| Bank Holiday fun springs into life at Steam Museum |
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| Thursday, 23 March 2006 09:32 | |||
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Spring has sprung at the award winning Kew Bridge Steam Museum and that means a whole heap of fun for all the family. Young visitors especially are in for a treat during the coming Easter holidays, where a great selection of free Easter-related workshops are lined up, alongside encounters with Thomas Wicksteed on Sunday 16 April and Elizabeth Harvey on Monday 17 April. This weekend is also the last chance to see the blockbuster Wondrously Wacky Gadgets exhibition. There are a great
selection of interactive events including historic characters inhabiting the
museum who will engage older families with tales of the Victorian era
including; Thomas Wicksteed, consultant engineer to the Grand Junction
Waterworks Company whose vision shaped the museum as it is today and Elizabeth
Harvey, sister to George Banfield who was killed when the Maudslay engine was
undergoing one of its overhauls.
The Elizabeth Harvey character is centred
in 1861, the year after her brother-in-law George Banfield died. She chats
animatedly about the tragedy of his death, the pride she feels about her family
and their role in the history of the steam engineering industry. She talks
about the contributions they made through the building of the Cruquius engine
and the work they did for the pumping station at Kew Bridge.
Harvey of Hayle was the premier builder of Cornish pumping engines by this time
and they did so much work in London that they
had a London
office.
The Thomas Wicksteed character is based
around 1851 on the inauguration day of the completion of works on the Boulton
& Watt and Maudslay engines. He begins by illustrating the major
differences between the first engines, James Watts engines and the Cornish
style of pumping engines, going on to explain with pride the role he played in
the history of the Boulton & Watt engine and why he advised that the
company have the Grand Junction 90-inch engine built, and demonstrating the
Grand Junction 90-inch working. Wicksteed was a brilliant young engineer who
was responsible for the commissioning of the 90, and the redesign of the whole
pumping station.
Also on during this time:
The Cornish Engine Experience Weekend; April 15, 16 & 17
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