Dan Snow dives in on wartime history

Dan Snow and Nick Hammond, a photo by Boxbrownie3 on Flickr.

National exposure for Attract client, The Flying Boat Centre aka Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust. Press/Public Relations is a low cost way of raising profile for small attractions on tight budgets but it requires well written press releases, good stories, persistence and an up to date circulation list. John Evans the Project Manager at PDST is an exemplar - not only an expert on all things to do with flying boats but also knows how to write good copy

Television presenter Dan Snow has taken the plunge on an unique aviation survivor in Pembrokeshire.

In challenging diving conditions, Dan joined members of the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust Dive Group to explore the wartime Sunderland flying boat which sank off the town 70 years ago.

He was filmed on the Sunderland - together with the Dive Group’s Nick Hammond - and the film will be shown on the BBC One prime time evening programme The One Show in September.

A film crew from 360 Production spent two days in Pembroke Dock. As well as diving on Sunderland T9044 - from the dive boat ‘Blue Thunder’ - they filmed at the Flying Boat Centre where Dan interviewed Wing Commander Derek Martin, Patron of the Sunderland Trust. In September 1940, just weeks before it sank, Wing Commander Martin flew T9044.

“Dan was amazed at what is left of our Sunderland,” said Nick Hammond, whose rediscovery of the wreck over ten years ago has led to the recovery of so many items from it.

“As so often when we dive on T9044, the conditions were difficult but Dan got a close view on part of the wreck and the cameraman had some good footage. We can’t wait to see The One Show programme.”

Anniversaries in 1912

Here's another anniversary for museums and attractions to consider for events next year - slightly tongue in cheek. It's apparently the 100th anniversary of sand dredging in the Bristol Channel on the 13th June 1912. We know that as Peter Gosson has just published a book on the subject and it's in two volumes and published by Amberley Publishing. So museums along the Bristol Channel Coast with links to maritime history, ships, shipbuilding construction etc could stage an exhibition. Charles Hill & Son, the ship builders located in Bristol Docks until the late 1960s, built many of the dredgers. If nothing else its the opportunity for museum shops to sell a few books.

Bristol Channel Dredger in the Avon Gorge