A Titanic experience

Today has been one of the most emotionally challenging days of my life as I moved my mum from her home of 57 years into residential care. Once she was settled I left her for a wee while to have some time with my own thoughts and get my head together. I found myself driving alongside the River Lagan towards the new visitor centre about the Titanic which is sited beside the dry dock on which Titanic was actually built.

If you are visiting Belfast this is a definite must see. It has some many different multi- media areas etc which tell the story of the construction of the ship. It includes a re-creation of the grand staircase which was in the centre of Titanic. The outside of the building is clad in metal shards and when the light plays on them it looks like the movement of water. From above the building resembles a white star, the symbol of the ship's operators - the White Star Line. Each of the sections of the star look like the prow of the ship when viewed from street level.
For many years Belfast did not tell Titanic's story from her point of view - the actual construction of the ship. ( an apocryphal story from the period tells of shipyard workers comments on the sinking: "Well she was all right when she left here!" ) However, the city has now embraced the story and is proud to celebrate her crucial part in it.