New £7 million Brunel exhibition for SS Great Britain

Plans for the final stage of an exhibition to mark the life and works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, next to the SS Great Britain in Bristol, have made two big strides forward. The Heritage Lottery Fund has agreed "in principle" to give £4.75 million to the project - more than half the total cost - and the Duke of York has now launched an appeal for much of the rest.

Together with a donation of half a million pounds from Clive and Sylvia Richards - who are also donating their collection of Brunel artefacts - the exhibition, to be known as "Being Brunel" is well on the way to its target of £7 million pounds. £1.4 million remains outstanding.

The aim is to convert disused buildings next to Brunel's historic ship - one of which was his original drawing office. Visitors will be able to walk inside a giant mock-up of Brunel's head, and in the words of the publicity brochure, "immerse themselves in the engineer's life and times, learn about his mistakes and celebrate his successes, compare their own skills to his, and relate his achievements to the modern world".

Many objects not previously seen in public will also be on display for the first time. The Duke of York - whose father, the Duke of Edinburgh, led the campaign to return the SS Great Britain from the Falklands - launched the latest appeal at St James's Palace last night. He told us that he hopes the exhibition will inspire a new generation of engineers.