I recently had the pleasure of being given a backstage tour of the Spirit Of Britain, which is a fairly damn impressive piece of nautical engineering.

All things considered, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The only opportunity there was to tour the engine room and the bridge would be whilst in dock : therefore I went to France to work for the day, whilst also being trained in all manner of fascinating professional stuff. And, given that I was provided a thorough overview of how the ship operates, the overview of how a floating city of up to 2,300 people works was actually a brilliant oversight. At one point I said "This would make a great TV show."

Fountain at Dover seafront.

Leaving port.

The white cliffs of Dover, as we leave.

This is the Calais view from the Captains seat on the bridge. The bridge holds with it a fascinating set of ideas : ultimately, its the drivers seat for a very big vehicle.

Captains hat on the bridge.

Control Panel.

You can guess what these do.

Tachograph.

More of the bridge.

This is the central drive shaft, that is two feet wide. BIG.

This is where I was : next to the main electric switch room. A lot of electricity.

That much.

Anonymous view of the engine room.

Model of the ship.