Maritime heritage at University's Community Open House event

Plymouth’s maritime heritage is to be the main focus of this year’s Community Open House at Plymouth University.

The event will feature a range of marine related interactive activities, alongside historical maritime artefacts, to provide fun and interest for the whole family.

Being held on Saturday 18 May, it will showcase work carried out by the University’s COAST research group, and feature a demonstration of the cutting edge navigation simulator.

It will also feature an exhibition of Sea Portraits, a series of photographs and interviews with some of the fascinating people who have a deep connection with Plymouth and the sea.

Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth University, said: “Events like the Open House are an opportunity for us to further engage with our local community. They are a chance for us to show residents and organisations some of the fascinating research and developments taking place right on their doorstep, and how they can play a part in our continued success. Plymouth is a city with a rich maritime and marine heritage, and the University has a role to play in ensuring that is continued for future generations.”

With May also being Plymouth History Month, there will be displays of antique navigational charts which are normally housed in Plymouth City Museum.

The Open House event has been held annually since 2007, with themes chosen to complement the city’s Lord Mayor’s Day Parade. The 2013 parade will also feature characters and costumes from local schools and groups, including a recreation of ‘Cattedown Man’, whose 140,000-year-old bones were found in a city cave in the late 19th century.

Open House also marks the start of the University’s Adult Learners’ Week, which represents an opportunity for individuals and organisations to celebrate the benefits of lifelong learning and find out how they might be able to further their own education.

For more information about all the events, visit www.plymouth.ac.uk.