Naming Ceremony - RRS Sir David Attenborough

***This event is now SOLD OUT!***

Click 'Register' to join the waiting list for the event. For those who are unable to secure tickets, the event will be live streamed at the following link - www.bas.ac.uk/live

Tickets are currently available for "Ice Worlds" on Saturday 28th September - click here to book your tickets.

Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of British Antarctic Survey and Mr John Syvret CBE, Executive Chair at Cammell Laird invite you to celebrate the ceremonial naming of the RRS Sir David Attenborough on Thursday 26 September 2019 at Cammell Laird Shipyard in Birkenhead.

Tickets are FREE but you will need one to gain entry to the shipyard and to Ice Worlds - an exciting festival of discovery. You can book up to four tickets. Children under the age of 18 must have a ticket and be accompanied by an adult.

For security reasons adults will need to bring a photo ID. Bags may be searched. Please note that there will be no public access onboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough.

About the RRS Sir David Attenborough

This new polar research ship for Britain is one of the most advanced in the world. Commissioned by NERC, built by Cammell Laird and operated by British Antarctic Survey, the RRS Sir David Attenborough will transform how ship-borne science is conducted in the Polar Regions.

The ship is designed to provide UK polar researchers and their international collaborators with access to a state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary research platform that will enable them to investigate the role that polar oceans play in our changing world.

To celebrate the ceremonial naming we bring Antarctica and the Arctic to the Birkenhead shipyard. Step into 'Ice Worlds' - an exciting festival of discovery. Discover what life is like as a polar scientist or engineer. Learn what it takes to build a polar research ship. Find out why polar bears don’t eat penguins! Marvel at the amazing innovation that makes research in Antarctica and the Arctic possible. Be inspired – do you have what it takes to be a polar explorer, a scientist or an engineer?

Visit the Cool Store shop to check out our exclusive range of commemorative gifts. Grab a bite to eat at some of the Wirral's finest mobile catering vans.

Can't make Thursday? Then join us at Ice Worlds on Saturday 28th September. Follow this link

Planning your visit

Gates open at 11 am. Please bring your ticket with you (saved on your phone or a paper copy) allow time to go through ticket check.

Weather

Please check the weather forecast. You will be standing on the quayside to watch the ceremony so you may want to wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella – just in case! The Ice Worlds exhibition is under cover in a marquee. There are outside catering vans and outdoor exhibitions

Travel and parking

There is no public parking available at or near the shipyard. Long stay Council car parks are located in Birkenhead town centre, the largest of these being at Price Street, adjacent to Conway Park train station.

Public transport

Visitors are encouraged to use public transport wherever possible. The nearest Merseyrail station is Green Lane (Wirral Line), just a few minutes’ walk from the shipyard. Hamilton Square station is a 15-20 minute walk from the shipyard as is Woodside Ferry Terminal.

The region is well served by local bus routes.To plan your journey in advance, please check:

Train, ferry and bus routes and timetables

Council car parks in Birkenhead town centre