An iconic Bristol shipyard has sparked fury after removing 'Great Britain' from its name, with critics accusing it of succumbing to the 'woke mind virus'. The dockland, home to the historic ocean liner SS Great Britain designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, has been known as Brunel's SS Great Britain for a decade. However, the site will now rebrand as Bristol Dockyards, dropping both the country and ship name.
CEO defends rebranding as 'inclusive'
Andrew Edwards, chief executive of the SS Great Britain Trust, anticipated backlash, calling the move 'woke' but necessary. 'Change is never easy. You'll always get those that are resistant, but when we were shaping the vision, I tried to take stock of where the city was and what the city was all about,' he told the Guardian. Edwards said the site should have a 'cool' name reflecting Bristol's modern identity, avoiding 'stereotypical ideas of what a maritime museum should look like'.
Social media backlash
While some support the change, thousands have criticised it online. One Facebook user fumed: 'Absolutely diabolical changing the name.' A GB News reader added: 'You have to be effing joking!!! What a bunch of seriously Woke clowns,' while another called it 'pathetic'. The CEO acknowledged the criticism but emphasised the need to represent diversity. 'We live in a very diverse world and we live in a very diverse city in Bristol. I believe the role of organisations like us is to represent that diversity as best we can,' he said.
New focus on broader history
The rebranded Bristol Dockyards museum, opening in July, will shift from solely celebrating Brunel's engineering feat to telling stories of people impacted by the ship, including indigenous Australians. The vessel completed 32 round-trips between Britain and Melbourne. The museum will also feature research by community groups linked to the ship's history. Edwards said the site will openly discuss the SS Great Britain's role in the British Empire and invite conversations about migration.
