THE story of the sinking of the Titanic has gripped the imagination of people throughout the world for almost 100 years, but few would have realised how many connections there were with Cornwall.
A major new exhibition at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall puts that right, with wonderful stories and amazing artifacts linked to the famous ship, some of which turned up at virtually the last minute.
A recording of a mother from Penzance who was saved with her two infants, but lost her brother, an amazing love which ended in tragedy, the stories of people who drowned on that fateful night, the memories of those who lived, a pocket watch stopped at the time it sank beneath the waves, photographs, books, old newspaper features, even a little teddy bear which survived – this is an amazing exhibition which has to be seen.
Relatives of those who were either on board the great vessel, or on the liner Carpathia which picked up survivors, were guests at the museum at Falmouth on Thursday for the launch of an exhibition which looks set to be the most popular staged there so far.
Ken Stead, 85, from Mylor is the grandson of journalist WT Stead, who founded the popular journal of the time, Review of Reviews.
He had also written a book warning of the danger of icebergs to shipping and had lobbied Parliament calling for adequate lifeboats to be supplied.
Stead perished on the Titanic, and the family has a collection of pictures which could be shown on a kinoroscope from that era.
Great grandson Richard, who lives at Flushing, is trying to get the pictures, which include WT making a speech, put on to a DVD.
"WT was reading a book in the library at the time the Titanic started going down, but was then seen helping women and children on to the lifeboats," said Richard.
Roger Howman, of Truro, and his sister Jackie Dare, who also lives in Cornwall, are both grandchildren of Sir Arthur Rostron, the captain of the Carpathia which answered the Titanic's distress call and picked up 700 passengers.
The family has loaned a cigarette case given to their grandfather by grateful survivors and a rare copy of his autobiography.
Knighted in 1928, Sir Arthur died in 1941 of pneumonia he contracted when he insisted on sleeping in the entrance of an air raid shelter rather than inside.
"He was a gentleman to the end," said Jackie, a toddler when her grandfather died.
There is also a gold pocket watch, a gold forget-me-not ring and postcards sent from the Titanic by Stephen Jenkin, a miner who had emigrated to Michigan but had returned to see his family.
He had been concerned about his return trip and left his gold pocket watch and other valuables with his parents.
His great niece and nephew Katie Rosevear, of Mullion Cove, and Stephen Johns, who was named after him, of Praze-an-Beeble, have loaned the items.
David Caddick, from Carharrack, is a grandson of Thomas Utley, whose company made the new side-opening portholes and bell for the Titanic.
David had heard about the connection from his late mother, Utley's daughter and the widow of Cornish poet Arthur Caddick, but only started researching the history when he heard of the Falmouth exhibition.
"I rang the TM Utley company in Liverpool and asked if there was still an Utley there. The man who picked up the phone said this is Tom Utley speaking, so I had contacted a long lost cousin," said David.
Utley had been invited to sail on the maiden voyage, but his wife had a premonition of disaster and warned him not to go.
He refused the invitation.
Courtesy of,www.thisiscornwall.co.uk
Mawes to Falmouth ferry.
'Chatter happy' horses and riders from the West Penwith Bridleways Association meet for one of their social rides at the Engine Inn, Nancledra.