Jacky Barnes describes the project:     As  many of you will know we had some “change” from the Queen’s Peace Fountain Appeal, which the Charities Commission was anxious that we should spend. It was Jack Candy’s idea that the Society should fund a memorial to the Southampton based members of the crew of RMS Titanic who perished when she went down in April 1912. It was also Jack’s idea that it should reflect the memorial to Southampton’s World War II dead which stands outside the Mayor’s Parlour in the Civic Centre. And so we went ahead.

After ascertaining that the City would indeed like to receive such a memorial, plans were drawn up, and the necessary permissions sought and granted by English Heritage. Jack got some tenders for the plinth and cabinet, and engaged Blackwell and Moody to produce them. Jacky Barnes undertook the production of the memorial album, engaging a professional graphic designer (Ian Kirkpatrick) and a professional bookbinder (Katherine Anteney) to do the work.

All was finally completed by the end of March this year, and a date was set for the presentation of the feature to the City – 13^th April 2011. Members and guests met at the Mayor’s Parlour at 11.30. The Mayor (Cllr. Carole Cunio) made a short speech of welcome, and then the party walked round to the plinth, now installed outside the Council Chamber, with the Town Sergeant bearing the Book of Remembrance on a velvet cushion. Jack Candy spoke first, giving some background, and thanking all those involved before handing over the keys of the cabinet to the Mayor. Jacky Barnes then presented the Book of Remembrance, again thanking all those involved in its production, and reminding guests of the huge impact the death of so many ordinary working men had had on the city. The Rev Julian Davies then said a short prayer, and blessed the memorial. After that, we all repaired to the other side of the landing for a splendid buffet lunch.

It was particularly poignant that amongst those attending was Mr Eric Roberton, whose uncle had died in the disaster and whose name was in the book.   Image courtesy Arthur Jeffery

A note about the album:  The Book of Remembrance is a computer generated document – the design is contemporary with the times of the great liner, but the technology is all 21^st Century. A smaller copy of the list will be produced and placed in the Library’s Special Collections, with a CD, so that individual sections can be reproduced on request. It is hoped that a copy will also be placed in the new Sea Cities Museum.