Discovering the Ship that Changed the World

My fascination with engineers, analytical thinking, and sailing came from growing up next to my engineer father who was interested in sailing and boats, just like 19th century engineering giant Isambard Kingdom Brunel next to his French civil engineer father Sir Marc Brunel. I later became focused on arts, filmmaking, and media in my professional life, yet that didn’t stop me from digging through memoirs of great engineers and getting inspired by new innovative designs. Visiting Brunel’s SS Great Britain in Bristol with the Chevening community brought back my childhood curiosity for the world’s key technological inventions and the innovators in our societies. 

On 24 February, Cheveners met at the ferry pick-up station at Temple Meeds in Bristol. We were lucky enough to have the sun for the day, and everyone seemed excited to be starting our excursion with a little boat ride in the peaceful canals of Bristol. Some doves and ducks were joyfully floating on the water as we passed by the tastefully designed bridges, resident apartments, and some industrial buildings. Our tour guide informed us about the history of Bristol and the prominent buildings. When we arrived to the museum of ‘the ship that changed the world,’ all of us already made new friends and were chatting, laughing, and adding each other on social media. 

At the museum, we were introduced to the life of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the mastermind behind several engineering creations besides the SS Great Britain, such as the Clifton Suspense Bridge, Great Western Railway, and the Great Eastern Project. The innovation of the SS Great Britain laid not only in its vast size as a luxury voyage ship, but also Brunel’s vision to build it of iron and use a screw propeller instead of the conventional paddle wheels used in big ships of the time. By combining these key innovations, Brunel ‘created a ship that changed history’. 

Dazzled by the story of the inventor and the invention, we then explored the giant beauty with our excited hearts. I was not only amazed by the size of the engine and the screw propeller, but also the beauty of the dining hall and the elegant touch Brunel planted in every corner of the ship. Running up and down the stairs, getting lost in different compartments, turning corners that lead to different sounds, smells, and textures, I quickly felt like my eight-year-old self again. Who knows, maybe there’s still a little engineer hiding in me that will come out in another life…

As the sun set over the floating boats and warm buildings of Bristol, the day ended with some new information, inspiration, and friendships among the Chevening community.