Tickets for the naming ceremony for the £200m polar research vessel at the Birkenhead shipyard are free but must be booked in advance. Tony McDonough reports

Cammell Laird and the British Antarctic Survey is inviting members of the public to its Birkenhead shipyard for the naming ceremony for the £200m polar research vessel RSS Sir David Attenborough.

Tickets for the ceremony on Thursday, September 26, are free but people have to book in advance. The ceremony is the highlight of a three-day celebration of UK science, engineering, and shipbuilding and expected to attract thousands of people.

RRS Sir David Attenborough is one of the most advanced vessels of its kind in the world. Commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council, built by Cammell Laird and operated by British Antarctic Survey, the vessel will transform ship-borne science in Antarctica and the Arctic.

It will provide UK polar researchers and their international collaborators with access to a hi-tech multi-disciplinary research platform that will enable them to investigate the role that polar oceans play in our changing world.

Cammell Laird is stressing there will be no entry on the day without a ticket and there will be no public access on board the vessel. A spokesperson for the company added: “Please check the weather forecast. You will be standing on the quayside to watch the ceremony so you may want to wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella – just in case.”

Click here to book your free tickets for the ceremony

The public is also invited to the Ice Worlds family day on Saturday, September 28, where you can step inside a huge marquee to discover what life is like as a polar scientist or engineer. Learn what it takes to build a polar research ship. To book free tickets for this event click here