Bringing life to Titanic Quarter as both minister and tour guide

The 43-year-old Church of Ireland minister – who previously served in Holywood and Larne – said that, with the exception of some developers, he has been one of the few people to watch Titanic grow around him after he took up the newly-created position of chaplain for the area.

“I’ve no family ties to the shipyard but it is an area that has fascinated me since I first came here,” he said.

“When I came here it was an abandoned shipyard.

“I saw the plans, the vision for the area, but that’s all it was – a vision.

“It was hard to imagine it being as busy as it is now.

“It’s been amazing to watch this vision become reality.

“As well as the developments there’s a growing sense of community.”

He said the Titanic Belfast museum was a focal point allowing for development of office space, accommodation, and amenities like bars, hotels, restaurants and shops.

This includes The Dock – the unlikely hub of his church – a cafe which promotes an ‘honesty box’ system of paying for goods based on how much you think they are worth and the service you receive.

Having set up a church, Mr Bennett went on to set up a new enterprise in 2014 using a system of trams to bring tourists around the area.

He explained: “What was happening back then in many cases was people were just coming to see the museum and then leaving without seeing anything else.

“The real gems down here are the things that are all around it – places like HMS Caroline, the Thompson Dock, the Harland and Wolff cranes.

“The idea of the ‘Wee Tram’ tour was to provide a way for people to step outside the area of the museum.”

He added: “I keep my roles very separate.

“No-one wants to be preached at when they’re on a tram tour.

“My job fundamentally is about bringing life to the area.

“I try to do that in my both roles, bringing colour and fun and interest where I can.

“I love seeing the smiles of the people on the tram with their dunchers [flat caps] on.”

Mr Bennett and his wife Susan will begin a year-long sabbatical on May 1: “The church and the tram are in good hands – this is the first time we’ve felt able to step away for a while.

“Susan and I are taking a year out to travel. We’ve no idea where to yet, but the campervan is ready to go.”

A WEE TRAM AFORE YE GO:

A ‘Wee Tram’ tour of the Titanic Quarter reveals some subtleties of the redeveloped area which may have escaped under the radar for many people.

For example, Chris explains how the alternating grass and wooden areas on the Olympic slipway near the museum have been landscaped to represent the number of people in each class who survived and perished in the Titanic disaster in 1912.

In terms of the best place to take tourists, Chris said: “My favourite place to take people is under the cranes. On very rare, special occasions you get to watch them as they move – it’s spectacular.”

He added: “We usually do six or seven tours a day, and during the summer season we operate seven days a week.

“The people on the tours come from absolutely and utterly everywhere. That’s the really exciting part.

“When I was growing up in Belfast I can’t remember meeting anybody of a different nationality.

“This is part of the masterplan of the Titanic Quarter. It is an attraction that transcends the Troubles.

“It’s intriguing for people of all walks of life from all over the world.”