This weekend we took our son to see the SS Great Britain in her dry dock in Bristol. Such an impressive ship, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The museum is set up really well, catering for all ages, not a moment of boredom and lots to see and do. They gave our son an apprentice engineer pack with tasks and games to complete while looking around the ship and museum. I love to wander around imagining what it would have been like to sail aboard on one of her journeys, from the crew, the many lower class passengers to the very rich elegance of the first class accommodation. I was surprised at the tiny beds both in length and also in width and the tightly packed cabins in first class let alone the cramped accommodation for the lower class passengers!
Inside, the ship has been restored to such a high standard with wax figures showing how people would have been dressed and showing the jobs and tasks that would have taken place, from the surgeon to the kitchen staff. The boiler room, with the fires and coal, the engine room with the many cogs and levers, the hold down below where the animals were kept.
There was a wedding taking place on the day that we visited and on the top deck there was a jazz singer and all the guests were dressed in period clothing which made the experience more authentic. Next to the ship is the Brunel museum which is definitely worth a look, again it suits all ages and is incredibly interesting.
Underneath the ship is the impressive hull, Brunel’s masterful engineering is a pleasure to see. The hull is preserved as much as possible but time and salt water have taken their toll on this great ship. They have patched her together as much as possible and the air is filtered to stop any further breakdown.
It did get me thinking about teeth (always get back to teeth!) this beautiful ship may well be lavish and stunning on top but if the hull is rusted and cracked then the ship will leak and sink… In the same way, you may spend time and money making your teeth beautiful and white and straight and smooth but if you do not look after the foundations, the supporting structures then they are at risk. By this I mean the gums, bone and tissues which hold the teeth in place. So how do you look after these precious areas? Daily flossing or the use of interdental brushes, good use of electric or manual toothbrush twice a day and regular visits to your Dental Hygienist!
I will be back again soon! Bye for now!
Jo x