The London Museum Docklands opened its new exhibition ‘Secrets of the Thames: mudlarking London’s lost treasures’ last week. It’s an exquisite exhibition focused on fascinating archaeological objects found on the Thames foreshore and the role of the “mudlarks” who found them and continue to expose thousands of...
This is a set of 1/5th scale French siege mortars from the 19th century. They are in the 1,000-piece collection of artillery models at the Musée de l’Armée – Invalides in Paris. Models like this were made for a number of reasons; as royal gifts, as design...
One of the world’s most valuable watches will go on display for the first time in the UK in a new exhibition: Versailles: Science and Splendour, which opens on 12 December at the Science Museum in London. The No.160 watch by Abraham-Louis Breguet – named ‘Marie Antoinette’...
The Dunkirk Maritime and Port Museum (Musée Maritime & Portuaire de Dunkerque) tells the history of France’s third largest port, its workers, its ships, and its seamen. “Wait! What? Third largest?” That may come as a surprise to some, because to most people, especially anglophiles, Dunkerque or...
Not many people outside France have heard of Puy du Fou*. Those international visitors who discover it, almost always become fans for life. The 500 acre park in the Vendée region of France, packed with extraordinary attractions, refers to itself as a historical ‘theme park’ with period...
Dondi’s Astrarium is considered to be the very first mechanical planetary clock. It was designed in Italy at the end of the 14th century by Giovanni Dondi (1330-1388) who created this large brass mechanism, roughly a metre tall, to automate the complex calculations necessary to create horoscopes....
The Fontinettes Boat Lift (Ascenseur à bateaux des Fontinettes) in Arques, Pas-de-Calais. is a magnificent piece of 19th century engineering and architecture. It was built in the late 19th century at Fontinettes* to replace a set of five locks on the Neuffossé canal which linked/s the canalised...
The Musée des Arts et Métiers (Museum of Arts and Crafts) in Paris is almost the French equivalent of the Science Museum in London, and it is absolutely packed with the most fascinating historic, scientific, mechanical, experimental and industrial exhibits. Be prepared to allocate plenty of time...
Welsh Culture Secretary Lesley Griffiths visited the National Slate Museum in Llanberis this week to see how redevelopment work is progressing. Welsh Government funding of more than £1m has already helped progress the redevelopment, including maximising museum space for collections and activities and ensuring there is appropriate...
The Last Hill is a new book by Robert Drury and Tom Clavin about a little-known fierce battle fought in December 1944 to capture a strategic hill in the Hürtgen Forest on Germany’s border. The 400 metre (1,315ft) steep-sided ‘Hill 400‘ lies 5 kilometres inside the German...
The famous toy brand, Matchbox®, now owned by Mattel, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. It’s not obviously ‘cornerstone content’ for Mechtraveller, but it does have a military history and engineering aspect to it… and seriously, who doesn’t love Matchbox vehicles?! It started with engineer Jack...
A piece of wreckage, thought to be from HMS Campbeltown was discovered in 2020 on the seabed and is now awaiting a new home. Other Saint-Nazaire Posts Operation Chariot Battlefield Trail in Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire Mystery Wreckage Submarine Espadon – Museum Ship EOL Centre éolien – Learning Centre...
On 28 March 1942, the Royal Navy and British Commandos attacked the docks at Saint-Nazaire in what became known as ‘The Greatest Raid of All’. The targets of the amphibious assault, Operation Chariot, and the key locations of the onshore skirmishes are still there, and Saint-Nazaire Tourisme...
Escal’Atlantic is a visitor experience, recalling the heyday of the great French liners or “paquebots” (mailships)* that carried mail and passengers across the Atlantic, and around the world, at speed and in style. The experience recreates a classic passenger liner using sets and artefacts based on some...
This is a niche blog about technically-minded travel. It reflects my own interests in the mechanical, technical, historical, engineering, transport and military world.
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