Happy Birthday, Mr Brunel





Peter Abraham (Lord Mayor of Bristol), Pearl Abraham (the Lady Mayoress), Adam Hart-Davis, and the three competition winners Alicia Winfield, Annie Williams and Rosy Owens turning on the new Clifton Suspension Bridge lights (Photos: Martin Chainey).







Visitors and locomotives at the Brunel birthday steaming held at Didcot Railway Centre, 9 April.

Brunel 200 in South Devon



Teignbridge District Council has produced an exciting programme of events from May onwards celebrating Brunel's work in South Devon, This includes free family days out organised by Newton Abbot Museum at Old Forde House and Grounds with demonstrations of atmospheric pressure, railway model layouts, meet Mr Brunel, stilt acts, vintage bus, cream teas, community play and other entertainments.

Download programme of events here and heritage brochure here (PDFs). Contact Doff Pollard for further details.

Brunel Publications Launched

     

Brunel 200 has launched two new publications in the run-up to Brunel's 200th birthday: a graphic biography of Brunel and Brunel: in love with the impossible, an illustrated collection of essays on Brunel's life, work and legacy. See press releases for details.

Brunel goes to the British Travel Trade Fair



Jeanette Howse from Didcot Railway Centre took a Brunel cut-out to the British Travel Trade Fair at the NEC in March. The photo shows Fiona Harrison (left) and Jeanette Howse on the Heritage Railway Association stand. No doubt Brunel will be taking a ride on the replica broad gauge loco Fire Fly at Didcot Railway Centre on 9 April for his Bicentenary Birthday Steaming. See flyer for details.

Winners Get Set to Switch on Lights





Three Bristol children have been announced as winners of the Send Brunel a Birthday Card competition. They will be joining TV presenter Adam Hart-Davis on Saturday 8 April in switching on the new lighting system at the Clifton Suspension Bridge, an event that will be followed by a spectacular firework display.

The three winners are Annie Williams (aged 9) who created a Brunel birthday hat, Alicia Winfield (aged 8) who made a card featuring a steam train, and Rosy Owens (aged 6) who painted a lovely picture of the bridge itself.

Annie was said to be 'absolutely over the moon' and 'very, very excited'. She's said to be normally very unassuming but when she heard the good news she felt 'quite proud of herself'.

Alicia's father declared that the family was 'absolutely chuffed to bits and delighted' by her win. He said that after being interviewed by the BBC, Alicia went to tell her favourite toys 'something very exciting and special has happened: I'm going to be turning on the lights for Brunel 200'. Alicia 'thoroughly enjoyed making the card' and as she had not anticipated being in with a chance of winning, this is going to be 'an even bigger treat for her', her father said.

More than 700 children entered the competition. Andrew Kelly, director of Brunel 200, said the level of entries was extremely high. He continued:

This was a great opportunity for young people to get involved in Brunel 200 and it is a fabulous prize. I think it's something the winners will remember for the rest of their lives. The most historic part of Brunel 200 is the turning of the lights. On the night there will be big celebrations around Bristol and they will be at the centre of it all with Adam Hart-Davis. We will also be putting some of the shortlisted entries on display and some will be reproduced on our website and elsewhere as part of the Brunel 200 coverage.

Royal Mail launches Brunel stamps
See website for details.

Royal Mint Engineers New Coins to Celebrate
the Work of Brunel
See the press release for details.

Brunel's Atmospheric Vision Re-created

Tunnel Vision, one of 29 new arts projects that form part of the Brunel 200 celebrations, opened on 6 March at Staple Hill, Bristol. At half a kilometre long, Tunnel Vision is one of the largest installation artworks ever seen in the South West. It uses a mixture of architecture, candlelight, surround sound and the viewer's imagination to recreate Brunel's unsuccessful project, the atmospheric railway system. See press release and Luke Jerram's website at www.lukejerram.com for details.





Tunnel Vision photographed by Mark Simmons.

Brunel's Support for Bristol Zoo Discovered

Isambard Kingdom Brunel's public-spirited contribution to Bristol has been re-discovered deep in the vaults of Bristol Zoo Gardens' bank. Brunel's clear script is to be found on a carefully folded document dated 12 June 1837 among the signatures of a number of Bristol's most eminent gentlemen. See press release for details.



Andrew Kelly, director of Brunel 200, is shown the signature.

Brunel’s Sketchbooks – 90 Second Challenge

Last year Bristol’s film and media centre, Watershed, launched the 90 Second Challenge, an initiative encouraging schools, community groups, first-time film makers, businesses and professionals to create 90 second pieces of digital media.

90 Second Challenge took place as part of Electric Pavilion – Watershed’s space for creative enquiry and illumination which made up one of the main elements of Creative Bristol 2005.

Artist and film-maker Paul Matson was commissioned, with funding from Business West and Arts & Business, to create a 90 second challenge for Brunel 200.

Paul took Brunel’s sketchbooks as his inspiration, animating the drawings, scribbles and notes that were Brunel’s first recording of his ideas and designs.
Creative Bristol is an initiative of Bristol Cultural Development Partnership – Arts Council England South West, Bristol City Council and Business West.

Please click on the link below to see the reults:

Brunel's Sketchbook 1

£500,000 Boost for Brunel 200 South West Projects

This year's 200th anniversary celebrations commemorating the birth of engineer and architect Isambard Kingdom Brunel have been given a half million pound boost with a major award from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The £528,000 award is for a spread of events across the South West. The region-wide projects will integrate with the programme developed for Bristol by the city's Brunel 200 initiative, which will now lead celebrations across the region. HLF will fund more than 20 individual projects in towns, historic sites, schools and communities throughout the region, from Swindon in the east to Porthcurno in the far west.
See press release for details. A list of all the projects, including quotes from media spokespeople, can be downloaded here.

2005 News Archive

To see news articles from 2005 please visit the news archive.