LAST MEETINGS

The Annual Cricket Match at Comber  8^th June 2009

Members of the Belfast Titanic Society gathered at Comber, where Thomas Andrews played, for the annual cricket game against North Down. The evening was blessed with glorious sunshine but not much heat. Excitement was intense as Society members (and youthful guest players!) chased a very high score from the home team who batted first. Into the last ‘over’, the teams could not have been closer, with a 4 needed from the last ball of the game to achieve victory. Despite the efforts of the final pair of batsmen, the final score was 98 to 97 for North Down, signalling a win for the home team who were then presented with the ‘new’ trophy. This ‘wonderful’ cup had been ‘sourced’ in Barcelona by BTTS team manager Bryan Patterson, ( full story in next issue of CQD). The evening finished off with a well deserved BBQ.

Photographs courtesy Joseph Cohen, Society photographer

11th May 2009

Belfast Titanic Society

AGM

On Monday the 11th May 2009 we held our AGM onboard Nomadic. A good turnout of members ensured a warm and vibrant meeting and the successful election of new office bearers; a list of which will be published soon.   (Pictures courtesy of Joseph Cohen.)

Our President, John Andrews.

Our Chairman, Una Reilly opens the meeting.

The steering committee.

Norman asking a question.

Members on a tour of Nomadic.

9th February 2009

The Works of Rosamond Praeger

Despite a threat of bad weather, there was a very good turn out for the February meeting of the Society, held in Inst.

The evening was about "The Titanic Legacy of Rosamond Praeger", a very apt title as we learnt a great deal about this very prolific artist who produced a 'titanic' amount of work but was not recognized for her true worth in the country of her birth, Ireland. The very entertaining illustrated talk was delivered by Dr Joseph McBrinn who lectures in Visual & Material Culture at the School of Art, the University of Ulster. He very much brought the character of this amazing lady to life.

Sophia Rosamond Praeger was born in Holywood, Co Down, Northern Ireland. She was the younger sister of the internationally renowned naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger and the National Botanical Gardens in Glasnevin Dublin has several pen and ink line drawings of flora by her.
Ms Praeger, who never married, was educated at Sullivan School, the Belfast School of Art and for four years studied at the Slade School of Art in London. She also studied art in Paris.

Though she wrote and illustrated children’s books, she is best known as a sculptress
Amongst her many works are The Philosopher (which was shown at the Royal Academy) and her well-loved Johnny The Jig is to be seen in Holywood, Co. Down, (between the Maypole and the Priory).

Some of her most acclaimed work was commissioned by, amongst others, the Andrews family, including the Andrews Memorial Hall in Comber and the Workman & Clark War Memorial which now is situated on the Pump House at the Thompson Dry Dock. She also produced the memorial to Thomas Andrews in the Ulster Reform Club in Belfast.

It was a very informative meeting, enjoyed by all those who attended