The owners of a Titanic-themed attraction at a Hertfordshire farm have defended the ride after criticism that it makes light of one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history.
The ride at Graveley Fruit Farm, near Hitchin, is designed to resemble RMS Titanic and raises one end of the replica ship before customers slide downwards, recreating the steep angle associated with the liner’s sinking.
More than 1,500 people died after Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912.
Despite comments on social media describing the farm attraction as “disrespectful” and “odd”, manager Will Campbell-Gray said there had never been any intention to mock those who lost their lives.
“We’re keeping the memory of Titanic alive and we’re not making fun of the dead at all.”
The farm estimates around 500 people use the attraction each day.
Ride Was Renamed After Initial Complaints
The Titanic ride was built last year using materials already available around the farm, including hoops previously used for strawberry polytunnels and the trailer from an old tipper lorry.
Campbell-Gray said the possibility of attracting criticism had not been considered when the attraction was created.
“It never even crossed our minds that there would be any backlash.”
Following complaints online, the farm initially responded by having new signage produced and renaming the attraction The Big Tipper.
However, Campbell-Gray said the decision to remove the Titanic branding resulted in an even stronger reaction from some members of the public.
“My wife, who does the social media, got threats… death threats saying that we should change it back.
“So we actually thought long and hard and thought, actually, we’re not making fun of the dead or anything.
“Actually it’s a nice thing to be a memory of the Titanic and keep the Titanic memory alive.”
The original Titanic name was subsequently restored.
Campbell-Gray has also argued that the unusual attraction has an educational benefit, particularly for children with a strong interest in the history of the ship.
“We’ve had autistic children who are obsessed with Titanic… they love coming here and going on it because they know all the facts and all the figures,” he said.
He said those visits demonstrated that the attraction could encourage younger visitors to learn more about Titanic rather than simply treating the sinking as entertainment.
Titanic Remains One Of History’s Best-Known Maritime Disasters
RMS Titanic was one of the largest passenger ships of its era, measuring approximately 269 metres long, 28 metres wide and more than 53 metres tall.
The liner took around three years to build and cost approximately £1.5 million at the time, equivalent to roughly £170 million in today’s money.
Titanic departed Southampton on its maiden voyage to New York before striking an iceberg on 14th April 1912. The ship sank in the early hours of 15th April, killing more than 1,500 passengers and crew.
More than a century later, the disaster continues to attract enormous public interest through museums, exhibitions, films, documentaries and research into both the ship itself and the people who were on board.
Campbell-Gray maintains that the Graveley Fruit Farm attraction should be viewed in that spirit, rather than as an attempt to trivialise the deaths.
“We’re keeping the memory of Titanic alive and we’re not making fun of the dead at all.”
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