Helen Bannigan
I am neither engineer, nor history buff, and I knew very little about the Brunel story when I began volunteering at the Brunel Museum at the end of 2023. But as I learned more about the compelling journey of the building of the Thames Tunnel and the lives of the people impacted by it, I got hooked.
As a professional Cultural Coach and Global Leadership Trainer, the story of French-born Brunel who was appointed Chief Engineer of NYC (my hometown) only to then move on to his illustrious career in England, I find the multicultural story riveting. Since my family now calls Rotherhithe home, I love how the Brunel story weaves its way through the local history of the neighbourhood, reflecting the fascinating context of Victorian London of the 1800s.
Alex Browne
My obsession with Bermondsey/Rotherhithe started with Ada Salter (the first female mayor in London) and has expanded quickly to Brunel and the Thames Tunnel. I’m passionate about local history and what it means for today – and am excited to be part of the tour-guiding team. Aside from this, I work as a Civil Servant and enjoy adventuring, open water swimming, and tormenting my friends with historical facts they didn’t ask for.
Kate Hicks
I moved to London in 2022 after living abroad for six years and was looking for a fun way to learn about my local area, Surrey Quays, while also working towards my pipe dream of becoming a city tour guide. Luckily for me (after a serendipitous google for “dog friendly museums in London”) I discovered the Brunel Museum on my doorstep!
While the history of London’s streets and transport systems drew me in initially, I’ve been fascinated to learn about the technology behind Brunel’s tunnel and how its legacy lives on in engineering today.
Gill Howard
A few years ago, I decided to have a complete change. After a long career creating new products for the food industry, I began working for a small local theatre and looking for volunteering opportunities; particularly ones associated with my passion for history and the local area. My husband and I took his uncle, a Professor of Engineering and big fan of IKB, to the nearby Brunel Museum. I picked up a flyer calling for volunteers and have been here ever since. I became fascinated by the story of the Tunnel and in the life and work of both Isambard and his father Sir Marc Brunel. I have read about them avidly and started my own small collection of Brunel memorabilia. I lead tours of historic Rotherhithe and of the museum, to spread the fascinating story of the world’s first tunnel under a navigable river and the life of the man who ‘built the world’!
Peter Jones
I began volunteering at the Museum after returning to Rotherhithe in 2018. It was not until returning after a twenty year absence, that I discovered the Brunel Museum and the national and international significance of Marc & Isambard’s first UK civil engineering project; the Thames Tunnel – the Victorian 8th Wonder of the World.
Originally from near Manchester, the heart of the industrial revolution, I have always been interested in our industrial and mechanical heritage. Therefore I was keen to volunteer at the Brunel Museum, learn about the Brunels and share my knowledge of this amazing local story. My interest in the Victorian era, its technology and politics also stems from my research into William Morris; in particular William Morris and Iceland.
Khalil Mohammed
After spending over 20 years as a quantitative hedge fund manager in the City and London’s West End, I semi-retired in 2016 and now spend my time volunteering for various charities including ones that help asylum seekers speak English and offer help to more needy members of society.
I have been resident on Rotherhithe Street for over 2 decades and have regularly walked past the Brunel Museum and it always intrigued me as an amazing dedication to the ingenuity and brilliance of the Brunel family. I always a connection with Brunel ever since I studied Aeronautical Engineering at Bristol University and was lucky enough to live in the shadows of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Volunteering at the Museum is very fulfilling since we can relay the incredible story of the Thames Tunnels to visitors as well as local school children; our next generation of potential engineers!
Jean Rogers
I’m a long time resident of this part of south east London with family connections here too. I’ve always loved this part of the river Thames for its beautiful views and fascinating history, so I’ve been thrilled to discover the extraordinary story of the Thames tunnel, which I’ve unknowingly been passing through in the train, from Rotherhithe to Wapping, for years and years. Who knew!
As a former teacher it’s been a special pleasure to welcome children and school trips to the Brunel Museum and to share with them the amazing achievement of this father and son team, Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who began this audacious project, the first ever tunnel under a river, over 200 years ago.
Mike Thatcher
I am a retired civil servant, not an engineer, but I do admire what engineers have done particularly the Victorians. I came across the museum by accident as many people do. The family story of the Brunel’s is as interesting as the engineering and is appreciated by visitors. I just enjoy telling it.
Keith Turpin
I am a lifelong Londonphile who had the good fortune, after taking early retirement, to take a course in London Studies at QMUL and to train as a London guide (with the Camden Tour Guides Association, and courses in Southwark and Tower Hamlets). I am particularly interested in Victorian London, its literature and social history.
My association with the Museum goes back to 2016 when I led tours in conjunction with London Walks that focussed on the Brunels’ London engineering projects & finished with a tour of the Tunnel shaft at the Museum. I have also researched and delivered walks exploring Rotherhithe and Southwark Park. I now volunteer at the Museum, writing occasional blogs and talks, and enjoy exploring and sharing the amazing Brunels’ story and its local context. I find it amazing that the Thames Tunnel was the only major project that Marc and his son Isambard worked on together and it nearly cost both of them their lives!
Andrea Vasel
I’ve been planning to become a tour guide for quite some time. When I found out that the Brunel Museum was looking for volunteers, I knew that this was the right place for me. By profession I’m a foreign language correspondent, an engineer and currently retraining as a culture & travel writer. I also write crime fiction.
From an engineering point of view, I think it’s absolutely amazing that the basis for Marc Brunel’s tunnelling shield is still used nowadays. And I love the fact that the Thames Tunnel project kickstarted Isambard’s career. The Brunel family itself is also endlessly fascinating. There are so many interesting stories to tell about them.
Cathy Wren
I live locally to the Museum, close to the river. I love to be amidst the trees and the green of the garden, to hear birdsong and watch the plants grow and the seasons pass. It’s so good to get my hands in the earth and to share this time with friends and visitors who delight in finding such a magical peaceful space .