The Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine’s Harbourside will host a day of family fun and a very special evening of glamour, music and dance as they celebrate this year’s Festival of Museums later this month.

Scotland’s only professional vintage dance company, Fly Right Dance will kick up a storm as they get everyone up on the dancefloor to Jitterbug, Charleston and Lindy Hop at the 1930s themed evening: Style at Sea: A Night of Cocktails, Glamour and Dancing.

Guests at the ticketed evening, which will take place in the vast, glass-roofed Linthouse between 7.30pm to 10.30pm on Saturday, May 20, will also enjoy sipping stylish cocktails mixed at the in-house bar and dancing the night away to the tunes of Jon Ritchie’s Swing Sensation.

The glamorous team from Glasgow’s Pin Up Vintage Hair and Make Up will also be on hand with some top tips for getting that
elegant vintage look which guests can then capture in the Bygone Photobooth.

Earlier that day, between 11am and 3pm, there will be lots of family fun with some great Style at Sea themed activities and crafts.

Chris Walker, events and exhibitions officer at the Scottish Maritime Museum, said: “Whether guests immerse themselves in the 1930s experience, dressing up in vintage clothes and following the high energy steps of Fly Right Dance or simply sip cocktails and tap their toes to some great music, it’s going to be a fun and memorable evening for all.”

Both Festival of Museums events on Saturday, May 20 complement the Scottish Maritime Museum’s summer exhibition, ‘Style at Sea’, which is now open.

‘Style at Sea’, which runs until Monday, September 25, tells the story of the Cunard Line and Clydebank shipbuilder John Brown and Company, which together gave the world some of the most famous and luxurious liners of the 20th century. 

The twisting tale explores how these magnificent Clyde-built Cunard ships evolved from immigrant passenger boats to opulent floating palaces, attracting Hollywood glamour and royalty who flocked to enjoy their luxury and legendary service.

The exhibition also looks at how these state of the art vessels served in wartime outrunning the enemy with their sheer speed. It concludes with the world’s most iconic, and last, great liner, the QE2, which set sail 50 years ago this September.

‘Style at Sea’ also offers visitors a rare opportunity to view the famous QE2 Ward Room Book, which was signed by those dining with the Captain.

The who’s who, which is part of the Museum’s nationally important maritime heritage collection, includes the signatures of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Gracie Fields, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Nelson Mandela amongst others.

On show too are fabulous outfits reminiscent of those worn onboard courtesy of The Museum of Ayrshire Country Life and Costume at Dalgarven Mill.

Festival of Museums - Style at Sea Family Day.
Saturday, May 20, 11am – 3pm.
Up to three children go free with each adult admission.
Festival of Museums – ‘Style at Sea: A Night of Cocktails, Dancing and Glamour’.
Saturday, May 20, 7.30pm – 10.30pm.
Admission: £15 which includes two complementary cocktails.
Tickets available online on Eventbrite or by telephoning the Scottish Maritime Museum on 01294 278283. Booking fees may apply.