With West End and Broadway success story, Titanic The Musical, currently stirring the emotions on our Main Stage, we look back on the fascinating story of Birmingham’s own historic links to the most legendary ship in the world…

  • Among the parts of the ship supplied by West Midlands manufacturers were steam exhaust pipes from Thomas Pigot of Spring Hill, life-boat davits from Brierley Hill, safes from Thomas Perry & Son, an iron forge in Bilston and beds, cots and mattresses from Hoskins and Sewell of Bordersley.
  • Of the 2,200 souls that boarded the fateful White Star Line on 14 April 1912, just six crew members and eleven passengers originated from Birmingham. Among those on board was the leading industrialist William Edward Hipkins who grew up in Nechells. William helped transform W&T Avery Limited from a small-scale maker of scales into the world’s largest manufacturer of weighing machines.
  • Beyond the Birmingham border… the Titanic’s anchors, which weighed in at an impressive 16 tonnes, began life in Netherton (a major chain and anchor making base in Britain during the Industrial era) courtesy of local manufacturers Noah Hingley & Sons ironworks. A replica of the anchor still stands in the town to this day.
  • Alongside more functional items, the Titanic was also home to a vast selection of luxury goods including cut glass tableware from Wordsley’s Stuart Crystal in Stourbridge, one of the leading producers of glassware in the world at the time. A selection of original uniform buttons, made by Birmingham-based company Firmin and Sons, were also salvaged from the wreck in 1987.
  • A statue to Titanic Commander Edward Smith has stood in Lichfield, Staffordshire for over a century. According to local historians, Lichfield was seen as an ideal location due to it being a major coaching route between London and Liverpool – and thus a good place for American tourists to pay their respects to the man who went down with his ship.

Titanic The Musical runs at Birmingham Hippodrome until Sat 9 June. For tickets, call our Information and Sales team on 0844 338 5000 or visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com