Sail Trainees who will head to Esbjerg as part of The Tall Ships Races Sunderland 2018 this summer enjoyed a morning discovering all about their home port.
The group had fun visiting Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens for a fact-finding team activity and a guided tour of The Port 300 exhibition which is currently on display. The exhibition is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the Roker Pier and Lighthouse restoration project and with support from Sunderland City Council.
Sunderland City Council’s portfolio holder for Public Health, Wellness and Culture, Councillor John Kelly said: ”I am pleased so many of the Sail Trainees took this fantastic opportunity to learn more about The Port of Sunderland, its history and its role in shaping our city.
“As our riverside developed to meet the need to transport coal from the Durham coalfield, it led to Sunderland becoming one of the UK’s leading coal exporting ports and achieving international recognition as the largest shipbuilding town in the world. I encourage anyone who hasn’t had the chance to visit the exhibition to go along and find out more about our fantastic port.”
The Port 300 exhibition runs until Sunday, February 25, 2018 and tells the important and fascinating story of how The Port of Sunderland developed into a major trading port following the creation of the River Wear Commissioners in 1717, and the economic and industrial success that followed.
Exhibits include paintings and prints, maps, photographs, documents, objects and models from the Museum’s own extensive collections as well as a specially commissioned short film.
Curtis Lawton is a Sail Trainee sponsored by Sunderland East Area Committee SIB Fund. He’s enjoying the Sunderland Sail Trainee Programme so far and visited Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens along with other Sail Trainees as part of the programme.
“I’ve had a great time today finding out about the history of Sunderland and in particular the Port which is somewhere I didn’t know much about, it really does have a fascinating history with some real characters living and working in the area. I’d say to anyone that hasn’t visited Port 300 to take a look, I certainly wasn’t disappointed!”
“It’s great to have a get together with other people that will be sailing on the ships in July, everyone is getting excited now, I can’t wait and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be involved!”
For further details on all activities at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens go to http://www.
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