011 issue of the Atlantic Daily Bulletin is in the final stages of preparation and will be posted in due course.

We have received the following from the Trustees of the Millvina Fund.

The Trustees of the Millvina Fund are pleased to announce that a garden honouring the memory of the final Titanic survivor, Millvina Dean, will be created and dedicated in time for Titanic’s 2012 centennial.

The Millvina Fund, originally created to assist with Millvina’s nursing home care costs, attracted donations from all over the world, including generous contributions from actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and film producer James Cameron.

When Millvina died, the Fund’s Trustees – Una Reilly of the Belfast Titanic Society, David Hill of the British Titanic Society and Charles Haas of the Titanic International Society in the USA, contacted all donors to request permission to modify the Fund’s purpose to permit creation of a permanent memorial tribute to Millvina, and all but a handful of donors agreed to the change, with donation refunds sent to those disagreeing.

The garden will be accorded a prime location adjacent to the main entrance of the new Sea City Museum now being constructed at Southampton’s Civic Centre. The Museum, which will tell Titanic’s story from the city’s unique local perspective to tens of thousands of annual visitors, will itself open in April 2012.

The Fund’s Trustees have worked in close cooperation with the Southampton City Council, with Cliff Brown, Parks Development Officer of the city’s Environment Directorate, and the city’s professional landscape designers to create a garden in the form of an ellipse surrounded by a privet hedge, accompanied by a wide variety of perennial flowers and shrubs known for their color, fragrance and varying visual textures. The hedge will enclose a grassy area, with two curved stone benches facing each other across the ellipse’s longest dimension, and in the center of the garden will be a granite plinth, dedicating the garden. On its sloping upper surface will appear the etched words,

THIS GARDEN IS DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF
MILLVINA DEAN
THE YOUNGEST AND FINAL TITANIC SURVIVOR
2 FEBRUARY 1912 – 31 MAY 2009
“HAVE A KIND HEART AND
A SENSE OF HUMOUR.”

Fittingly, the design for the stone’s shape, independently chosen by Southampton’s design team, echoes the shape of the stones for Titanic’s victims buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia, though the garden’s stone will be taller, at one meter (39”) high. Any funding remaining after actual construction costs have been met will endow a fund for periodic replantings and maintenance of the area.

The Millvina Fund’s Trustees feel this lovely permanent garden will be a fitting tribute to Millvina, very much in keeping with her preference for informality and her love of flowers, while adding beauty and a place for reflection and relaxation to her hometown and Titanic’s home port. They hope that museum visitors will take time to visit the garden and reflect upon Millvina’s long life, her cheerful personality and her love of people.

On Friday 19th November 2011, Karen, Nigel, Tim, held a meeting to discuss in detail the plans for the convention and other Society matters.  The scope of the meeting was very wide and was highly productive.

On Friday the 28th October 2011, Nigel Wright and Tim Silcocks travelled to Southampton to discuss the arrangements for the convention with the convention organizer from the hotel, Southampton Council, the Rector of St Mary’s, Julian Davies,  Sponsors and others. 

The trip was a great success and we plan to have a final one in the new year, prior to the convention.

The posters for the 2012 convention have now been finalised.

The convention poster will be displayed prominently at the convention, in the entrance foyer on the Saturday and our welcome desk, and other locations around the hotel. Delegates will receive in their welcome pack, a custom made postcard of the poster, which delegates can post at convention on Saturday the 14th.

Another version of the poster; an exhibition poster, has also been designed which just details the public events of the convention. This will be used to promote the Exhibition, Sales Fair and Lectures, which are to be held on Saturday. This poster will be displayed around Southampton, and the surrounding area.

We are extremely grateful to BTS member Stuart Williamson for the design of the poster.

A lecture will be given by Nigel Wright on Titanic at the Upton Twyver Probus Club, on Tuesday March 6th 2012.

The September 2011 issue of the Atlantic Daily Bulletin was posted out on  Wednesday the 19th of October.

This issue includes the booking form for the 2012 convention. 

We recently introduced the option for overseas members to pay their subscription by PayPal. This has been very successful, we have therefore decided to introduce this option for our UK members.

There is now a PayPal option on the membership page.

The society has been in discussion with a number of organizations and companies regarding sponsoring the society for convention 2012.

We have had a number of replies and below are details of our sponsors for convention 2012 who have agreed to have their details made public.

This list will be updated as our sponsorship grows.

We are extremely grateful to all our sponsors.

The De Vere Grand Harbour in Southampton has been our venue for our annual convention for the last few years.

The hotel is in an excellent location and it’s in-house facilities are perfect for our needs.

They have kindly donated a 3 Course Dinner for 2 people in the Number 5 restaurant plus overnight accommodation in a traditional bedroom at the De Vere Grand Harbour Hotel, Southampton

This is going to be one of the excellent prizes in our Grand Raffle at the British Titanic Societies’ Gala Dinner being held on Saturday the 14th April 2012, at the De Vere Grand Harbour hotel, Southampton.

In April 1912, A. Price & Co. Ltd, as the company was then known, was based in a small factory at Conybere Street, Birmingham.

Arthur Price and his employees were celebrating the business’ 10th anniversary with a recent commission to supply their premium quality cutlery for use on board the world’s newest and most opulent ocean liner the RMS Titanic.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Titanic’s fateful maiden voyage, Arthur Price of England has recreated the Panel Reed cutlery that was used in the First Class accommodation. Each knife features the ship owner, White Star Line’s famous logo on its blade just as they were originally.

The Titanic centennial edition comprises of 11 loose pieces of cutlery, as well as, gift boxed hostess pieces that include a cheese knife, pie knife and letter opener.

They have kindly donated an item from this range.

This is going to be one of the excellent prizes in our Grand Raffle at the British Titanic Societies’ Gala Dinner being held on Saturday the 14th April 2012, at the De Vere Grand Harbour hotel, Southampton.

The Grapes is one of Southampton’s most historic public houses, and this is where six crew members of the Titanic including three brothers, were drinking before setting sail and missed the ill-fated passage.

The Grapes serves a wide range of real ales, spirits and snacks, and the bar is decorated with photographs of Titanic.

Located in Oxford Street, they have four rooms available for visitors to the area.

They have kindly donated a night’s stay complete with a complimentary bottle of wine.

This is going to be one of the excellent prizes in our Grand Raffle at the British Titanic Societies’ Gala Dinner being held on Saturday the 14th April 2012, at the De Vere Grand Harbour hotel, Southampton.

The White Star Tavern, is named after the famous White Star Line, the British shipping company which owned RMS Titanic.

The White Star Tavern is in a historic building that has been central to the City’s maritime history for over a hundred years.

The White Star Tavern has recently enjoyed a return to its former use as a hotel. The building still retains a unique charm and elegance and is also home to a fashionable bar and restaurant.

Located in Oxford Street, they have rooms available for visitors to the area.

They have kindly donated a 1 night stay B&B.

This is going to be one of the excellent prizes in our Grand Raffle at the British Titanic Societies’ Gala Dinner being held on Saturday the 14th April 2012, at the De Vere Grand Harbour hotel, Southampton.

Royal Crown Derby were chosen to provide the china for the 1st class a’la carte restaurant on Titanic.

2011 sees the 100th anniversary of the launch of this ship and Royal Crown Derby are commemorating this event by reproducing the china pattern originally ordered in 1911 and holding an exhibition of the history of Titanic at the world famous Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre.

They have kindly donated a number of items from their Titanic range.

This is going to be one of the excellent prizes in our Grand Raffle at the British Titanic Societies’ Gala Dinner being held on Saturday the 14th April 2012, at the De Vere Grand Harbour hotel, Southampton.
 

The Grand Café is a venue steeped in history located within a Grade II listed building, South Western House. Once Southampton’s grandest hotel, it was used by first class passengers of the Titanic, and it’s history dates back to 1865.

On Sunday the 15th April 2012 they will have a “RMS Titanic 100 year Anniversary Commemorative Dinner” the food being based on dinner on Titanic.

The evening starts with a champagne reception to be held in the magnificent former foyer of the South Western Hotel.

The dinner menu will reflect the 11 course dinner menu of the evening of the 14th April, with a starter, main, dessert and cheese platter which will replicate the original dishes as near as possible and the other 7 courses will be represented by canapés and an amuse bouche.

During the evening, the Sarah Siddons Players will enact scenes on the stage and dance floor taken from that last night up on board Titanic.

They have kindly donated two places at this dinner.

This is going to be one of the excellent prizes in our Grand Raffle at the British Titanic Societies’ Gala Dinner being held on Saturday the 14th April 2012, at the De Vere Grand Harbour hotel, Southampton.