PUPILS from Shebbear College Prep School have been learning all about the Titanic recently as part of their history studies.

The Year 6 students learned in great detail about the design and building of the ship, the shortfalls of the designers and the mistakes made on her maiden voyage which led to the disaster.

Their lessons involved a presentation by the college’s marketing manager, Mark Charman, about his friendship with youngest passenger and last survivor Millvina Dean before her death in 2009.

A school spokesperson said that the Titanic was always an emotive and popular subject. The children were fascinated to learn about the lady who was only two months old at the time and lost her father when the ship went down.

Mr Charman also showed them a painting by his own father, the renowned marine artist Rodney Charman, which depicts Titanic edging away from Southampton dockside at the start of her ill-fated maiden voyage.