BRITAIN'S only living survivor of the sinking of Titanic has opened an exhibition marking the 90th anniversary of the tragedy.

Milvina Dean was only nine weeks old when the massive liner hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic on April 15 1912, and sank, claiming the lives of 1,500 people including her father.

Miss Dean, 90, who lives in Ashurst in the New Forest, was in Southampton for the opening of Titanic Voices - an exhibition at the Maritime Museum in Bugle Street.

She said: "I'm always amazed by the amount of interest people show. But I'm sure it will continue as children are still fascinated by the tragedy, and interest will go on for a while longer.

"I'm very pleased I was invited here, and love speaking to people about the ship."

Asked if she ever became tired of people questioning her about the Titanic, she added: "No, not at all. I'm flattered that people want to know more, but I was so young at the time and it's a long time ago that its hard to remember sometimes."

The exhibition features an array of detailed models and fact files, outlining step by step the ill-fated voyage of the biggest and most technologically advanced ship of the day. There are also masses of accounts by survivors, families of victims and those related to people who helped design the ship, both structurally and internally. It also features images from the interior of Titanic's sister ship, Olympic, and an audio-visual presentation allowing visitors to see and hear accounts from people who remember the event.

Among those also present for the opening, was 73-year-old Dorothy Dyke who has donated a family photograph to the exhibition.

The picture shows Dorothy's mother as a baby in 1911, cradled between her two uncles, both of whom went to sea with Titanic, and escaped after luckily being chosen as oarsman for the lifeboats.

Councillor Derek Burke, Cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said: "A few years ago when we were planning the anniversary, we decided not to have a celebration as so many people died, but that this exhibition would be the best way to mark the tragedy.

"This museum will not be closing, and let's hope that from today more and more people will come and visit not just because of Titanic, but of Southampton's maritime history."

- Originally published April 2002.