I’ve had an interest in the Titanic since the age of 8 when Robert Ballard discovered her in September 1985. At that time I was really into building something out of nothing, constantly hassling my mother for the washing up liquid bottle as well as toilet rolls and cereal boxes. It was only natural that my new-found enthusiasm for this once great ship was to manifest itself into a model consisting of toilet rolls and cereal boxes!

Fast-forward some 12 years to 1997. At this stage in my life I was starting a degree at Northbrook College in film and video production when I saw James Cameron was producing a film based on the Titanic. I've always been a big fan of Cameron, Aliens and Terminator rank highly in my all time favourite films. Of course this much-talked about epic re-ignited my interest in the ship. This time in a quiet 8 weeks (when I probably should have been doing some college work) I built another model, this time a plastic one….

So in the last 8 years I've been reading up on the Titanic, its sister and its rivals, purely as an interest. Then one day in February a friend and I were doing a bit of family research and we stumble across a Frank John Goldsmith from Stood in Kent who died on the Titanic. Usually I'm quite a sceptic when it comes to things like this as a lot of people would jump straight to a conclusion. However, a lot of things did tie up. My grandfather was called Frank Goldsmith, He had a brother called John Edward, their father was called John. They originated from the same region of Kent … A family link or merely a consistence? We're still working on that one….

So we end up in April 2005. The History Channel are running a series of programmes about the Titanic to link in with the anniversary of its demise, as well as a competition. The prize? To win a trip down to the actual wreck! I had no hesitation in sending the answer to the question “In which year did it sink” via text message, purely because I couldn't be bothered to get up and use the home phone! Good job really, because if I had what has happened may not have happened!

So two or three weeks later I get a phone call. I was a little surprised when the voice on the other end said it was Dan Finch at The History Channel. He told me I'd been picked out of 30,000 entries to battle it out with 5 other finalists at the BAFTA building in London to win the trip! I couldn't believe it!

June 11th 2005 . My father, Danny, and I go up to London . We're the first there. It turns out that 1 of the finalists has dropped out due to work commitments and another has failed to show altogether. We're down to four…

So far two have turned up, neither of which I'm too worried about. Nice people though. Then a guy called Chris turns up with his rather pretty girlfriend. It turns out Chris has previous diving experience and from a television point of view, in my opinion, would come across well on the box. I'm now worried. During my life I've been used to getting my hopes up about things only for them to be dashed at the last second in some over the top way.

I'm the second to be interviewed by about 5 or 6 people and two cameras. It lasted about 20 nerve-racking minutes. In my opinion it could have gone better...

During the break Dad and I decided to go to the Titanic Exhibition just up the road at the Trocadero in Piccadilly. We wandered around that for an hour (which wasn't long enough) and went back for the second round. In this both Dad and I had to be interviewed at the same time. This went rather well as we both bounced off each other like we do in the pub. After that we had an hour wait. This hour was the longest of my life. Little scenarios fly round your head. It's hard not to feel optimistic, yet at the same time I was sure Chris had got it. He was sitting with his girlfriend almost praying for it.

I smoked a couple of cigarettes whilst gazing out the window at the passers by contemplating my life, past, present and future. Hell if I didn't get it I've had a good day, gone to the exhibition and met some interesting people.

If I did get it…good god what a dream. We get called back in the room and the finalists are sat at the front. By this point I'm shaking with nerves. The talking in the room almost ends up as a silent murmur in my head. Then suddenly I hear my name. Clear as a bell. I snap back into reality with everyone looking at me.

They say when you win an award you can't remember what you say or do, and I can't. I remember hugging my dad, shaking a lot but that's about it. I'd done it. I'd won the trip of a lifetime to see the ship I'd had a fascination for twenty years, I was going to TITANIC.