10 questions with Bristol Dockyards
My first memory of the SS Great Britain is, aged 10, trooping from one room to another within the great ship. I remember feeling mildly awed by the size of it, unable to believe such a thing could float on water. Since then, despite not remembering much more than that, like many locals, my fondness for the icon has remained.
Given the fact that the SS Great Britain didn’t return to Bristol for 126 years after it’s voyage - instead spending time in everywhere from Liverpool to India to Australia and ultimately being grounded in the Falklands - the place that this ship holds in the cultural landscape of Bristol is an interesting one.
And perhaps the reason for this is not just the ship, but the man behind the ship. The one with the top hat looking blistering with smoke unfurling from his lips in front of giant chains - Brunel; a man who has shaped so much of our landscape from the Suspension Bridge to Paddington Station to the GWR.
It’s easy to not give much thought to aspects that just become a backdrop of the Bristol life. Who of us locals hasn’t taken our grandparents, aunts, cousins, uni friends, to visit the bridge? Who of us hasn’t waited for 5 hours and 27 minutes for a delayed train at Bath station? Or looked across the Harbourside and seen the SS Great Britain standing gorgeously in the sunshine (or, more commonly grey sky? It’s easy to forget the life behind all of this. To never imagine this now still ship being built, alive with the clang of thunderous metal, or surging through the sea with all its many glorious - and sometimes strained - lives inside it. Or, indeed to never imagine Brunel walking and talking with dreams and relationships and fears and doubts in his head.
But, that is what the Bristol Dockyards does so beautifully. It achieves what good museums - in my mind - should all do. It breathes life and story to the legend.
It is my privilege, not just as a 29 year old woman, but as a little girl who has wondered round the ship, to introduce the next star of our 10 Questions With… the Bristol Dockyards, previously known as SS Great Britain (with questions kindly answered from Joe, the Visitor Experience Assistant and Public Engagement Coordinator!)
I’m Joe and have been working in various capacities at Bristol Dockyards for just over 7 years. Chiefly, I am 'Mr Brunel,' the chap you may have met when visiting or seen prancing around on social media, though I also work as part of the Visitor Experience team.I am rarely not busy with something and possess Bristol's most iconic sideburns.
1. I’ve been to the dockyards when I was 12, when I was 18 and, now, again when I’m 29. You’ve been here a long time… How has designing an exhibition changed over the years?
Designing museums is such a privilege and a lot of fun. Fundamentally, good museum design is about great storytelling, whatever the era. We have an abundance of great stories from the shipbuilders who were creating something extraordinary to the passengers and crew who travelled on the ship across its working life.
However, it’s also important to respond to the ways people consume media and information today. For the new museum, we wanted everyone to be able to access and understand the stories we were telling - so we tested everything with audiences, from the style of the infographics to the terminology used in the text. This helped us tell those stories simply and clearly. We also wanted to create content that feels familiar to contemporary audiences, so we included short videos using actors to bring real people to life – we like to think of them as the YouTube stars of the past!
2. You’ve put so much effort into re-energising the Dockyards. What was your main priority when it came to your projects such as the new museum?
One of the projects we’re most proud of is our work with local Bristol communities to tell new and different stories. Over the past five years, we’ve worked closely with communities across the city to better embed diverse perspectives across the organisation. We’ve assembled a brilliant team of community researchers, who have uncovered new stories to share in the museum. We wanted their voices and contributions to feel authentic, and to allow time and space for discussion and feedback throughout the development process. The result has been thrilling to see. There are so many stories that would not have been told without the group’s curiosity, tenacity and passion.
3. What’s your favourite - and most underrated - Brunel or SS Great Britain fact?
Brunel relentlessly strove for excellence in everything he did and wanted all his projects to be as good as they could possibly be. He famously said of his proposed line for the Great Western Railway "the route I will survey will not be the cheapest – but it will be the best." He could have made significantly more money from his work if he had habitually settled for second best, but to Brunel, money was secondary to doing something properly.
With respect to the SS Great Britain, I struggle to look past the very fact that nearly every vessel afloat today, from a fishing boat off the coast of Cornwall to a super tanker that may or may not be blocking the Suez Canal, can trace its genealogy back to the SS Great Britain. It was the biggest leap forward in maritime technology for hundreds of years and remains the blueprint for shipbuilding today: metal hull, engine and propeller.
4. One thing that really struck me was the effort you’ve put into the new museum’s research into the history of the ship and the lives involved. For example, there is the research led by Tarjinder Kaur into the ship’s role in India, and the impact its passengers had on the displacement of First Nations peoples in Australia. What is one individual story you’ve uncovered during your research that has really stayed with you?
We’ve all been fascinated by the story of a passenger who was commonly referred to as ‘Barber Jones’. Originally from Barbados, he travelled on the ship, offering his barber services to the other gents aboard. Stories from the archives tell us that he would even ‘sweet talk’ his way into the First-Class Dining Saloon for the best grub.
Fresh research from one of our community members, Shani Whyte, has really shone a spotlight on this remarkable man, officially named as James W. Jones. His story mirrors that of thousands of immigrants today: moving continents to find a better life and employment, while navigating and responding to a new cultural landscape. His spirit, humour and tenacity stay with everyone.
5. What’s a feature of modern life that you think Brunel would have loved?
I think there would likely be three tussling contenders – and simply cannot choose one. Firstly, the internet. Brunel was a good friend of the "father of the computer" Charles Babbage, so would have been aware of computing developments at the time – especially the programming work of Ada Lovelace. To see its modern counterpart, and our utter reliance on it, would no doubt blow his enormous stovepipe hat clean off.
Secondly, aircraft. Brunel pioneered reliable transcontinental travel with his steamships the Great Western, Great Britain and Great Eastern. They transported people across the world quickly, safely and to a timetable – something we now achieve with aeroplanes.
Finally, photography. Brunel was an early adopter of the technology and the subject of arguably the most famous photograph of the 19th Century. Standing in front of those enormous chains, photographer Robert Howlett would have needed Brunel to stay still for around 30 seconds, so to see how quickly we take photos now, and how much a part of our lives photography is today would certainly give him a kick.
6. Why did you decide to rename the site from SS Great Britain to Bristol Dockyards?
We’ve had years of feedback from audiences suggesting that people think what we offer is ‘just a ship’. Naming the experience after one object was preventing people from visiting, so we felt a more expansive name would better reflect our full offer: several museums, an amazing collection, community and education spaces, and a programme of cultural events and experiences. We also sought inspiration from other maritime organisations, such as Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Chatham Historic Dockyard. We hope the new name will better reflect everything we have to offer and make people feel curious to visit!
7. Whilst there we noticed a sea shanty event and even a beautiful restaurant within the ship itself - what is an event or project you hold that you wish more people knew about?
Selfishly I would suggest my own superb Walking Brunel's Bristol tour. But leaving my ego aside for a moment, I would say a compound of weekend wonders: Live music on Saturdays in The Boardwalk and our monthly Sunday roasts in the First-Class Dining Saloon. Both are excellent and run by our marvellous events team.
Joe’s walking tour!
8. Was it true Brunel smoked 43 cigars a day? (He would have loved a Bristol night out)
Pretty much spot on. We do know that for nearly all his adult life, Brunel had a frankly astonishing habit of 40 cigars per day – we even have one of his cigar cases in our Being Brunel Museum.
9. What events do you have coming up?
For Christmas 2026, we’re hosting Sailing the Stars - another immersive sound and light experience, following the success of last year’s installation in the Dry Dock. This time, we’re exploring the celestial phenomena that passengers and crew would have experienced on their midnight journeys across the ocean, and the entire site is getting a starry makeover. It will be a genuinely magical experience for the whole family. In early 2027, we’re bringing back Ocean Photographer of the Year. Our programming team are always dreaming up inventive ways for visitors to experience the ship – there's always something exciting happening.
10. After the SS Great Britain left Bristol, it didn’t return for 126 years. Despite that, after being grounded in the Falklands it was brought back by Bristolian effort. What is it about the ship that keeps is so beloved by the people of Bristol?
Every day at the ship we have visitors joyously recall their experiences of seeing the ship come up the river, underneath the Suspension Bridge for the only time in history – and as someone who wasn't born for another 28 years, I grab energy from these stories in handfuls.
11. Bonus question. In the historical souvenirs section we noticed everything from a gorgeous paper peep show to a 2006 “Fizzambard” sparkling water. What would be your dream Brunel merch?
I have occasionally thought about this very subject and concluded on an answer some years ago – Lego ships. I know Brunel would have approved of Lego, so, if I could manage to persuade them, I'd have Lego release a trio of sets: SS Great Western, SS Great Britain and SS Great Eastern. They released a Lego RMS Titanic so there is precedent…
To buy a ticket, or find out more about the Bristol Dockyards, go to their website.
Questions by Mag founder, Jess Blackwell
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