All At Sea: A Nautical Takeover

SE1's own secondary school, The London Nautical, will be taking over parts of the Southbank Centre site to bring elements of the Sea and River to life as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Festival of Britain. (The Sea formed a large area of the original Festival programme.)

Pupils from the school with its distinctive uniform will help visitors discover marine archaeology, have a chat with the river police, have a go at knotting, view a sailing display on the river, hear and join in nautical singing, poetry and drama, go back to the 50s on the river in film, and find out what it's like to go to sea.

There will also be rolling displays in one of the beach huts along the riverfront.

Y5 and Y6 pupils from Johanna Primary School will also be coming and joining in the fun of the day.

The London Nautical School was formed in 1915 as a direct recommendation of the enquiry into the sinking of the Titanic.

It is the only remaining school of the four originally set up, and, though today an ordinary state secondary, retains a nautical bias with all pupils learning to sail during their first year at the school.

The current First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, is an ex pupil.