Acknowledgements 200NEWSLETTER Major funders: Issue 3 Autumn 2006 www.brunel200.com

Key sponsors:

Education sponsors and funders:

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Published August 2006 by: Designed by: Qube Design Associates Limited. Cultural Development Partnership, Printed by: Doveton Press. Leigh Court, Abbots Leigh, Bristol BS8 3RA Cover photo: Annie Muteniwak-Wenda and Nathan T: +44 (0) 1275 370816 Groves from Blaise Primary, Bristol with models from E: [email protected] the Amazing Bridges project (Neil Phillips). www.brunel200.com

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1. Four Brunels taking part in the Swindon Brunel 200 Festival (David White). 2. Emerald Ensemble performing A Radius of Brunel 200 Curves (Mark Simmons). Bristol Finale Weekend

Over the past eight months Brunel www.brunel200.com for news The official finale to Bristol’s Brunel • The Brunel 200 Banquet held in 200 has helped to organise and bulletins and regularly updated 200 celebrations takes place over the Brunel’s Passenger Shed at the promote a wide range of exciting calendars of events. weekend of 15-17 September. British Empire and Commonwealth activities that have taken place across Museum. As this is the final Brunel 200 Among the activities are: the South West to mark the 200th newsletter, we’d like to take this • The Isambard Project at Underfall anniversary of the birth of Isambard • A free exhibition at the Create opportunity to thank all our partners Yard showing work to date on the Kingdom Brunel. These have included Centre. who have made such a magnificent construction of a Cornish pilot gig innovative arts projects, stunning new contribution to these celebrations and to • Free guided tours of Clifton named in honour of Brunel. publications, amazing exhibitions, all those who have joined in the events. Suspension Bridge. • A lecture about Brunel’s little- fun-packed festivals, guided walks • Performances by Travelling Light, known swivel bridge in Cumberland and talks, radio shows, workshops, Andrew Kelly the Family Deaf Centre, Elmfield Basin. Brunel-inspired beer and bottled Director Brunel 200 School, Show of Strength, Dance water, and lots of inspirational A special promotional leaflet outlining 3. Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s Brunel production Bristol and Triangulation at various educational events for young people. the programme of events has been (Mark Simmons). venues across the city. produced and details are also on the Some of the activities will continue • Broadcasting of the radio drama Brunel 200 website at into the autumn when we will also Brunel 2206 on Bristol Hospital www.brunel200.com have additional events including the Radio. Bristol Brunel 200 finale in September • Unveiling of a mural at Bristol and the premiere of the Swindon opera Temple Meads accompanied by Brunel: the little man in the tall hat. music from the Brunel Sinfonia. Check the Brunel 200 website at

4. Performers from Dance Bristol (Mark Simmons). 5. Performer from Elmfield School (Paul Box).

3. 2 3 Brunel in South Devon

Brunel first came to South Devon in 1836 during work on the railway west 6. 7. of Exeter. He was so impressed with the area that he regularly returned for personal visits, as well as on business, and in 1847 he bought land Brunel 200 in Swindon at Watcombe near Torbay where he hoped to build his retirement home. As part of the Brunel 200 Swindon, home of the original engine celebrations, South Devon has house and works, provided the setting for a spectacular Brunel enjoyed the fabulous Newton Abbot 9. 200 festival in July. Atmospheric Event along with guided walks, the erection of new Events included: interpretive boards, ‘Meet Mr Brunel’ • Performances of the show Building Bridges at the Wyvern Theatre. events, vintage bus and steam railway trips, an exhibition at Torquay • The opening of the exhibition The Railway Comes to Town, also Museum and performances of the at the Wyvern. community play A Wonderful • A schools’ science event at Ridgeway School, Wroughton. Alteration. • The Big Town Centre Street Festival! featuring a carnival Devon Library and Information Service parade and the Brunel Conga Line. 8. has produced a booklet entitled • The Rodbourne Walking Trail. Devon’s Brunel Journey based on the 6. A Brunel tunnel paraded • Crossing the Great Divide Railway Village Festival and original illustrations of the South through Swindon (Sam Frost). Children’s Fete featuring local performers, community groups Devon rail route by William Dawson. 7. Finale fireworks (Steve Causer). and Bristol artists Cirque Bijou. 8. Brunel and dancers The beautiful gardens of Brunel 10. (Steve Causer). • The sensational Finale at the Park with fireworks and Manor, site of Brunel’s proposed pyrotechnic displays. family home at Watcombe, have been open to the public and a fully 9. Broadsands Viaduct is crossed by a steam The festival featured excerpts from Janice Thompson Performance train (Torbay Development Agency). Trust’s newly commissioned Swindon youth opera Brunel: the little illustrated book telling the fascinating 10. A view of the staff celebrating at the opening man in the tall hat which will be performed at St Mark’s Church in story of the estate and Brunel’s life in of Torre Station in 1848 (Torquay Museum). the Railway Village on 16 and 17 September. Torbay will be published shortly. See the Brunel 200 Swindon website at www.swindon.gov.uk/brunel200 for further details of activities in 2006. 4 5 11. 12.

Brunel 200 in Cornwall

Brunel’s association with Cornwall includes the building of a stunning rail route September sees the opening of the exhibition The End running all the way down to Penzance. The line featured innovative wooden of the Line: Brunel in Cornwall at the Royal Cornwall viaducts (now lost) and Brunel’s last engineering triumph, the magnificent Royal Museum. This forms part of a major initiative by the Albert Bridge. museum to create a definitive record of Brunel's railway creations in the county, from track and Brunel also had maritime connections to the county through the person of Lt viaducts to stations and signal boxes. James Hosken, RN, a Cornishman who served on both the ss Great Western and Great Britain. Boilers patented by the Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick were Emma Lloyd, the museum's Curator of Social History, said: used on the Great Britain, and Brunel’s Great Eastern helped lay the telegraph “Although Brunel only spent a short time in Cornwall cable that linked Porthcurno in Cornwall to Bombay. In addition, the original his impact was huge. Brunel and the coming of the chains for the Clifton Suspension Bridge were made by the Copperhouse Foundry railway heralded a new chapter in Cornish history with at Hayle in Cornwall. mass tourism replacing tin as the boom industry. The

Events that have taken place in Cornwall as part of the Brunel 200 celebrations building of the and the laying down 13. have included the Saltash Festival, exhibitions at Porthcurno Telegraph Museum of track with the Cornwall and West Cornwall Railways and Falmouth Art Gallery, workshops at Penlee House Gallery and Museum, and enabled Cornwall to become truly accessible." the development of a trail linking 14 Cornish sites.

Actors taking part in the launch day of the South West Great Reading Adventure, 11. Gover Viaduct on the the first event of the Brunel 200 year, came to Penzance station as part of their (Elton Collection: Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust). whistle-stop trip across the region promoting Around the World in Eighty Days. 12. View of the Royal Albert Bridge, 1859. 13. Cover of children's verse book celebrating the building of the Great Eastern, c 1858 (private collection).

6 7 14. Brunel cutting his 18 foot-birthday cake at Stroud in April (Ian Mackintosh). 15. Brunel discussing plans for his celebration banquet with Anne Mackintosh and Camilla Hale Brunel 200 in Stroud of Brunel 200 Stroud.

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Brunel 200 in Schools

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Stroud in Gloucestershire is home to a the building of the line, its impact on The Brunel 200 educational residencies School, which will be repeated as splendid goods shed built in 1845 by people’s lives and its evolution over programme unlocked opportunities for part of the Bristol Brunel 200 finale. Brunel to provide cover for the 150 years. creative, hands-on learning that The creation of an enormous bridge transferring of goods between railway stimulated the curiosity of young The final event of the Stroud installation in the school hall at trains and road vehicles. It is the only people to explore the many different programme will be an engineering Blaise Primary led by the artists known survivor of its type and was sides to Brunel’s life and work. seminar at Stroud High School in Paper, Scissors, Stone. rescued from demolition by Stroud September, which will be led by The varied activities included: A comic book workshop led by Preservation Trust. The Trust hopes to leading engineers and aimed at Simon Gurr and Jim Freebury at be able to convert the building to form A flotilla of fantastic ships created encouraging young people to tackle Blaise Primary as part of the a vibrant community exhibition space. by pupils at Chester Park Junior engineering projects associated with school’s Brunel Fortnight. School in Fishponds working with Brunel 200 events in Stroud have the Great Western Railway. sculptor Barbara Ash. A tour of primary and secondary included guided walks, talks, a drama See the Brunel 200 Stroud website at schools of Richard Ellam’s ingenious performance, a poetry competition Amazing hybrid inventions devised www.brunel200stroud.org.uk for working models of Brunel’s designs. and a banquet. by children at St Bernard’s Primary, further details. Shirehampton working with Toby A touring Brunel Puppet Show, which The exhibition The Railway Comes to Hulse and Pickled Image. visited nursery and primary schools. Stroud held at the Stroud Subscription 16. Brunel (headmaster Tony Philips) with Azmeena Hussain, a pupil at Chester Park Junior A remarkable drama and poetry Contact Sue Sanctuary, the Brunel 200 Rooms told the fascinating story of School (Paul Box). performance by hearing impaired Education Coordinator, at 17. Glen Chadburn and Grace Beese, pupils from children from Elmfield School for [email protected] St Bernard’s Primary (Paul Box). Deaf People and the new Fairfield for further details. 18. Illustrator Simon Gurr with pupils from Blaise 8 Primary (Neil Phillips). 9 Brunel 200 Programme September and Beyond

Among the autumn highlights of the Brunel 200 programme in the South West are:

Until 4 September 15-17 September 23 September 24 October The Railway Comes to Town Brunel 200 Bristol Finale Brunel’s Kingdom Heroes of the Industrial Revolution T: 01793 463 725 Mini-festival at various venues in the T: 01793 463 725 T: 0117 928 8519 Exhibition continuing at Wyvern city. www.brunel200.com Choral performance at STEAM, Lecture at University of Bristol – first Theatre, Swindon. Swindon. of Autumn Arts lecture series on the 15-16 September www.swindon.gov.uk/brunel200 www.swindon.gov.uk/brunel200 theme ‘Designing a New World: art Brunel Remembered and industry’. Until end of October T: 01752 844255 30 September - Christmas 2006 The Nine Lives of I K Brunel Mini-festival in Saltash, Cornwall. The End of the Line: Brunel 18 November T: 0117 926 0680 in Cornwall Brunel’s Arrival at Chippenham 16 September Exhibition continuing at the ss Great T: 01872 272205 T: 01249 721171 High Sheriff’s Concert Britain, Bristol. Exhibition at Royal Cornwall Museum. Re-enactment as part of Chippenham T: 0117 946 8183 www.ssgreatbritain.org www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk Festival. Orchestral performance at Bristol Until December Cathedral. 2-6 October 20 November The Forces That Made Brunel Oh, I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside Immigration, Diversity and Belonging 16-17 September T: 0117 915 500 T: 01803 329333 T: 0117 928 7777 Brunel: the little man in the tall hat Exhibition continuing at Explore Brunel-themed painting breaks at Lecture at University of Bristol – first T: 01793 463 725 At-Bristol. www.at-bristol.org.uk Brunel Manor, Torquay. of series of three linked to Brunel 200. Opera performance in Swindon. 15 September www.swindon.gov.uk/brunel200 15-16 October 4 December Work of Genius: I K Brunel’s Coming Home Bristol: Science City 22-24 September engineering achievements and T: 0845 40 24 001 T: 0117 928 7777 Brunel displays at Weston Super their legacy Musical retelling of the adventures of Lecture at University of Bristol. Quilts 2006 E: [email protected] the ss Great Britain at St George’s, E: [email protected] Symposium at STEAM, Swindon. Bristol. Exhibition at the Winter Gardens, www.bath.ac.uk/ace/events/index.html Weston Super Mare. A regularly-updated calendar of events is available on the Brunel 200 website. www.weston-quilters.org.uk Programme may be subject to change at any time: check with venue/organiser to confirm.

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