"Every Night In My Dreams...."
I have been obsessed with the story of the Titanic for as long as I can remember (and not just since Leonardo played Jack Dawson and Celine belted out ‘My Heart Will Go On...’ although perhaps this may have exacerbated it somewhat…)
I went to London’s O2 arena to see ‘Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition’ where more than 300 artifacts rescued from the shipwreck’s debris were laid out for me to peruse (including parts of the ship itself, crockery and personal belongings such as top hats and perfume bottles.) Historically accurate room recreations are also showcased.
You are given a White Line boarding card at the start of your Titanic journey with the name of a real passenger and a few other details on it. This makes the tragedy even more real and distressing for you, when at the end you search for ‘your’ name on the passenger lists of survivors and victims (alas, ‘I’ – little Hanora Heggerty, from County Cork, did not make it.)
There is also a chance to pose in front of a green screen where a photographer will superimpose your image onto the bottom of the Titanic’s sweeping main staircase – obviously I forced Jack (Yes!! A real life Jack!!) to do this with me.
You have the opportunity to read many compelling testimonials from survivors and poignant stories about those who did not, and an opportunity to touch a real piece of the ship.
Despite the walls being a little text heavy and the constant, eventually mind numbing, fiddle music playing throughout the exhibition, the show is both informative and moving.
On until Sept 1st.