I hope everyone has had a pleasant weekend and, if in the United States, enjoyed Labor Day as well. Here are some news stories you might find of interest.

[The recent expedition brought back more stunning and updated images of Titanic.]

Francis, Rebecca Morelle and Alison. “Titanic: Striking Images Reveal Depths of Ship’s Slow Decay.” Last modified September 1, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkm82enkgko.

It was the image that made the Titanic’s wreck instantly recognisable – the ship’s bow looming out of the darkness of the Atlantic depths. But a new expedition has revealed the effects of slow decay, with a large section of railing now on the sea floor. The loss of the railing – immortalised by Jack and Rose in the famous movie scene – was discovered during a series of dives by underwater robots this summer. The images they captured show how the wreck is changing after more than 100 years beneath the waves.

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Hartland, Nick. “George Bailey – the Monmouthshire Stoker Who Died Aboard the Titanic.” Abergavenny Chronicle, August 30, 2024. https://www.abergavennychronicle.com/news/george-bailey-the-monmouthshire-stoker-who-died-aboard-the-titanic-716822.

Every community seems to have its own Titanic connection, whether someone on board, a family link or artefact. And Monmouthshire is no different, with Wye Valley fire stoker George Bailey among the approximately 1500 crew members and passengers who tragically perished. According to Encyclopedia Titanica, he was one of nine siblings, born in Newport in 1866 before moving to the Wyeside town as a young child, where he appeared on the 1871 census as living at Clipper Court, St Mary, Monmouth, and on the 1881 census at 2, Red Lion Court, Monmouth.

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Considine, Pippa. “BBC Orders Stellify Titanic Series.” Televisual. Last modified August 28, 2024. https://www.televisual.com/news/bbc-orders-stellify-titanic-series/.

BBC Factual and BBC Northern Ireland have commissioned a new four-part series from Stellify Media detailing the sinking of the Titanic, with support from Northern Ireland Screen, for BBC Two and iPlayer. Belfast-based Stellify’s Titanic Sinks Tonight (working title) aims to provide a complete picture of the most famous 160 minutes in maritime history, telling the story of the sinking of the Titanic in real time. From the crucial seconds just before the ship hits the iceberg, to the moment the hull sinks beneath the waves, the boxset series pieces together the events, minute by minute, to reveal what happened to the 2240 passengers and crew on 14 and 15 April, 1912.

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Wilson, Natalie. “The Odyssey: Cruise Passengers Spending up to £680,000 on Three-year Trip Stuck in Belfast for Three Months.” The Independent, August 29, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/cruise-passengers-belfast-stranded-the-odyssey-ireland-b2603717.html.

Passengers calling a residential cruise ship home have been stranded on the vessel in Northern Ireland for three months after their round-the-world voyage was plagued with delays. Those onboard Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey have spent their summer docked in Belfast after repair work required to the rudders and gearbox prevented the ocean liner from leaving the cruise terminal. The ship was scheduled to depart the Northern Ireland capital for the first leg of the three-and-a-half-year cruise on 30 May. Its inaugural journey was due to visit all seven continents, with stops at more than 425 ports in 147 countries.

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Croatiaweek, and Croatiaweek. “Tribute to the Ship and Croatian Crew That Saved Titanic Survivors | Croatia Week.” Croatia Week. Last modified August 29, 2024. https://www.croatiaweek.com/tribute-to-the-ship-and-croatian-crew-that-saved-titanic-survivors/.

The exhibition “Carpathia – Pride of the City of Rijeka” was staged in the city’s main street Korzo on Tuesday in tribute to the vessel that was engaged in rescuing passengers who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic on 15 April 1912. The crew of the RMS Carpathia included 84 Croatian seafarers. The exhibition was organised by an association of sea captains of the northern Adriatic region. The Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral in Rijeka has a a life vest used by a Titanic survivor. The item was brought to Rijeka by sailor Josip Car, who was a member of the Carpathia crew.

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Speed, Kellie. “$9.5 Million New Hampshire Estate Built By Titanic Survivor Hits the Market for the First Time In 100 Years.” Real Estate News & Insights | Realtor.Com®. Last modified August 27, 2024. https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/new-hampshire-estate-titanic-survivor-rare/.

A stunning lakefront retreat that was built by a survivor of the ill-fated Titanic was just listed for the “titanic” price of $9.5 million—landing on the market for the first time in 100 years. The rare real estate gem on Squam Lake in Moultonborough, NH, was built in 1899 by Richard Beckwith, 13 years before he and his wife, Sallie, boarded the doomed ocean liner as first-class passengers. Accompanied by Sallie’s daughter from a previous marriage, Helen Newsom, the couple were among the 706 passengers who survived the horrifying sinking of the Titanic—with listing agent Jacalyn Dussault, of Dussault Real Estate, explaining that the family’s experiences on the ship actually helped inspire James Cameron’s iconic movie about the incident.

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Suggested Reading

Behe, G. (2012). On board RMS Titanic: Memories of the Maiden Voyage. The History Press.

Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books.

Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition

Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)

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