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Isambards go free at SS Great Britain
As whole playgrounds of heads turn in sync to a joyful cry of one of 2012’s most popular baby names, spare a thought for the one and only Isambard, getting shunned from parties because no one can spell his name on the invitation. But fear not, as he’ll soon get his chance to shine: the doors will soon fling open to him and anyone else whose parents had a penchant for 19th-century engineers when filling out the birth certificate.
To celebrate what would have been the 212th birthday of engineering maverick Isambard Kingdom Brunel, designer of the Clifton Suspension Bridge among many other world-leading projects, the SS Great Britain are offering free entry to anyone named Isambard for the foreseeable future. On producing photo ID when they visit the attraction on April 9 they will be granted access to the attraction, including the recently-opened Being Brunel exhibition, a multi-million-pound new museum dedicated to the man himself.
Two such Isambards who first met at the SS Great Britain in 2014 – pictured above – will be at the birthday celebrations to cut a birthday cake on behalf of their famous namesake, and to explore the new museum, which allows visitors (even those of us with everyday names) literally inside the head of the great man.
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Whether this will mean a resurgence in popularity for the name, which derives from the Ancient Germanic for ‘iron giant’, and which several baby name websites suggest can be shortened to ‘Sam’ or the slightly more unsual ‘Bardy’, remains to be seen.
Find out more about the ship and the special birthday events taking place on April 9 by visiting www.ssgreatbritain.org
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