More Canvas For Brunel And John Hegley

Encouraged by The Big Draw, Robert’s commitment to involving local people of all ages in creative activity has brought dramatic changes to the museum’s surroundings.

Over four years, an unlovely wilderness has been transformed into a well-loved and used community garden with a growing number of functional features such as Brunel’s Ship of Blueprints – which doubles as a drawing table.

This year children were involved in designing and making a new café sign (with help from the blacksmith), and families decorated a huge sail raised in celebration above the ship sculpture.

Poet John Hegley was a star attraction at the Big Draw Fair, inspiring his audience to design a train, tunnel, hat or mug for Brunel.

Children made an impressive collage for the marquee based on the Thames Tunnel Fancy Fair, an annual feature in Victorian times.

They filled a gallery with 'I am Brunel' drawings, substituting their own portraits for Isambard’s under his famous stovepipe hat.

The party ended with a floodlit Underground tour of Brunel’s tunnel, and muffins at the museum.