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A pensioner visited an exhibition about the sinking of the Titanic – and spotted a photo of his grandfather.
The display attracted thousands of people to Herne Bay seafront during its nine-day stint at the King’s Hall.
Among them was resident Sidney Hearne, 86, who noticed a photograph of his grandad, Harry Corn, on promotional material at the entrance to the venue.
Organiser Gerald McCarthy told KentOnline: “He pointed out that that was his grandfather on the way in.
“He wasn’t aware his grandad would be pictured.
“It was a real shock and honour. He was treated like a hero.”
Mr Corn boarded the Titanic in Southampton on April 10, 1912, as a third-class passenger after being encouraged to go to America to improve his job prospects.
But the 30-year-old upholsterer, who was travelling on the ship alone, died during the disaster just four days into the voyage. His body was not recovered.
“Sidney was very moved by it,” Mr McCarthy continued.
“Once we had permission to tell the hall he was a relative of one of the passengers, he received a round of applause and people asked him about his grandfather.
“That was quite a moving moment for everyone.”
Called Titanic: Honour and Glory, the exhibition delved into the ship’s history and also revealed a number of its passengers’ local links.
The display included artefacts from the sunken liner, such as a night dress belonging to first-class passenger Margaret Welles Baron Swift.
There was also a selection of props used on the set of the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
And following the success of the event, Mr McCarthy has set his sights on hosting another exhibition at the King’s Hall.
“The numbers – around 8,000 people in nine days – took us by surprise,” he added.
“We also noticed from the bookings that many people had come from outside the area and stayed in accommodation, so hopefully there was a wider economic benefit.
“We may explore another exhibition there in the future, but I’m not entirely sure what.
“One thing that sprung to mind was an Egyptian exhibition – but there are all sorts of technical difficulties in terms of climate control and the floor being able to take heavy loads.”
