Vosper Thornycroft Exhibition at the Martime Museum
The life and times of shipyard workers in Southampton will come alive in a special exhibition at the Maritime Museum. The exhibition opens on Friday 9 September 2005, running until Thursday 27 October 2005. "Riveting Stories" captures the memories of people who worked for Vosper Thornycroft during its century of shipbuilding in Woolston.
Contact Details:
Telephone: 023 8091 5730
Email: krista.woodley@southampton.gov.uk
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The life and times of shipyard workers in Southampton will come alive in a special exhibition at the Maritime Museum. The exhibition opens on Friday 9 September 2005, running until Thursday 27 October 2005. "Riveting Stories" captures the memories of people who worked for Vosper Thornycroft during its century of shipbuilding in Woolston.
The exhibition is part of a Southampton City Council Oral History Unit project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Visitors to the museum will be able to hear a collection of poignant stories and see photographs and artefacts from Thorny's history in Southampton.
The yard on Victoria Road opened in 1904 and built a huge number of ships including destroyers, ferries and luxury yachts. It was at the centre of life for thousands of people in the local community, both workers and their families.
"The exhibition will give people an insight into what life was like working and living under the shadow of the cranes," says project manager, Krista Woodley. "We have photographs and stories from women who worked in the yard during the First World War to people who moved with the company to Portsmouth when it closed a few years ago".
In what's thought to be the first project of its kind, a recorded freephone line has been set up so people can call and listen to stories featured in the exhibition from their own home. People will also be able to record their own memories on the phoneline, making it truly interactive. The Riveting Stories phoneline will go live on Friday 9 September 2005 and the freephone number is 0800 1974 835.
A book about the history of the Thorny's shipyard community, with a compilation CD of interview extracts, will be on sale in November.
Flyers about the exhibition and phoneline can be downloaded from the document links below. Follow the Internal Link for the location and opening times of the Maritime Museum.
Last updated: 25 October 2006
