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.

As a part of our Centenary year wreath laying programme, we are planning to lay a wreath on the grave of Titanic’s Third Officer Herbert John Pitman MBE.

Pitman’s grave is located at St Leonard’s, Church Lane, Mill Lane off A359, Pitcombe, Somerset, BA10 0PE

 We invite members to join with Nigel Wright, in laying the society’s wreath at 10am on Saturday the 4^th August 2012.

Officers will meet shortly to discuss feedback from Convention 2012, and also discuss details for Convention 2013.

Details for Convention 2013 will appear here, and in the Atlantic Daily Bulletin, in due course.

British Titanic Society member Mike Peach, kindly agreed to represent the society at the events held at Lichfield, to mark the centenary.

Here are a selection of the photographs he took.

Mike’s report of the event will appear in the June 2012 edition of the Atlantic Daily Bulletin.

 

THE MILLVINA FUND

Administrators:

Charles A.Haas

David Hill

Una Reilly

OPENING OF THE MILLVINA DEAN MEMORIAL GARDEN.

 

The Administrators of the Millvina Fund are pleased to announce that the opening of the Millvina Dean Memorial Garden, in Southampton, will take place at 2.00pm on Thursday, 31^st May 2012.

The Mayor of Southampton will be in attendance, as will members of Millvina’s family. The Garden will be blessed by the vicar of St. Mary’s, the Reverend Julian Davies.

The ceremony will be brief and simple, as we feel Millvina would wish.

Any BTS Members wishing to attend will be very welcome.

The Garden is situated to the left of the entrance to the SeaCity Museum.

The Garden has been created with close co-operation between the Fund and Southampton City Council.

Millvian Dean was the youngest, and final, survivor of the TITANIC disaster.  She sailed from Southampton aboard the ill-fated ship on 10^th April 1912 with her mother, father and brother. Millvina, her mother and her brother were saved, her father was lost.

For years she attended Titanic functions and Society meetings, both here and overseas, until lack of mobility prevented her from travelling in her latter years.

She was the Honorary President of The British Titanic Society.

She was universally loved as a kind, compassionate lady with a great interest in people. She had a lively mind and a keen sense of humour.

Millvina died on 31^st May 2009, the ninety-eighth anniversary of the launch of Titanic.

After a Memorial Service to her in Copythorne Church on 24^th October 2009, her ashes were scattered on the waters of Berth 44, from where the Titanic sailed in 1912.

 

Here are a few photographs of the convention 2012 so far.  Please email into us any photos you have for inclusion here – info@britishtitanicsociety.com

Note – We do not have any restriction on how many photos we can display here.

 

We have just returned from a fantastic convention in Southampton.

We are now busy preparing a report for the June Atlantic Daily Bulletin, but we have already received a number of feedback questionnaires from delegates and here are a selection of comments from them.

I was so impressed with how well organized it all was – well done!

The organisation of this event is outstanding  I persuaded a friend to join me this time and all I had told her was realized.  Absolutely superb as always.  Thank You.

A most memorable experience.  A superb weekend. 

Well done to the organisers an excellent convention appropriate for such a special occasion.

 

 

 

 

Wreaths have been laid on the memorial tablet to Millvina Dean and the grave of Fred Fleet.

Please use Twitter to follow events at Convention 2012 in realtime @BritTitanicSoc via  www.twitter.com/BritTitanicSoc.

The convention became that busy, that we were unable to post in realtime updates – see the June 2012 issue of the Atlantic Daily Bulletin for a full report on the convention.

This post is now closed.

This is the programme for the Convention as appears in the March 2012 Atlantic Daily Bulletin.

Thursday 12th April

11.00 am onwards

Wreath laying around Southampton.

To view a detailed schedule Click Here

1 pm

Visit to St. Joseph’s Church in Bugle Street to view the

memorial to the staff of Titanic’s á la carte restaurant.

3.00 pm–5.00 pm

Welcome desk open for registration and collection of welcome packs.

7.00 pm

Wide-screen showing of A Night To Remember in

the Harbour Lights Cinema at Ocean Village.

Friday 13th April

7.30 am onwards

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

9.30 am–1.00 pm

Tour of Titanic graves at Southampton Old Cemetery and Hollybrook Cemetery.

 Please assemble in the foyer of the hotel opposite reception.

2.00 pm–5.00 pm

Welcome desk open for registration and collection of welcome packs.

3.00 pm

Members’ Bring and Buy Sale in The Bradford & Winslow Suite,

which is located on the Mezzanine Floor of the hotel.

6.30 pm onwards

Dinner in the hotel restaurant.  Note – tea & coffee included.

There are no formal arrangements; please dine to suit yourselves.

8.30 pm

The play The Man Who Left the Titanic,

performed by Pat Abernethy and Dave Marsden.

10.15  pm approx

25th anniversary celebrations – Lounge bar of hotel.

Saturday 14th April

7.30 am onwards

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

9.00 am

Exhibition and sales tables open in the Mayflower Suite of the hotel.

Lecture Programme.

11.00 am–12 Noon

Icebergs and Shipping – Was the Titanic the Start of a Trend?

by Dr. Simon Boxall.

Simon is a lecturer in Oceanography at the University of Southampton,

National Oceanography Centre (UK).  He regularly appears on radio and TV news and

current affairs broadcasts relating to a broad range of ocean, coastal and climate issues,

and has been involved in documentaries for Channel 4, Sky, the BBC,

National Geographic and the Discovery Channels.

1.00 pm–2.00 pm

From the Potteries to the Titanic:

The Early Life and Career of Captain Smith

by Gary Cooper.

 Gary has been tracing the career of Captain E. J. Smith since 1987,

and is acknowledged as the foremost authority on his remarkable life.

12.15 pm-12.45 pm & 2.15 pm-2.45 pm. Book signings in the lecture room.

3.00 pm–4.00 pm

Robert Hichens: Titanic’s Helmsman

by Sally Nilsson.

Sally is the Great Granddaughter of Robert Hichens,

Quartermaster at the helm when Titanic hit the iceberg,

and has written a biography of this man’s fascinating life.

All lectures take place in the Mayflower Suite,

which is situated on the Ground Floor of the hotel.

4.00 pm

Exhibition and sales tables close.

5.00 pm–7.30 pm

Studio photographs in the foyer of the Mayflower Suite.

Saturday Evening

7.00–7.30 pm

Assemble in the Atrium for pre-dinner drinks prior to the Gala Dinner.

7.30 pm

Gala Dinner – Black tie/Edwardian/Titanic themed.

in the Mayflower Suite.

MENU

Starter

Shallot and Parmesan tart

Apply chutney & watercress

Main Course

Butter roasted breast of chicken

Savoy cabbage & Celeriac mash

Pancetta crisp & Mustard sauce

Dessert

Assiette of deserts –

warm chocolate pot, sorbet & mousse

Vegetarian Option

Courgette,

Roast Pepper and Halloumi Pithvier

Red Pepper Coulis

_______________

Freshly brewed tea and coffee

and

Home made petit fours.

9.00 pm

Speeches and Grand Titanic Raffle

11:30pm onwards

Memorial service.

Sunday 15th April

Breakfast in the restaurant and checkout for those not staying Sunday night.

Luggage may be left with the hotel Concierge until departure.

10.00 am

( Note – we will leave promptly at 10:10 am).

Delegates board coach for the transfer to Ocean Village, where we will

board the Blue Funnel catamaran MV Ocean Scene for our river cruise.

Please assemble in the foyer of the hotel opposite reception.

Delegates will take a river trip aboard Blue Funnel’s vessel Ocean Scene,

the vessel will hove to in the Ocean Dock from where Titanic set sail in 1912,

and a wreath will be dropped into the water

in remembrance of the 1523 souls who died in the tragedy.

Members on the river cruise will receive a simple

red or white carnation, for casting over the ship’s side.

There will then be a playing of Erin’s Lament

on the Uilleann pipes by Steve Turner.

After the river cruise, at approximately noon, we will

return to the hotel, again by coach, for Sunday lunch.

PLEASE BE PROMPT FOR THE COACH!

12.00 pm

Coach returns delegates to the hotel.

1.00 pm

Sunday lunch in the hotel restaurant.

After Lunch

End of Convention and homeward bound!

The  lecturers for the 2012 Convention on Saturday 14th April have now been confirmed as follows,

11.00am – 12 Noon: “Icebergs and shipping – was the Titanic the start of a trend” by Dr. Simon Boxall.

Dr. Simon Boxall is from the University of Southampton’s National Oceanography Centre.

1.00pm – 2.00pm: “From the Potteries to the Titanic: The early life and career of Captain Smith”, by Gary Cooper.

Gary Cooper has been tracing the career of Captain E. J. Smith since 1987, and is acknowledged as the foremost authority on his remarkable life.

3.00pm – 4.00pm: “Robert Hitchens – his life”, by Sally Nilsson.

Sally Nilsson is the Great Granddaughter of Robert Hichens, Quartermaster at the helm when Titanic hit the iceberg. Sally has written a biography of this man’s fascinating life.

Both the above authors will be undertaking book signings in the Mayflower Suite lecture room from 12.15pm-12.45pm, and 2.15pm-2.45pm.

They will also be joined by author Mark Chirnside who will also be signing copies of his latest book.

 

During the Exhibition / Sales Fair / Lectures on Saturday the 14th April at the 2012 Convention, there will be a series of book signings by the authors of recently released books about Titanic.

This is your chance to have the following books signed by the author on the historic date of the 14th April 2012.

Gary Cooper will be signing his book “Titanic Captain: The Life of Edward John Smith” – Gary has been tracing the career of Captain E. J. Smith since 1987, and is acknowledged as the foremost authority on his remarkable life.

Sally Nilsson will be signing her book “The Man Who Sank Titanic: The Troubled Life of Quartermaster Robert Hichens” – Sally Nilsson is the Great Granddaughter of Robert Hichens, Quartermaster at the helm when Titanic hit the iceberg, and her book is a biography of this man’s fascinating life.

The book signings will be in the Mayflower Suite lecture room from 2.00pm-3.00pm.