A large-scale Titanic exhibition has opened at the Royal Armouries in Leeds ahead of its onward sailing to Manchester this July.

And the first Briton ever to dive to the wreck, ex-Army man, Dik Barton from West Yorkshire, has given the stunning event his personal seal of approval, attending the formal opening this week.

Taking place in New Dock Hall until April 20th, the exhibition documents the story of the RMS Titanic, from its design and construction at Belfast’s Harland & Wolff shipbuilding yard, through to its fateful voyage, sinking on April 15th 1912 and subsequent legacy.

Dik, who grew up in Leeds and dived to the wreck of the iconic ship, located off Canada’s Newfoundland coast, numerous times, said: “This is a stunning exhibition put together by Tom Rudderham and his team at White Star Heritage, and I can’t praise it highly enough.

“It has grown and evolved over several years and what you see now is an absolute testimony to Tom’s unstinting enthusiasm and passion for this tragic, but somehow beautiful, story.

"It is a triumph and I have no doubts whatsoever that people will love it.”

Visitors to the Royal Armouries can see a collection of rare and internationally significant artefacts from the ship’s history.

Of particular interest is a piece of sheet music from Wallace Henry Hartley, the Titanic’s band leader. Hartley spent much of his life in Yorkshire after his family moved to Huddersfield.

He played the violin with several orchestras across the county, notably at Bridlington Spa, where he was bandmaster, and Collinson’s Café on King Edward Street, now part of the Victoria Quarter, before joining an agency that supplied musicians to ships including the Titanic.

Tragically, along with more than 1500 others, he died during the Titanic’s maiden voyage when the ship collided with an iceberg.

The sheet music on display was recovered from his violin case following the disaster.

Alongside this, visitors can see fragments of the ship’s ornate woodwork, other passenger and crew possessions, and a selection of items from the seabed.

These are showcased in large-scale sets and displays that bring to life the ship’s story.

However, beyond the physical displays there are the fascinating stories that the exhibition catalogues so brilliantly.

Eternally branded a coward and vilified by the media until his death in 1937, there was the tale of Joseph Bruce Ismay, chairman and Managing Director of the White Sar Line, controversially said to have urged ship captain, Edward John Smith to increase the liner’s speed so they could reach New York ahead of schedule: he escaped when countless other ‘important’ people didn’t.

Then there was shipbuilding genius Thomas Andrews, the Titanic’s chief Designer, who perished in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. You can also learn about Kate Winslet’s brief love affair with the Titanic legacy and view the amazing dress she wore on the silver screen!

Tickets are now on sale and can be booked at www.titanicleeds.com.

The exhibition moves to the Exchange Hall at Manchester Central (the old railway station) on July 31st where it can be seen until August 24th.